Living in The Hills, Texas: A Local Guide to Homes, Golf & Everyday Life

The Hills is a small incorporated city next to Lakeway, but calling it simply a Lakeway neighborhood misses what makes it different.

It’s guard-gated. Golf and The Hills Country Club are woven into the community. Mature landscaping, individually distinctive homes, community and country-club amenities, and a quiet residential environment distinguish The Hills from many of the newer master-planned communities nearby.

And there’s something else I notice every time I drive through the community:

I can’t remember seeing two homes here that look alike.

That’s saying something in an area where newer communities may be developed section by section from defined collections of floor plans, elevations and exterior palettes.

The Hills feels different.

Not because there’s anything wrong with the master-planned model.

It’s simply a different residential experience.

Is The Hills Part of Lakeway?

No.

The Hills is its own incorporated city.

It sits immediately adjacent to Lakeway, and residents use many of the same Lakeway and Bee Cave businesses, restaurants, healthcare facilities and services. That’s why you’ll sometimes hear the broader area described collectively.

But The Hills isn’t a subdivision within the City of Lakeway.

That distinction is worth making clearly for someone researching the area from somewhere else.

What Is It Like to Live in The Hills?

The Hills feels established.

Trees and landscaping have matured. Golf runs through the community. Streets curve through the terrain rather than following a rigid grid. Homes were developed over many years rather than appearing during one concentrated building cycle.

It’s also genuinely residential.

You aren’t moving here because there’s a shopping center around the corner inside the gates.

Everyday errands take you into Lakeway or nearby Bee Cave.

But once you come home, you leave much of that commercial activity behind.

For the right buyer, that’s a feature.

The Homes Don’t Have a Repeating Look

One of the things I notice most about The Hills is something that’s hard to appreciate from a list of homes for sale:

I can’t remember seeing two homes here that look alike.

Drive through many newer master-planned communities and you’ll see neighborhoods built from a defined collection of floor plans, elevations and exterior palettes.

Homeowners absolutely make those houses their own over time, but there’s still a recognizable design language from one street to the next.

The Hills feels noticeably different.

Homes were built over decades, on individual lots, with different architects, builders, materials and styles. You’ll see traditional Texas architecture, Mediterranean influences, contemporary renovations and homes that are difficult to put neatly into any one category.

That variety gives the community an established, custom feel.

It isn’t simply that the homes are older or more expensive.

The streets don’t have the visual repetition you often see in communities developed a section at a time.

Add the mature trees, landscaping, hills and golf-course setting, and the result feels collected over time rather than created from a single development plan.

For some buyers, that won’t matter much.

For others, they’ll notice it almost immediately:

“This doesn’t feel like every other neighborhood we’ve driven through.”

That’s part of The Hills’ appeal.

Buying an Established Home in The Hills

Architectural individuality also means you need to evaluate homes individually.

Two houses built around the same time may have had completely different renovation and maintenance histories.

When I’m looking at an established home with a buyer, finishes are only part of the story.

I also want to understand things like:

Roof. HVAC. Windows. Plumbing. Drainage. Exterior condition. Major renovations.

A beautifully updated kitchen doesn’t answer any of those questions.

Neither does the year built.

This is where comparing two homes based purely on price per square foot can miss quite a lot.

The Hills Is Guard-Gated

There’s an important distinction between The Hills and communities that simply have access-controlled gates.

The Hills has a staffed main entrance 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

The community also has roving security.

There’s a separate contractor/vendor entrance that is staffed during designated hours. Outside those hours, vendors and contractors must use the main staffed entrance.

That makes The Hills a genuinely guard-gated community, rather than one where visitors simply enter a code at an unmanned gate.

POA and Country Club Membership: They’re Not the Same Thing

This distinction needs to be clear because it’s easy for a buyer to hear “HOA” and “country club” and assume everything is bundled together.

Property owners in The Hills are part of the community’s Property Owners Association, with semi-annual POA fees.

Separately, homeowners are required to maintain a Social membership in The Hills Country Club.

Social membership gives residents access to the applicable club benefits associated with that membership level.

Golf and Tennis membership options are upgrades and have their own initiation costs and membership fees.

So when evaluating a home here, I wouldn’t simply ask:

“What’s the HOA fee?”

I’d want to understand the entire ownership structure:

POA fees + required club membership + any optional club upgrades that matter to you.

Membership structures, dues and initiation fees can change, so current amounts and privileges should always be verified directly with the POA and The Hills Country Club before purchasing.

Golf in The Hills

You don’t have to look very far to understand golf’s role in this community.

Courses and fairways are physically woven into the residential environment, creating golf-course views and green space throughout portions of The Hills.

For someone who plays regularly, the appeal is obvious.

