Georgetown, Round Rock and Cedar Park Lead Austin Suburb Trends

Georgetown, Round Rock and Cedar Park Lead

Austin Suburb Trends | March 2026

Across Austin and its surrounding suburbs, the gap between who wins and who waits has never been more tied to zip code than it is right now.

The austin real estate market on March 12, 2026 is not one story. It is thirty stories told across thirty cities, and the difference between them can mean the difference between a home that sells in weeks and one that sits for months. Today's data paints a picture of a market that is still correcting in many areas, quietly gaining momentum in others, and offering real opportunity for buyers and sellers who know where to look. This austin market update breaks it all down.

Scroll down to view the full Austin Daily Real Estate Briefing PDF for March 12, 2026.

Starting with the big picture, there are 13,888 active residential listings across the Austin metro today. That is 7.4% more than this time last year, when there were 12,937 active homes on the market. To put the current level in perspective, inventory peaked at 18,146 listings on June 30, 2025, so the market has pulled back meaningfully from that high. Of the current listings, 3,789 are new construction and 10,099 are resale homes. Nearly half of everything on the market, exactly 47.5% of all active listings, has already had at least one price reduction. That statistic alone tells you a great deal about where negotiating power sits right now.

The Activity Index for resale homes sits at 21.14%, which places the Austin resale market in the Softening phase. This phase is defined by slower sales, rising inventory, and reduced urgency among buyers. New construction is performing better, with an Activity Index of 31.71%, which technically puts that segment in Expansion territory. That divergence is important. Builders are absorbing their inventory faster than resale sellers, which means anyone competing against new construction in the same price range needs to be priced sharply and ready to negotiate. The overall Activity Index is 24.3%, down slightly from 24.5% at this same point in 2025, a difference of just 0.6%.

At the city level, the spread in conditions is striking. Cedar Park stands out as one of the tightest markets in the metro, with just 2.90 months of resale inventory. Round Rock is close behind at 3.99 months, and Pflugerville sits at 3.86 months. These three suburbs are operating closer to seller-friendly conditions than most of the metro. In practical terms, homes priced correctly in Cedar Park and Round Rock are still seeing relatively quick absorption compared to the broader market. Buyers targeting these areas should expect less room to negotiate and fewer days to sit on a decision.

Georgetown tells a different story. With a median sold price that has dropped 7.1% year over year to $417,870 and 5.23 months of inventory, Georgetown is offering buyers more breathing room than the tight northern suburbs. Of Georgetown's 1,014 active listings, 54.2% have had at least one price reduction, the second highest price drop rate among the major cities tracked. That combination of falling prices, rising inventory, and aggressive seller concessions makes Georgetown one of the more compelling buying opportunities in the metro right now for price-conscious buyers who are willing to be patient.

Liberty Hill and Hutto are two more suburbs worth watching closely. Liberty Hill has 62.5% of its active listings carrying a price drop, the highest rate of any city in today's data. With 5.86 months of inventory and a median price down 9.6% from its peak, Liberty Hill has clearly shifted toward buyers. Hutto shows 59.5% of listings with price drops and 5.29 months of inventory, with the median sold price falling 5.7% year over year. Both cities saw dramatic inventory increases over the past two years and are still working through that overhang.

On the price side, the March 2026 median sold price across the Austin metro is $452,500. That is up 4.0% from February 2026 but still down 17.73% from the peak of $550,000 set in May 2022. The average sold price in March is $591,072, which is down 13.32% from its peak of $681,939. Looking at where prices have gone in individual cities, seven cities showed year-over-year median price increases while twenty-three declined. Among those holding up well are Wimberley, up 20.1% year over year to $589,750, and Smithville, up 19.8% to $380,000. These are smaller markets with limited inventory, and their appreciation stands in contrast to most of the metro.

The Absorption Rate for the overall market is 17.50%, compared to a historical average of 31.49%. That means the market is absorbing roughly half the rate it historically has. The Market Flow Score, which combines multiple turnover metrics into a single index on a scale of zero to ten, sits at 4.12 against a historical average of 6.57. Both of these readings confirm what the other data shows: this is a slower, buyer-leaning market that has not yet returned to normalized activity levels.

Months of Inventory across the metro stands at 4.92, up from 4.54 a year ago. While that is still well below the June 2025 highs, it remains above what would be considered a balanced market. Several outer suburbs are showing extreme inventory levels. Dale carries 35.25 months of resale inventory. Spicewood sits at 18.64 months. Marble Falls is at 13.50 months. For buyers interested in land, lakefront properties, or rural settings, these are markets where time is very much on your side.

