Living in Brushy Creek, TX: Homes, Schools, MUD Taxes and Parks

Brushy Creek is an unincorporated community in southwest Williamson County, sitting between Round Rock and Cedar Park along the creek it's named after. It isn't a city. There's no mayor and no city council. Instead, most of the day-to-day stuff people expect from a city, like water, parks, pools and trails, is run by the Brushy Creek Municipal Utility District.

I'm Nick Himes with Service First Real Estate Group, and I sell homes all over Williamson County. Brushy Creek comes up a lot with buyers who want an established neighborhood with mature trees and a real park system without paying new-construction prices. If you're still comparing areas, start with my guide to the 7 best neighborhoods in Williamson County.

Brushy Creek at a Glance

• Location: Unincorporated Williamson County, west of Round Rock and east of Cedar Park. Many addresses carry Round Rock (78681) or Austin (78717) mailing addresses.
• Size: 22,519 residents in the 2020 Census, on about 6.5 square miles of land.
• Homes: Mostly established single-family neighborhoods, plus some condos and townhomes. The MUD lists about 20 neighborhoods inside the district.
• Prices: Median sale price of about $525,000 for the three months ending August 2026, per Redfin.
• Schools: Mostly Round Rock ISD, with some sections in Leander ISD.
• MUD: Brushy Creek MUD. Its adopted 2026 tax rate is $0.407 per $100 of value, per the district.
• Signature amenity: 11 MUD parks, 4 pools (one heated and open year-round), and direct access to the Brushy Creek Regional Trail.

Where It Is and the Commute

Brushy Creek sits in the triangle between Round Rock, Cedar Park and far northwest Austin. Brushy Creek Road is the main spine through the community, and RM 620 runs along the south side. That puts you close to 183A, SH 45 and I-35 depending on which direction you're headed.

Rough drive times without traffic:

• Cedar Park: about 10 minutes
• Downtown Round Rock: about 15 minutes
• Georgetown: about 25 minutes
• Downtown Austin: about 30 minutes

Rush hour on 620 and I-35 changes those numbers fast. If you have a set commute, drive it at the time you'd actually be on the road before you write an offer.

Homes and Prices

Brushy Creek is a resale market. Most of the homes here were built from the late 1970s through the 2000s, so you're getting mature trees, established yards and neighborhoods that have already filled in. Lots tend to be standard suburban size, not acreage.

The MUD lists neighborhoods like Cat Hollow, Sendero Springs, Highland Horizon, Woods of Brushy Creek, Meadows of Brushy Creek, Brushy Creek North and Great Oaks at Brushy Creek. You'll also find condo and townhome options, which is part of why the entry point here is lower than in a lot of newer master-planned communities.

Here's what the numbers looked like recently, per Redfin (August 2026):

• Median sale price: about $525,000, up 0.9% year over year
• Median price per square foot: about $214
• Median days on market: 42
• Average sale-to-list: 97.5%

For a longer view, the Census Bureau puts the median value of owner-occupied homes at $499,300 (2020 to 2024 estimates), and about 73% of homes are owner-occupied.

What moves the price here:

• Updates: A lot of these homes are 25 to 45 years old. Original kitchens, older roofs and older HVAC systems show up in the price, and they should show up in your inspection.
• Location inside the community: Backing to a greenbelt or being a short walk to a park or pool matters to buyers here.
• School assignment: Which campuses an address feeds into can swing interest.
• Floodplain: Homes close to the creek need extra diligence. More on that below.

Schools

Most of Brushy Creek is in Round Rock ISD, and some sections are in Leander ISD. Round Rock ISD campuses commonly listed for Brushy Creek addresses include Brushy Creek Elementary, Cactus Ranch Elementary, Cedar Valley Middle, Walsh Middle, McNeil High and Round Rock High.

Attendance zones change, and two houses a few streets apart can feed into different schools, or even different districts. Always verify the assigned campuses by exact address with the district before you buy.

Amenities and Things to Do

This is where Brushy Creek stands out. The MUD runs a park system that a lot of small cities would be happy to have.

MUD parks and facilities (per bcmud.org):

• 11 parks and 4 greenbelts, including Cat Hollow Park, Creekside Park, Sendero Springs Park, Pepper Rock Park and Shirley McDonald Park.
• Community Center and Park on Great Oaks Drive: a 21-acre site with an indoor rec center (fitness and weight rooms, indoor basketball and volleyball courts, racquetball), ball fields, a sand volleyball court, a xeriscape garden and a bat observation deck.
• 4 pools: Cat Hollow, Creekside, Highland Horizon and Sendero Springs. Sendero Springs has a heated 8-lane, 25-yard main pool that's open year-round. The other three are seasonal.
• Courts: Tennis at Cat Hollow and Creekside, and pickleball at Cat Hollow and the Community Center.
• Disc golf: An 18-hole course along the Liberty Walk Greenbelt, plus the Cat Hollow Disc Golf Course.
• Community events: The district hosts events like the Hairy Man Festival and a Turkey Trot 5K.