For someone who doesn’t, golf can still influence what it feels like to live here because of the landscape and open-space character it creates.

But living next to a golf course and having golf membership privileges aren’t the same thing.

If golf is part of your reason for buying here, verify the current membership level, initiation fee, dues and access directly with the club.

The Hills Has More Amenities Than You Might Expect

It’s easy to focus so heavily on the golf and country-club identity that another part of The Hills gets overlooked.

The community has meaningful recreational amenities of its own.

There’s a community park, and the pool center is much more substantial than a simple neighborhood swimming pool.

The pool complex includes an Olympic-size swimming pool, cabanas, poolside food and beverage service, a water slide, a tennis-racquet-shaped pool, wading pool and splash area.

There are swim teams and lessons, club activities, parties and community celebrations.

I wouldn’t compare the amenity system directly with a huge newer master-planned community such as Steiner Ranch or Sweetwater.

That’s not really the point.

The Hills has its own combination:

established custom homes + golf + club environment + community recreation.

That package is part of what distinguishes it.

The Hills and Dark Sky Living

The Hills follows a Dark Sky approach to outdoor lighting.

Homes can have exterior and landscape lighting, but outdoor lighting is intended to be used where it’s needed for safety and security while limiting unnecessary light spill.

Nearby Lakeway follows a similar approach.

This isn’t necessarily something you’d think to put on a home-search checklist.

But it contributes to the feel of the community after dark.

There is a difference between a neighborhood being poorly lit and a community being intentional about where exterior light goes.

The goal here is the latter.

Schools Serving The Hills

The Hills is served by Lake Travis Independent School District.

Lake Travis High School is known locally for its athletics, particularly football, and NFL quarterback Baker Mayfield is an alumnus.

LTISD is also expanding facilities in response to continued student-population growth, including development of Highland Lakes High School along the Highway 71/Pedernales Parkway corridor.

For buyers, however, the important question isn’t simply:

“Is this Lake Travis ISD?”

It’s:

“Which schools are assigned to this specific address?”

School attendance boundaries can change, particularly in a growing district.

Always verify current assignments directly with Lake Travis ISD before making a housing decision.

Everyday Life in The Hills

The Hills itself is primarily residential.

That’s important.

You don’t have an H-E-B, coffee district or collection of restaurants inside the gates.

Instead, everyday life naturally extends into neighboring Lakeway and Bee Cave.

Lakeway gives residents nearby grocery shopping, restaurants, coffee, healthcare, recreation and everyday services.

Bee Cave adds the Hill Country Galleria, Whole Foods and a larger concentration of shopping and dining.

And yes, H-E-B is nearby in Lakeway.

If you’re moving here from outside Texas, you’ll discover fairly quickly why people have opinions about their H-E-B.

Coffee, Breakfast and Dining Near The Hills

I wouldn’t create a separate restaurant directory for The Hills simply to make this section longer.

Residents are using many of the same Lakeway places we’ve already highlighted.

Nearby options I personally recommend include Vivel Crêpes & Coffee, MorninGlory, Hops & Thyme, Sakura, Thai Spice, Gramercy, Torchy’s and The Grove Wine Bar.

Rather than duplicate all of those descriptions here, the Lakeway guide goes into the individual recommendations.

That’s a more honest representation of how people live here anyway.

You cross a municipal boundary without thinking much about it.

Things to Do Near The Hills

Living in The Hills puts Lake Travis recreation, Lakeway parks and trails, golf, boating and nearby entertainment within easy reach.

Lakeway Airpark is particularly noticeable from parts of Old Lakeway and The Hills. Small aircraft taking off and landing become part of the local scenery.

Lake Travis gives you boating and lake recreation.

Lakeway’s trail system gives you options when you simply want to get outside.

And Bee Cave adds movies, shopping, events and the Hill Country Galleria.

Healthcare Near The Hills

There isn’t a full-service hospital inside The Hills.

But Baylor Scott & White Medical Center – Lakeway is nearby and provides hospital-level care in Lakeway.

The surrounding Lakeway and Bee Cave area also has rehabilitation services, urgent care, physicians, dentists and a wide range of specialty practices.

This is another example of why I don’t evaluate a community based strictly on what’s located inside its municipal boundary.

What matters in everyday life is:

How far is the care I’ll actually use from my house?

For The Hills residents, substantial healthcare services are nearby even though they aren’t inside the gates.

What Does It Cost to Own a Home in The Hills?

The mortgage isn’t the entire monthly ownership picture.

For a home in The Hills, I’d want a buyer to understand:

• Property taxes
• POA fees
• Required Social membership in The Hills Country Club
• Optional Golf or Tennis membership costs, if desired
• Homeowners insurance
• Private-pool maintenance, where applicable
• Maintenance appropriate to an established custom home

Texas property taxes can also look different from what a relocating buyer is accustomed to.

