Belton

In the heart of Central Texas is the City of Belton, with the neighborhood of North Belton sitting along Belton Lake. “I wouldn’t want to live or work anywhere else,” says Paula Golden, Realtor at Covington Real Estate, with 30 years of experience in the area. “The area keeps growing, but it really hasn’t lost the small town, community-centered feel.” The homes reflect that sentiment, with a variety of home styles built throughout the years. The area has plenty of public green spaces, both along the lake and closer to the center of the neighborhood. Nolan Creek weaves through and is used by the city for public events. Also within is an elementary, middle and the oldest high school in the city. In 1954, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineering created a dam that led to the creation of the 12,300-acre Belton Lake. “My husband and son say it’s some of the best fishing in Texas, and there are bass fishing tournaments here every year,” Golden says. The main attraction of the neighborhood, the lake has beaches, campgrounds and parks scattered along the shores. In Belton Lakeview Park is Frank’s Marina, with a variety of water vehicles for rent. Westcliff Park is comprised of mainly campgrounds on the lake but does have boat ramps and a swimming area. The Belton Lake Outdoor Recreation Association, or BLORA, is run by Fort Cavazos but is located outside the base itself. The association has canoe and wakeboard rentals, a paintball course and horseback riding trails. The neighborhood is a mixture of older ranch-style homes and more recently built New Traditional styles. Ranch-style homes will be lower in price, beginning around $125,000 and reaching up to $499,000. Some outliers can reach up to $1.35 million if they sit along the lakeshore. “Prices have certainly gone up in the past few years with folks moving into town,” Golden says. With the influx of new residents, developers have put together subdivisions of large, new homes sitting on close-together lots. New Traditional homes will be more expensive, starting around $325,000 and gradually increasing to around to $1.35 million for a home on the lake. The price within homes gradually increases as bedrooms, acreage and square footage are added to the properties. Belton hosts a variety of events throughout the year, including a community-wide service project in April. Family, Fishin’ & Fun takes place along the Nolan Creek in December. The creek is stocked with rainbow trout provided by the Texas Parks & Wildlife Rainbow Trout Program. There are multiple fishing tournaments that take place around the lake. Along FM 439 is Fire Street Pizza. Originally a food truck, the premise has grown to include an outdoor venue section, including a playground for children. Bingham Marine Texas is a boat dealership with new and used boats. They also provide servicing and customization. Downtown Belton showcases brunch at Water Street Waffle Company, with murals of musicians filling the walls and waffles stacked with eggs and breakfast meats. Miller’s Smokehouse is open for breakfast until 10:55 a.m., but the smokehouse portion is only open until the meat runs out. Along North Main Street are chain stores Walmart Supercenter and H-E-B plus!, along with local restaurant Taqueria Mexicano Grill & Bar #13. Most children can begin at Sparta Elementary School, which is graded an A-minus by Niche. Students can then move to Belton Middle School, with a B, and then Belton High School, with an A-minus. The Belton New Tech @Waskow was originally part of Belton High School as a specialized program before splitting off to be its own school in 2021. It earns a grade of A-minus from Niche as well. Students must apply to attend this high school. Interstates 14 and 35 converge in the city of Belton. I-35 is a major north-south interstate. Hill Country Transit District operates a small public transportation system known as The Hop. Similar to on-demand car services like Uber, residents can request rides via an app. The closest hospital is in Belton, the Baylor Scott & White Medical Center – Temple.