Market Overview for Bastrop County
There are 769 active listings in Bastrop County with a median list price of $425K and a median sold price of $355K.
Homes average 129 days on market.
Over the past 30 days, 122 homes have sold, with 1219 sales in the past 12 months.
The average price per square foot is $239.
About Bastrop County
Bastrop County covers 896 square miles east of Austin in central Texas, straddling the boundary between the Blackland Prairie and the Post Oak Savannah ecological regions. The county seat is Bastrop, situated along the Colorado River, and the 2020 census recorded a population of 97,216. The county includes the city of Elgin in the north, Smithville in the southeast, and the Cedar Creek community between Bastrop and Austin. The Lost Pines forest, an isolated stand of loblolly pines separated from the East Texas pine belt by approximately 100 miles, defines the county's landscape and gives the area a distinct ecological character found nowhere else in central Texas.
Home prices in Bastrop County remain significantly lower than in neighboring Travis County, making it an increasingly popular option for buyers commuting to Austin. The city of Bastrop offers homes ranging from the low $200,000s for older properties to the mid-$400,000s for newer construction in communities like Colony Oaks and Piney Creek Bend. Elgin, known as "The Sausage Capital of Texas," features homes primarily in the $250,000 to $400,000 range. Cedar Creek provides rural and semi-rural properties with larger lots, typically in the $300,000 to $500,000 range. Smithville, on the county's southeastern edge, offers small-town living with homes often priced below $300,000. Ranch and acreage properties are available throughout the county's rural areas. The median home price across the county is significantly below the Travis County median, attracting buyers who want more space at lower price points while maintaining a reasonable commute to Austin.
Bastrop ISD is the largest school district in the county with approximately 10,000 students across campuses including Bastrop High School, Cedar Creek High School, and elementary schools such as Bluebonnet, Emile, and Colony Oaks. Elgin ISD serves the northern part of the county with approximately 5,500 students, including Elgin High School. Smithville ISD covers the southeastern area with about 2,000 students. McDade ISD operates a small rural campus in the northeastern corner of the county. The county does not have a four-year university, but Austin Community College operates an Elgin campus providing associate degrees and workforce training.
Bastrop County sits along State Highway 71, Highway 290, and State Highway 21, with downtown Bastrop approximately 30 miles and 35 minutes southeast of downtown Austin. The county's economy has expanded with the construction of Tesla's Gigafactory just across the Travis County line, as well as facilities operated by SpaceX and The Boring Company near the county border, creating thousands of jobs accessible to Bastrop County residents. The Hyatt Regency Lost Pines Resort on 405 acres along the Colorado River, MD Anderson Cancer Center's research facility, and the historic downtown Bastrop Main Street district listed on the National Register of Historic Places serve as additional economic anchors. Austin-Bergstrom International Airport is approximately 20 minutes west of Bastrop. Highway 290 connects Elgin to Austin's east side, providing an alternate commute route that avoids I-35 congestion. The county is part of the Austin-Round Rock metropolitan statistical area and has seen accelerating residential growth since 2020.
