Eanes ISD vs. Lake Travis ISD: A 2026 Guide for Families Moving to West Austin
Bee Cave Cynthia Mattiza November 8, 2026
Bee Cave Cynthia Mattiza November 8, 2026
Both are A-rated public school districts in West Austin, and both are excellent. Eanes ISD (Westlake High School) scored 94 out of 100 in the most recent Texas Education Agency (TEA) accountability ratings and has the lowest school tax rate in the Austin area. Lake Travis ISD (Lake Travis High School) scored 91 out of 100 and covers Bee Cave, Lakeway, and the Lake Travis communities, where you generally get newer homes, more land, and lake access for the money. The right choice usually comes down to commute, home style, and budget, not school quality.
I'm Cynthia Mattiza, Associate Broker and REALTOR® with Kuper Sotheby's International Realty. I've helped families buy and sell in West Austin, Westlake Hills, Bee Cave, and Lake Travis for 16 years, and I live in Spanish Oaks, in Lake Travis ISD. This is the guide I walk my relocation clients through.
Eanes ISD | Lake Travis ISD | |
|---|---|---|
TEA overall rating | A (94) | A (91) |
High school | Westlake High School | Lake Travis High School |
Approximate enrollment | 7,500 | 10,700 |
2026-27 school tax rate | $0.8254 | $1.0329 |
Est. annual school tax, $1.5M homestead* | About $11,200 | About $14,000 |
Typical housing | Established hillside homes, remodels, Westlake estates | Newer construction, gated and golf communities, lake homes |
Drive to downtown Austin | About 10 to 20 minutes | About 25 to 40 minutes |
What's ahead | Planning a possible 2027 facilities bond | Highland Lakes High School opening August 2029 |
*Estimate only, using the $140,000 school homestead exemption. Your actual bill depends on your appraised value and exemptions.
Eanes ISD has earned an A for years, and in 2026 its students outperformed the state on every STAAR test. Lake Travis ISD also earned an A, with nearly 82% of its campuses rated A. You are not trading down on school quality in either district. I tell clients to tour the specific elementary school their home would be zoned to, because the campus matters more day to day than the district headline.
Eanes ISD has the lowest school tax rate in the Austin area at $0.8254 for 2026-27. Lake Travis ISD lowered its rate to $1.0329, the lowest in its history. On a $1.5 million home, that gap is roughly $2,800 a year in school taxes. Keep in mind that price per square foot is often higher in Eanes, so total cost of ownership evens out for many families.
Eanes ISD neighborhoods are established, with mature oaks, hillside lots, and homes from the 1970s through the 2000s, many beautifully remodeled. Lake Travis ISD offers more new construction, gated golf communities like Spanish Oaks, and waterfront living on Lake Travis. With my background in interior design and custom home building, I help buyers see which older Eanes homes are worth the remodel and which newer Lake Travis homes are built to last.
Eanes ISD puts you closest to downtown, Zilker, and the tech offices in central Austin. Lake Travis ISD trades a longer commute for the Hill Country Galleria, the lake, golf, and more space. If you work from home most days, the lifestyle side often wins.
Lake Travis ISD is building Highland Lakes High School off Reimers Peacock Road near Highway 71, scheduled to open in August 2029. That will rezone some families, so ask me which neighborhoods are likely to shift before you buy. Eanes ISD is smaller and land-locked, with steady enrollment and a facilities bond under discussion for 2027.
Many of my West Austin families also consider nearby private schools, including Regents School of Austin, St. Michael's Catholic Academy, St. Andrew's Episcopal School, Trinity Episcopal School, and the International School of Texas. Living in either district puts you within a reasonable drive of most of them.
Want to go deeper? Read my full Eanes ISD vs. Lake Travis ISD resource guide, with a neighborhood-by-neighborhood breakdown of which communities are zoned to each district and more on West Austin private schools.
For over ten years, my husband and I raised our girls in South Austin's 78704. We loved it there. But as we thought about school, we realized what we really wanted: a neighborhood where most families sent their kids to the local public school, so the school and the neighborhood were one and the same.
That search brought us west to Bee Cave and Lake Pointe Elementary in Lake Travis ISD. Honestly, at the time we didn't know much about Lake Pointe beyond the fact that it was highly rated. In 2024-25 it earned an A from the Texas Education Agency in all four accountability categories. The rating is what got us there. The community is what made it home.
