A growing Main Street town, deep in the Lost Pines Forest
Thirty miles east of Austin, the city of Bastrop unfurls across a different landscape than its metropolitan neighbor. Roughly 12,300 people call the city home, taking advantage of its relatively affordable home prices, its secluded environment and the area's rapidly growing job market. A strong local business scene also grows in what was once a German timbering colony, now turned into a commuter hub with a vibrant Main Street. "I've lived all over Texas and there's nothing like Bastrop. It's one of a kind," says Realtor and Bastrop resident Kenneth Timerman of All City Real Estate. "I have a home where I can see for 15 miles because I'm on top of these huge hills, and I'm surrounded by pine trees, bobcats, foxes, a ton of bird life, deer everywhere, hawks. It's about as close to the mountains as you can get in Central Texas. But if you drive by it on Highway 71, you'd not even really know it's there."
Bastrop is known for its pockets of pine trees.
Downtown Bastrop offers plenty of dining and shopping options.
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New builds aplenty in a buyer's market of modest prices
Most buyers come to Bastrop seeking affordable single-family homes compared to the higher prices in Austin proper. In Austin, the median single-family home price is $600,000, whereas buyers in Bastrop pay closer to a median price of $400,000. Over the last few years, market conditions stimulated residential construction in Bastrop, leading to developing subdivisions like Pecan Park, known for modestly priced new traditional homes in a prairie style. Homes in newer master-planned communities like the Colony tend to be larger and more expensive, with a blend of new traditional and modern farmhouse. The downtown area has many of Bastrop's most established homes, including ranch-style houses from the 1970s. South of TX-71, the suburban neighborhood of Tahitian Village is one of Bastrop's premier communities, known for its established ranch-style homes and modern farmhouses, as well as a few land plots that typically range from $70,000 to $200,000 per acre.
Classic American homes with contemporary influences can be found in Bastrop.
A variety of 70's ranch homes are littered throughout Bastrop, Texas.
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Tesla, Samsung and other tech employers throughout East Austin
Roughly 30 miles of highway separates Bastrop from downtown Austin. A major commuter hub, Bastrop lacks public transportation besides the Capital Area Rural Transportation Service, providing on-demand bus rides within Bastrop County. TX-71, the main east-west connector, provides a straight shot to Austin-Bergstrom International Airport, and TX-95 heads to the new Samsung plant in Taylor. "There's all sorts of things going on out here," Timerman says. "All the businesses moving out here, like the Boring Company, SpaceX and Twitter's [now X's] new headquarters in Bastrop, all of those are like 10 to 15 minutes away from Bastrop."
SpaceX is one of the largest employers in the Bastrop area.
The June Hill Pape Riverwalk Trail follows the Colorado River.
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Endangered pine forests with miles of trails and swimming spots on Lake Bastrop
Downriver from Austin, Bastrop's ecology is noticeably unique for the metro area. The small city is located in the Lost Pines Forest, a rich grotto of loblolly pines that spreads to Bastrop State Park and the shoreline parks along Lake Bastrop. "You kind of lose that vibe of being in Central Texas in some parts," says Realtor Nate Dominguez of the Zell Team for Compass RE Texas. "There's not so many oak and cedar trees. You get really tall pines." A 2011 wildfire — the most destructive in Texas history — destroyed all but 5% of the forest's original 75,000 acres. Yet there are ongoing efforts to revive the forest, its parks and its endangered species. Plenty of swimming spots and hiking trails on Lake Bastrop remain open, and kayaking the Colorado River remains popular on the 6-mile El Camino Real Paddling Trail. Within the city, 14 parks offer a variety of amenities, including disc golf, splash pads and rec centers. Footpaths like the June Hill Pape Riverwalk Trail offer scenic pedestrian connections between riverfront parks and the Bastrop Public Library. Next door, the city is working to transform the Colorado River Bridge, listed on the National Register of Historic Places, into an elevated park à la the High Line in New York.
The Colorado River runs right through Bastrop.
Bob Bryant park offers ample green space to run and play.
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Main Street businesses and the only Buc-ee's for miles
Bastrop's small downtown is home to dozens of locally owned businesses — taverns, bakeries, clothing boutiques, steakhouses, bookstores, antique shops — occupying rows of preserved Victorian and neoclassical buildings on Main Street. Awnings keep the narrow sidewalks shaded most hours of the day as residents and day-trippers pop into one of the many downtown landmarks like the Bastrop Opera House or Maxine's on Main. The west side of the Colorado River is where most locals go for errands at supermarkets, big-box retailers and a variety of chain restaurants, including Texan favorites like Whataburger. Bastrop also has the only Buc-ee's location between Temple and Luling, making the famed chain a go-to stop for locals and passers-though.
Buc-ee's is the one-stop-shop for all things road trip.
A walk on Main Street is perfect for a sunny afternoon in Bastrop, Texas.
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A new elementary school for Bastrop ISD
Bastrop Independent School District receives an overall B-minus rating from Niche while being ranked the second-best district in Bastrop County. Bastrop ISD oversees 13,000 students across 17 schools, and enrollment has grown by 17% over the last five years.
Mardi Gras traditions and multicultural music festivals
The Bastrop Music Festival is a weekend-long annual event in September that pulls in acts from across the region. Bastrop also hosts an annual Mardi Gras festival with all the trappings of the traditional New Orleans extravaganza. Organizers work with Mardi Gras krewes from neighboring Louisiana to assemble a parade down Main Street, plus a lineup of live music performers, gumbo and king cakes galore.
Crime and wildfire prevention
Bastrop is susceptible to droughts, which can lead to flash floods and wildfire risks. Downtown is susceptible to wildfires, as Bastrop is in an ember zone, and areas with high vulnerability sit 5 miles north, around Camp Swift. In 2011, Bastrop saw the most destructive wildfire in Texas history, scorching 32,000 acres, destroying 1,600 homes and decimating the Lost Pines Forest.
FBI data generally shows higher-than-average crime rates in Bastrop. In 2019, the city's property crime rate rose above state and national numbers and has since remained above average, though steady. Meanwhile, the rate of violent crime has been trending downward since 2019, thought it remains higher than state and national numbers. To address crime, the city and its police department have launched numerous crime-prevention programs as well as improvements to street lighting downtown.
Written By
Tom Jakob
Photography Contributed By
Wyatt Stueve
Video By
Matt Ferguson
Interested in learning more about homes in this area?
Reach out to
Michelle Hendrix,
an experienced agent in this area.
GreatSchools:
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On average, homes in Bastrop, TX sell after 86 days on the market compared to the national average of 49 days. The median sale price for homes in Bastrop, TX over the last 12 months is $370,000, up 1% from the median home sale price over the previous 12 months.
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