Investment in Llano County, Texas.
30.71° N · 98.68° W · pop. 22,424 · seat: Llano
Verdict
Strong fit
for investment use
The honest take
Llano County is a strong investment target by Texas land-market standards. The TRERC Q3 2025 data positions the Hill Country as a top Texas land market: Region 7 prices grew +3.4% YoY to a record $7,704/acre (statewide $5,158/ac, +5.87%), and Llano sits at the heart of that region. The growth drivers are structural, not speculative: Austin MSA in-migration pushing buyers westward, Highland Lakes waterfront scarcity, Enchanted Rock tourism (250K+ annual visitors), and a retiree pipeline from Houston and Dallas that values lake living over coastal humidity. LandWatch shows ~1,765 active listings — high inventory means buyers have leverage on individual deals, but the volume confirms an active, liquid market. Not every Llano parcel is an investment-grade asset: inland ranch land without road frontage or water access appreciates slowly; a deeded lake-access lot on LBJ with a dock permit has been one of the best-performing rural-land asset classes in Texas for a decade. The key discipline is distinguishing 'acreage in Llano' from 'investment-grade land in Llano' — lake proximity, road frontage, and dockability are everything.
Why Llano County earns this verdict
- TRERC Q3 2025: Region 7 Hill Country land prices +3.4% YoY to a record $7,704/acre — among the strongest regional land markets in Texas.
- Austin MSA growth corridor — Williamson County is at capacity, pushing buyers west to Burnet and Llano for acreage.
- Highland Lakes waterfront is a finite asset — no new lakes are being built; LBJ constant-level lakefront has genuine scarcity value.
- Tourism economy from Enchanted Rock (250K+ visitors) plus lake recreation provides a demand floor for STR and weekend-home buyers.
- Population is growing, not declining — ~21,243 (2020 Census) to ~22,424 (2024 est) on retiree and Austin-area in-migration.
Llano County by the numbers
- Land price trend
- Region 7 Hill Country $7,704/ac, +3.4% YoY (TRERC Q3 2025)
- Active listings
- ~1,765 (LandWatch, June 2026)
- TX rural land median
- $5,158/ac, +5.87% YoY (TRERC Q3 2025)
- Median home sold
- ~$500K+ county-wide (lakefront premium)
- Effective tax rate
- ~1.12% — below TX 1.48% median
- Largest employer sector
- Tourism/hospitality; Llano County government
- Nearest metro
- Austin MSA — 75–90 min east
What you'll spend
Entry (raw inland acre)
$5,000–$12,000 / acre
· Appreciation potential tied to Austin growth corridor
Lake-access investment lot
$15,000–$80,000 / acre
· LBJ constant-level premium with dock potential
Holding cost (annual)
$100–$700
· Property tax on vacant land; ~$500/yr on a $50K inland parcel
STR-ready lake home
$400,000–$900,000
· Turnkey with dock; gross revenue $30K–$70K/yr depending on size and location
STR hotel occupancy tax
6% state + local
· Verify current combined rate with Llano County Appraisal District
What to verify before you buy in Llano County
- Waterfront scarcity is real but location within the waterfront band matters — a cove lot with no direct main-lake view sells at a significant discount to main-lake frontage.
- Dock permits on LBJ/Buchanan are LCRA-regulated — verify the permit is current, transferable, and has not been revoked before pricing a lake-access parcel as dockable.
- STR regulations in Llano County are currently permissive at the county level, but city of Llano and Horseshoe Bay have their own rules — check municipal overlay before buying an STR property.
- Inland ranch land without road frontage or water is the slowest-appreciating asset class in the county — buy it if you want acreage, not as a pure investment.
- Texas property tax on vacant land is relatively high by national standards (~1.12% effective) — holding costs eat into appreciation if you're not generating rental income.
- Burnet County directly to the north shares the same Highland Lakes market with slightly lower lakefront prices on some segments — cross-shop before committing to a Llano lake-access parcel.
- Llano County is NOT in a groundwater conservation district — groundwater is under rule-of-capture. If buying for subdivision potential, note the county enforces a groundwater-availability study under Tex. Local Gov't Code 232.0322 (a geoscientist/engineer must certify sufficient water) before a plat is approved — this can constrain build-out density.
Common questions
Is Llano County a good fit for investment use?
Llano County is a strong investment target by Texas land-market standards. The TRERC Q3 2025 data positions the Hill Country as a top Texas land market: Region 7 prices grew +3.
What's the land price trend in Llano County?
Region 7 Hill Country $7,704/ac, +3.4% YoY (TRERC Q3 2025)
What's the active listings in Llano County?
~1,765 (LandWatch, June 2026)
What should you check before buying investment land in Llano County?
Waterfront scarcity is real but location within the waterfront band matters — a cove lot with no direct main-lake view sells at a significant discount to main-lake frontage.
Run it on a real parcel
County averages don't buy land. Specific addresses do.
Two parcels five miles apart in Llano County can score 50 points apart. Sign up and get 3 free AcreLens reports a month on the specific addresses you’re considering — real investment scores backed by NREL, USGS, FEMA, and county records.
Llano County under other lenses
Sources — NREL solar & wind, USGS groundwater & hydrology, FEMA flood zones, USDA soil & wildfire, NOAA climate, and Llano County, Texas public records. Every AcreLens report cites its own per-parcel sources.