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Retiring in the Texas Hill Country
County-by-county · Property tax, cost of living, healthcare & heat · Data last verified 2026-06-10
Rank the Hill Country counties for YOUR priorities — free 2-minute tool →The Hill Country is the limestone-and-live-oak country west of Austin and north of San Antonio — New Braunfels, San Marcos, Wimberley, Boerne, Fredericksburg, Kerrville. It's one of the most sought-after retirement regions in Texas, and it's easy to see why: spring-fed rivers, rolling terrain, small-town pace, and two major cities with big hospitals within an hour's drive. The catch is that everyone else noticed too. Home prices and property taxes here run above the Texas average, and the summers are hot. Here's how the counties actually compare, with the real numbers.
The Hill Country counties at a glance
| County | Main town | Avg property tax | Cost of living | Hospital rating | 95°F+ days/yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Comal County core | New Braunfels | $5,828 | 95 | 3.8/5 | 110 |
| Hays County core | San Marcos | $6,208 | 99 | 3.9/5 | 112 |
| Travis County gateway — Austin | Austin | $6,783 | 99 | 4/5 | 110 |
| Williamson County gateway — Austin | Round Rock | $7,238 | 99 | 4.1/5 | 108 |
| Bexar County gateway — San Antonio | San Antonio | $4,171 | 95 | 3.8/5 | 115 |
Cost of living index: US average = 100. Property tax and hospital ratings from county assessors, the Texas Comptroller, and CMS Hospital Compare.
The heart of it: Comal & Hays
Comal County (New Braunfels) and Hays County (San Marcos) are the Hill Country proper — the Guadalupe and San Marcos rivers, Gruene, Wimberley, Canyon Lake. They're gorgeous and growing fast, and that growth shows up in the numbers: property tax averages around $5,828 in Comal and $6,208 in Hays, with median home values well into the $300,000s. Healthcare is decent but not deep — Comal has a couple of hospitals anchored by Resolute Health in New Braunfels, and both counties lean on San Antonio and Austin for specialized care, which is close but worth factoring in.
The gateway metros: Austin & San Antonio
If you want the Hill Country feel with big-city hospitals and amenities right there, the ring counties are worth a look. Travis (Austin) and Williamson (Round Rock, Georgetown) sit on the eastern edge and carry Austin's strong healthcare — but also its highest-in-the-state property taxes (Travis ~$6,783, Williamson ~$7,238). Bexar (San Antonio) anchors the southern edge with far more hospital capacity and a noticeably lower tax bill (~$4,171), at the cost of a bigger, busier city and hotter summers.
What it costs — and how retirees soften it
The honest headline is that the Hill Country is not a budget retirement. Its property taxes sit near the top of our 30 counties, driven by rising home values. The two things that help: Texas has no state income tax, and if you're 65 or older, the over-65 homestead exemption and school-tax freeze can knock a large share off the tax figures above. If the numbers here give you pause, it's worth reading the Texas senior property-tax guide before you rule a county out — the after-exemption bill can look very different.
Hill Country towns we don't cover yet
A few classic Hill Country retirement towns sit in smaller counties we haven't added individually: Fredericksburg (Gillespie County), Kerrville (Kerr County), Boerne (Kendall County), and Marble Falls (Burnet County). Wimberley and Dripping Springs, though, are in Hays County — already covered above. We're expanding coverage county by county; if one of these is on your list, tell us through the "request a county" box on the site and it moves up the queue.
Compare these counties against all 30 — run the free tool →Common Questions
Is the Texas Hill Country a good place to retire?
For many retirees, yes — it pairs rivers, rolling terrain, and small-town charm (New Braunfels, San Marcos, Wimberley, Fredericksburg) with easy reach of Austin and San Antonio hospitals. The trade-offs are real, though: its popularity has pushed home prices and property taxes above the Texas average, and summers are hot, with roughly 110 days a year above 95°F.
What are property taxes like in the Hill Country?
Higher than Texas's cheapest counties. Comal County (New Braunfels) averages about $5,828 a year and Hays County (San Marcos) about $6,208 — well above border counties that run near $2,500. Texas has no state income tax, and the over-65 exemption plus school-tax freeze can offset a good chunk of that bill for retirees.
Is the Hill Country too hot to retire in?
It gets genuinely hot in summer — Comal and Hays both see around 110 days a year over 95°F. That's warmer than the Panhandle (Amarillo/Lubbock, ~80–85 days) but milder than the Rio Grande Valley (~125–130). The higher elevation and river access take some of the edge off, but plan for real summer heat.
Explore the Hill Country counties
See the cheapest Texas counties to retire → · All 30 county profiles →