Rural Residential in Llano County, Texas.
30.71° N · 98.68° W · pop. 22,424 · seat: Llano
Verdict
Strong fit
for rural residential use
The honest take
Llano County is one of the best rural-residential targets in Texas. The Highland Lakes — Lake LBJ and Lake Buchanan — anchor a lifestyle that's genuinely rural but not isolated: you're on a lake with a boat dock, 15 minutes from a grocery store, and 90 minutes from Austin. The county has real towns (Llano, Kingsland, Horseshoe Bay, Sunrise Beach) with schools, clinics, hardware stores, and social infrastructure. The in-migration pattern is real: retirees from Houston and Dallas, Austin professionals buying weekend-to-full-time lake homes, and Hill Country ranch buyers who want acreage without sacrificing services. At ~$5K–$25K/acre for raw land and $300K–$600K for existing homes, Llano is expensive relative to rural Texas but cheap relative to Austin suburbs. The trade-offs: property tax (~1.12% effective), wildfire risk in drought years, summer heat, and the reality that '15 minutes to a grocery store' from a lakefront parcel can become 30+ minutes on tourist-season weekends.
Why Llano County earns this verdict
- Highland Lakes (LBJ + Buchanan) provide year-round water recreation and a built-in community of lake-oriented residents — not just weekenders.
- Austin is 75–90 minutes away — close enough for a weekend commute or remote-work hybrid; far enough to feel genuinely rural.
- Population is growing, not declining — ~21,243 (2020 Census) to ~22,424 (2024 est), driven by retiree and Austin-area in-migration.
- Real towns exist: Llano (~3,500), Kingsland (~6,500), Horseshoe Bay (resort community). Grocery stores, clinics, auto shops, and restaurants are accessible.
- No county zoning in unincorporated areas means you can buy acreage and build to your own spec — rare for a county with lakefront proximity and MSA adjacency.
Llano County by the numbers
- County population
- ~22,424 (2024 estimate)
- Largest towns
- Kingsland (~6,500), Llano (~3,500), Horseshoe Bay (~4,300)
- Nearest major city
- Austin — 75–90 min east
- Nearest hospital
- Baylor Scott & White Marble Falls — ~30 min from Kingsland
- Median home price
- $455K–$500K Llano city; county-wide higher due to lakefront
- School districts
- Llano ISD, Marble Falls ISD (serves Horseshoe Bay area)
- Effective property tax
- ~1.12% — below Texas state median of 1.48%
- Population trend
- Growing — ~21,243 (2020 Census) → ~22,424 (2024 est)
What you'll spend
Raw land (inland)
$5,000–$12,000 / acre
· Hill Country ranch land, no lake access
Raw land (lake-access)
$15,000–$80,000 / acre
· LBJ/Buchanan frontage premium
Existing home (modest)
$250,000–$450,000
· Older stock, inland; lake homes $500K+
New build (modest)
$300,000–$500,000
· Plus land; construction costs are TX-standard
Property tax (annual)
$3,000–$8,000
· 1.12% on $270K–$700K assessed value
What to verify before you buy in Llano County
- Lakefront parcel boundaries are LCRA-regulated — verify what you can build within the shoreline setback and whether the dock permit transfers.
- Some subdivisions around the lakes have HOA covenants that restrict home size, materials, and livestock — read the CC&Rs before assuming freedom to build.
- Internet: Starlink works well; fiber is available in Kingsland/Llano/Horseshoe Bay but not in most rural subdivisions.
- Propane delivery is standard for heating/cooking; natural gas lines don't extend to most of the county.
- Fire insurance for Hill Country homes is increasingly expensive — get quotes before closing, especially for wooded lots.
- School quality varies — Marble Falls ISD rates higher than Llano ISD on most metrics; check which district a parcel feeds into.
- Flood insurance may be required on lakefront and Llano River-adjacent parcels — check FEMA FIRM panel before purchase.
Common questions
Is Llano County a good fit for rural residential use?
Llano County is one of the best rural-residential targets in Texas. The Highland Lakes — Lake LBJ and Lake Buchanan — anchor a lifestyle that's genuinely rural but not isolated: you're on a lake with a boat dock, 15 minutes from a grocery store, and 90 minutes from Austin.
What's the county population in Llano County?
~22,424 (2024 estimate)
What's the largest towns in Llano County?
Kingsland (~6,500), Llano (~3,500), Horseshoe Bay (~4,300)
What should you check before buying rural residential land in Llano County?
Lakefront parcel boundaries are LCRA-regulated — verify what you can build within the shoreline setback and whether the dock permit transfers.
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 rural residential 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.