For the austin housing forecast looking ahead, pending listings provide the most forward-looking signal. There are 4,467 pending sales today, up 6.4% from the 4,197 pending at this point in 2025. New construction accounts for 1,759 of those pendings while resale makes up 2,708. The year-to-date New Listing to Pending Ratio is 0.73, below the 25-year average of 0.82, which means pendings are consuming a relatively high share of new supply. That is a quietly bullish signal in an otherwise cautious market. The austin real estate forecast for spring and summer will depend heavily on whether this demand holds as more listings come to market.

For real estate agents, today's data reinforces the importance of suburb-level pricing strategy. The difference between Cedar Park at 2.90 months of inventory and Marble Falls at 13.50 months is not just a number. It is a completely different conversation with your client about offer strategy, days on market expectations, and negotiation positioning. Knowing which phase each market is operating in gives you a clear edge in every listing appointment and buyer consultation.

Visit Austin Daily Real Estate Briefing at teamprice.com/austin-daily-real-estate-briefing for the complete archive of daily market data.

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FAQ SECTION

What is the difference between average and median home price in Austin?

The average and median home price in Austin measure similar things but tell very different stories. The average sold price in March 2026 is $591,072, which is calculated by adding up all the sale prices and dividing by the number of transactions. The median sold price is $452,500, which represents the midpoint where half of homes sold for more and half sold for less. Because Austin has a wide range of price points, from modest starter homes in Manor and Elgin to multi-million dollar properties in Driftwood and Wimberley, the average gets pulled higher by luxury sales in ways the median does not. For most buyers and sellers trying to understand what a typical home costs in the Austin market today, the median sold price of $452,500 is the more useful and reliable benchmark.

What are the best areas to buy a home in Austin right now?

The best areas to buy depend heavily on what you are optimizing for, but today's data points to several suburbs that offer clear value. Georgetown stands out with 54.2% of active listings having taken at least one price reduction, a median sold price that has dropped 7.1% year over year to $417,870, and 5.23 months of inventory giving buyers real negotiating power. Liberty Hill is similarly positioned, with 62.5% of listings showing price drops and a median that has declined 9.6% from its peak. For buyers who want a tighter market with more price stability, Cedar Park at 2.90 months of inventory and Round Rock at 3.99 months offer more predictable conditions with lower risk of continued price softening. Your best area ultimately depends on whether you are prioritizing near-term value, long-term appreciation, or stability, but any of these cities offer more opportunity than the peak years of 2021 and 2022 allowed.

Is Austin real estate a good long-term investment in 2026?

Based on the 25-year compound appreciation rate for the Austin market of 4.807% per year, Austin real estate has historically delivered solid long-term returns. The current median sold price of $452,500 is down 17.73% from the May 2022 peak of $550,000, which at first glance looks discouraging, but the projection model in today's data estimates that at the historical appreciation rate, prices would return to peak levels by approximately June 2030. That means buyers who purchase today at or near current prices have the potential to enter close to the bottom of the correction cycle. The austin real estate forecast for long-term investors also benefits from population growth, a diversified economy, and continued in-migration to the region. As with any investment, timing, location, and price point matter, and today's data shows that some submarkets like Georgetown and Liberty Hill offer more room for upside than others that have corrected less.

What does a softening real estate market mean for Austin homebuyers?

A softening market, which is where the Austin resale segment sits today with an Activity Index of 21.14%, means the pace of sales is slowing and inventory is rising relative to the number of buyers actively purchasing. In practical terms, this is good news for buyers in the austin housing market. It means you have more homes to choose from, more time to make decisions without feeling rushed, and more room to negotiate on price. The data shows that 47.5% of all active listings across the metro have already had at least one price reduction, which means many sellers have already adjusted their expectations downward. Softening does not mean prices are in freefall. It means the extreme seller advantage of 2021 and 2022 has reversed, and buyers are now in a far more favorable position than they have been in years. For buyers who have been waiting on the sidelines, a softening market is typically the phase where the best opportunities are found before the next expansion cycle begins.

How do pending listings in Austin predict where the market is going?

Pending listings are one of the most forward-looking indicators in any austin market update because they represent homes under contract that have not yet closed. Today's data shows 4,467 pending listings, up 6.4% from the 4,197 pending at this time in 2025. That year-over-year increase in pendings is a meaningful signal because it suggests buyer activity is actually improving even as active inventory has also grown. The year-to-date New Listing to Pending Ratio of 0.73 tells a similar story. When that ratio is below the 25-year average of 0.82, it means pending sales are absorbing a larger share of new supply than usual, which is a sign that demand is relatively healthy given the inventory level. If pending listings continue to grow through spring and summer, which is historically the strongest selling season, it would confirm that the austin real estate forecast is moving in a more positive direction for sellers and support stabilization of prices heading into the second half of 2026.

Have a Question or Want to Dive Deeper?

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