Brushy Creek Regional Trail. This is a Williamson County trail that's about 7.75 miles long and mostly concrete. The main section runs more than 6 miles from just west of Great Oaks Drive to Twin Lakes Park in Cedar Park. A lot of residents can get on it from their own neighborhood trails.

Brushy Creek Lake Park. This one is run by the City of Cedar Park, on the west end of the trail. It's 90 acres with a 38-acre lake, a splash pad, a canoe and kayak launch, fishing, and hike and bike trails. Swimming and motorized boats aren't allowed on the lake.

For shopping and dining, you're a short drive from Cedar Park, Round Rock and the 620 corridor, so you're not short on options.

Taxes, HOA and MUD

Because Brushy Creek is unincorporated, there's no city property tax. You will pay Williamson County, your school district, and Brushy Creek MUD, along with any other taxing units tied to the address.

Per the district, Brushy Creek MUD's adopted rates for the 2026 tax year are:

• District-wide: $0.407 per $100 of value ($0.322 maintenance and operations, $0.085 debt service)
• Defined Area: an additional $0.09 per $100 for properties inside the district's Defined Area

The MUD provides water and wastewater service, along with parks, pools, trails, streetlights and neighborhood security patrols. Some neighborhoods also have their own HOA on top of the MUD, and dues and rules vary by subdivision.

Bottom line: ask for the exact total tax rate on the specific address, and confirm whether it's in the Defined Area and whether there's an HOA. I'm happy to pull that for you before you write an offer.

Flood Zone Diligence Near the Creek

Brushy Creek runs right through the community, and some homes sit near it. That's part of the appeal, but it means you need to check flood risk on any home near the creek or a drainage channel.

• Check the address on Williamson County's FEMA Flood Zones map, which the county links from its GIS department page.
• Ask the seller for their flood disclosure and any flood insurance history.
• Get a flood insurance quote during your option period, even if the home isn't in a mapped floodplain.

Keep in mind that Williamson County has been updating its floodplain studies using NOAA's Atlas 14 rainfall data, which raised the county's 100-year rainfall estimate. Today's map may not be the final word. For unincorporated areas like Brushy Creek, floodplain questions go to the county.

Pros and Cons

Pros

• One of the best park, pool and trail setups in the county, run by the MUD
• Direct access to the Brushy Creek Regional Trail and Brushy Creek Lake Park
• Mature trees and established neighborhoods
• No city property tax
• Central spot between Round Rock, Cedar Park and northwest Austin

Cons

• Older housing stock, so budget for updates and maintenance
• No new construction to speak of
• Flood diligence needed on homes near the creek
• School and district assignments vary by street
• 620 and I-35 traffic at peak hours

Is Brushy Creek Right for You?

If your top priority is parks, pools and trails you can walk to, Brushy Creek is hard to beat in Williamson County. Same if you'd rather have mature trees and a settled neighborhood than a brand-new build on a bare lot.

If you want a new home with a builder warranty, you'll do better in a newer master-planned community like Wolf Ranch or Santa Rita Ranch. If you want a golf course and a big amenity package nearby, compare Teravista. If you want acreage or a more rural feel, look farther out, like Liberty Hill.

And if you're moving in from out of the area, my Williamson County relocation guide covers the bigger picture.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Brushy Creek part of Round Rock?

No. Brushy Creek is an unincorporated census-designated place in Williamson County. Many homes have Round Rock mailing addresses, but they aren't inside Round Rock city limits.

What does Brushy Creek MUD do?

It provides water and wastewater service and runs the community's parks, pools, trails, community center and streetlights.

What is the Brushy Creek MUD tax rate?

The adopted rate for the 2026 tax year is $0.407 per $100 of value, with an extra $0.09 for properties in the Defined Area, per the district. Your total tax rate also includes county and school district taxes.

What school district is Brushy Creek in?

Mostly Round Rock ISD, with some sections in Leander ISD. Verify by address.

How much does a home cost in Brushy Creek?

The median sale price was about $525,000 for the three months ending August 2026, per Redfin. Condos and townhomes come in lower, and larger updated homes come in higher.

Thinking About Brushy Creek?

If you're buying or selling in Brushy Creek, I'll help you sort out the details that matter here: the exact tax rate, the school assignment, flood risk and what updates the house really needs. Call or text me at 512-964-8883.

You can search homes for sale right now, or check out my Round Rock area page for more on the surrounding market.