During my daughter's kindergarten year, we became friends with so many families at the school. Many of those friendships started with the "class moms" and grew into friendships that have lasted for years. Our neighbors became like family. We help each other with carpools, pickups, and all the everyday things that make raising kids easier when you're not doing it alone.
That first fall festival showed us how this community shows up for each other. And one of my favorite traditions in Lake Travis ISD is the homecoming parade. Watching the whole Lake Travis community come together to support the school, the students, and our local businesses reminds me every year why we chose to live here.
We've watched our girls thrive in their communities, and that experience changed how I do business. Community is now the main pillar of my real estate practice. I spend a lot of time helping families understand that your neighborhood will shape your life more than the size of your house or the number of bedrooms. A bigger house won't give you a carpool partner, a neighbor who feels like family, or a school community that cheers for your kids.
Both Eanes ISD and Lake Travis ISD are A-rated, so the district rating alone won't tell you much. When relocating families ask me about schools, I tell them to look closer:
After 16 years in Austin real estate, here's what I see: families who want to be close to downtown and love an established neighborhood often land in Eanes. Families who want newer homes, more space, the lake, and a tight-knit elementary school community often land in Lake Travis ISD, the way we did. Both are great choices. My job is to help you find the right street and the right school community, not just the right district. And when you move, I'll introduce you to neighbors and families I know, so you have friends from day one.
Both are A-rated. Eanes ISD scored 94 and Lake Travis ISD scored 91 in the latest TEA ratings. Eanes has slightly higher scores and lower taxes, while Lake Travis offers newer homes, more land, and lake living. The better district depends on your commute, budget, and the home you want.
Eanes ISD. Its 2026-27 rate is $0.8254 per $100 of value, the lowest in the Austin area. Lake Travis ISD's 2026-27 rate is $1.0329.
Westlake High School, the district's only high school.
Bee Cave is in Lake Travis ISD, along with Lakeway, The Hills, Spanish Oaks, Rough Hollow, and Lake Pointe.
Yes. Lake Pointe Elementary in Bee Cave is one of the top-rated elementary schools in Lake Travis ISD and the Austin area, earning a TEA A in all four accountability categories in 2024-25. REALTOR® Cynthia Mattiza moved her own family from South Austin's 78704 to Bee Cave for Lake Pointe, drawn by both its academics and its close-knit school community.
Look beyond the district rating. Austin REALTOR® Cynthia Mattiza of Kuper Sotheby's International Realty advises relocating families to look at three things: the school culture, the strength of the PTO, and the families and teachers who make the school great. She also tells clients that their neighborhood will shape their life more than the size of their house or the number of bedrooms.
Yes. Highland Lakes High School is under construction near Highway 71 and is scheduled to open in August 2029.
West Lake Hills, Rollingwood, Davenport Ranch, Barton Creek, Lost Creek, Rob Roy, and parts of West Austin. Always verify a specific address with the district, since boundaries can split neighborhoods.
Cynthia Mattiza, Associate Broker with Kuper Sotheby's International Realty, has 16 years of experience in West Austin, Westlake Hills, Bee Cave, and Lake Travis. She holds the CLHMS luxury designation, has been a Platinum Top 50 REALTOR® every year since 2012, and an Austin Business Journal Top Producing Agent every year since 2014. She lives in Spanish Oaks in Lake Travis ISD.
If you're deciding between Eanes ISD and Lake Travis ISD, I'd love to help you compare specific neighborhoods, school zones, and homes. Call or text me at 512-940-5293 or email [email protected].
Cynthia Mattiza | Associate Broker, REALTOR® | Kuper Sotheby's International Realty | Serving West Austin, Westlake Hills, Bee Cave, Lakeway, and Lake Travis
Sources: Texas Education Agency A-F Accountability Ratings; Eanes ISD; Lake Travis ISD; Community Impact, Lake Travis-Westlake edition. School data current as of November 2026. Verify school zoning for any specific address with the district.
Home sales, prices, inventory and rentals in Lake Pointe for the last 30 days, from Unlock MLS data, by REALTOR® Cynthia Mattiza
2026 TEA ratings, tax rates, neighborhoods, and new schools compared by West Austin REALTOR® Cynthia Mattiza
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