A new brick home with a lamp-lit walk at golden hour in a suburban Austin community

Suburb Comparison

Round Rock vs Cedar Park

Round Rock and Cedar Park are the established, closer-in Williamson County suburbs. Both are largely built out with limited, pricier new construction, so this is about location, schools, and which side of the metro fits your commute.

Talk to Luke Call or text 254-718-2567

The short answer

Which should you choose?

Choose Round Rock if

You want the shortest I-35 commute, proximity to Dell and the north tech corridor, and Round Rock ISD.

Round Rocknew homes →

Choose Cedar Park if

You want Leander ISD schools, a northwest-side location closer to the Hill Country and Lake Travis, and Cedar Park's amenities.

Cedar Parknew homes →

Head to head

Round Rock and Cedar Park, side by side

Round Rock

Cedar Park

Location

North of Austin along I-35

Northwest of Austin

County

Williamson County

Schools

Round Rock ISD, Leander ISD, Hutto ISD, Georgetown ISD, Pflugerville ISD

Leander ISD, Round Rock ISD

Price range

As of 2026, new construction in Round Rock generally runs from the high $200,000s (townhomes and smaller-lot homes) to about $1 million (larger and 55+ homes), with a new-construction median around $400,000. Because Round Rock land is scarcer and pricier than in the outer suburbs, you often pay a location premium versus comparable new product in Hutto, Georgetown, or Jarrell. Builders were widely advertising rate buydowns and closing-cost incentives.

New construction in Cedar Park is limited and skews higher than the outer suburbs. As of 2026, the small pool of new homes generally runs from the low $400,000s for townhomes and infill to well over $2 million for Hill Country and luxury product, with most new inventory above $500,000. Buyers who want more new-home choice at a lower price generally look next door in Leander or Liberty Hill.

Commute

Downtown Austin is roughly 18 to 20 miles south, about 25 to 35 minutes off-peak and 40 to 60 minutes in weekday rush hour on I-35 (mid-2026).

Downtown Austin is roughly 16 to 20 miles southeast, about 30 to 40 minutes off-peak and 45 to 65 minutes in weekday rush hour (mid-2026), usually via the 183A toll road to US-183 and MoPac.

Taxes

Property inside the City of Round Rock but outside a special district typically carried a combined rate near 1.9 to 2.2 percent in the 2024 to 2025 tax years, generally lower than the MUD-heavy new communities in Georgetown and Leander.

Property inside the City of Cedar Park typically carried a combined rate near 2.1 to 2.4 percent in the 2024 to 2025 tax years, with Leander ISD as the primary school levy for most of the city.

Honest tradeoffs

The case for each

Round Rock

Williamson Co.

Shorter I-35 commute to Austin and the north tech corridor than Georgetown, Leander, or Hutto
Highly rated Round Rock ISD, one of the metro's most sought-after school districts
Deep local job base anchored by Dell Technologies, plus St. David's medical, major retail, and the outlets
Established amenities: Old Settlers Park, Dell Diamond, Kalahari Resort, the Premium Outlets, and a revitalized downtown
Generally lower combined tax rates in-city than the MUD-heavy new communities farther north, with strong resale demand

Full Round Rock guide

Cedar Park

Williamson Co.

Closer-in northwest location with a shorter Austin commute than Leander, Georgetown, or Liberty Hill
Top-rated Leander ISD schools, a major draw for family buyers
Mature amenities: HEB Center at Cedar Park, Lakeline Mall, Cedar Park Regional Medical Center, and the Brushy Creek trail system
Fewer heavy MUD communities than the outer suburbs, so in-city tax rates are often lower
Strong, steady resale demand in an established, sought-after suburb

Full Cedar Park guide

Keep exploring

Free buyer representation

Still torn between Round Rock and Cedar Park?

Tell Luke your commute, budget, and school priorities and he will show you the best new-construction matches in both, with the real all-in cost including taxes, so you can decide with the full picture.

Luke Allen

Licensed Texas REALTOR, TREC #788149

Austin Marketing + Development Group

Call 254-718-2567 Text Luke