If the property will be your primary residence and you’re eligible for a Homestead Exemption, you’ll need to apply for it after purchasing. The seller’s exemptions don’t simply become yours.

And don’t assume the seller’s current tax bill tells you exactly what you’ll pay after closing.

That’s a planning number we should work through using the specific property.

Private Pools

Private pools are common enough in this part of the Austin area that they deserve their own budget line.

If you’re hiring a pool-maintenance service, budgeting roughly $200–$250 per month is a reasonable local planning estimate.

You can maintain the pool yourself.

That means buying supplies and putting in the time to keep it clean and properly balanced.

A pool can be wonderful here.

It’s still an operating expense.

Who Is The Hills a Good Fit For?

I wouldn’t reduce this to demographics.

The better question is whether the environment matches what you value.

The Hills may deserve serious consideration if you find yourself responding to things like:

• I want an established community rather than a newer development.
• I care about architectural individuality.
• I like mature landscaping and streets that have developed over time.
• A guard-gated environment appeals to me.
• Golf or country-club life is meaningful to us.
• I want community amenities, but I don’t necessarily want the feel of a massive master-planned development.
• I’d rather drive a few minutes to shopping and restaurants and come home to a primarily residential environment.

If those things don’t matter to you, paying for some of them may not make sense.

That’s why the right question isn’t:

“Is The Hills a good neighborhood?”

It’s:

“Does The Hills fit the way we want to live?”

The Hills vs. Nearby Communities

The Hills vs. Lakeway

These two are physically close and residents share much of the same everyday commercial environment, but they aren’t interchangeable.

The Hills is a small incorporated, guard-gated city with required Social membership in The Hills Country Club, individual architectural character and a strong golf-and-club environment.

Lakeway is a much larger incorporated city with a wider range of neighborhoods, Lake Travis recreation, city parks, golf, healthcare and commercial services.

The Hills vs. Flintrock Falls

These communities sit next to one another and share connections through the broader club environment, but they’re separate residential communities.

Flintrock Falls generally offers newer luxury housing and larger lots than many of the established homes you’ll find in The Hills.

The Hills offers a more mature residential environment with homes accumulated over decades and considerably more architectural variety.

The Hills vs. Sweetwater

This comparison makes the architectural and development differences particularly easy to understand.

Sweetwater is a newer master-planned community with cohesive development, newer housing and an extensive integrated amenity system.

The Hills developed over decades, with individually distinctive homes, mature landscaping, golf and a country-club environment.

Neither model is inherently better.

But if you drive both on the same day, they don’t feel remotely interchangeable.

Frequently Asked Questions About The Hills, Texas

Is The Hills part of Lakeway?

No. The Hills is its own incorporated city in Travis County immediately adjacent to Lakeway. Residents use many Lakeway and Bee Cave services and businesses, which is why the areas are sometimes grouped together informally.

Is The Hills a gated community?

Yes. The Hills is guard-gated. Its main entrance is staffed 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, and the community also has roving security.

Do homeowners in The Hills have to join the country club?

Homeowners are required to maintain a Social membership in The Hills Country Club. Golf and Tennis memberships are optional upgrades with separate initiation and membership fees. Buyers should verify current membership requirements, dues and privileges directly with the club.

Does The Hills have an HOA?

The Hills has a Property Owners Association, and property owners pay semi-annual POA fees. The POA and required Country Club Social membership are separate parts of the ownership structure.

Are all the homes in The Hills similar?

No. Architectural variety is one of the community’s distinguishing characteristics. Homes were built over decades by different architects and builders, resulting in substantially more variation than you’d typically see in a community developed from a limited collection of plans and elevations.

Does The Hills have community amenities?

Yes. Community and club amenities include a community park and substantial pool facilities, along with additional recreation associated with The Hills Country Club. Current access and membership privileges should be verified with the appropriate association or club.

What school district serves The Hills?

The Hills is served by Lake Travis Independent School District. Buyers should verify current school assignments for a specific property directly with LTISD.

Is The Hills a Dark Sky community?

The Hills follows outdoor-lighting standards intended to direct lighting where it’s needed for safety and security while reducing unnecessary light spill.

Does The Hills have an H-E-B?

There isn’t an H-E-B inside The Hills. An H-E-B is nearby in Lakeway, along with additional grocery options in Lakeway and Bee Cave.

Does The Hills have a hospital?

There isn’t a full-service hospital inside The Hills. Baylor Scott & White Medical Center – Lakeway is nearby, and Lakeway and Bee Cave offer additional medical, urgent-care, dental and specialty-care services.

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