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Belterra vs. Highpointe Neighborhoods: What's the Difference?

I sell a lot of homes in both Belterra and Highpointe, two of the most established master-planned communities in the Southwest Austin / Dripping Springs area.

But I'll admit I have a natural bias in terms of experience: I've lived in Belterra since 2005 - 21 years - and I've watched the community grow almost from the beginning. During my 13 years selling real estate, I've sold more than 150 homes in Belterra, typically averaging somewhere between 12 to 15 Belterra sales a year.

I sell in Highpointe regularly as well, and because the two neighborhoods are so close to one another, I get this question all the time: "What's the difference between Belterra and Highpointe?"

One of the first differences is simply size. Belterra encompasses approximately 1,600 acres, while Highpointe covers roughly 740 acres. Belterra is therefore more than twice the size geographically, which helps explain why it offers a broader range of housing styles, sections, amenities and price points.

Highpointe is smaller and more contained, which contributes to its more intimate, consistently residential feel.

The two communities still have a lot in common. Both are in the 78737 area. Both are within Dripping Springs ISD. Both offer extensive amenities, trails, pools and attractive Hill Country surroundings. Both also have a full-time lifestyle director who plans and organizes community events throughout the year, with activities offered every month to bring neighbors together. And buyers considering one community will very often look at the other.

But once you get beyond the basic MLS search, there are some meaningful differences in housing styles, gated access, HOA structure, property taxes, home prices and overall feel.

Belterra Is Larger and Offers More Housing Variety

Belterra is the larger of the two communities and has a broader range of home styles, sizes, ages and price points.

Most of Belterra consists of traditional single-family homes built by a variety of builders over many different phases. Because of that, there can be significant differences from one section to another in lot size, floor plan, architecture, garage configuration and price.

Belterra also has several specialty housing products that many buyers don't realize exist.

San Saba is a gated section of smaller, zero-lot-line garden homes built entirely by Sitterle. These homes were designed for more of a low-maintenance, lock-and-leave lifestyle.

Wellington Court offers a similar Sitterle garden-home product, but it is not gated.

Both Sitterle garden-home sections have an additional $150 monthly fee that covers mowing and landscaping, in addition to the regular Belterra HOA assessment.

Then there are The Cottages at Belterra Village, a gated community of freestanding condominiums. The Cottages are managed by a separate HOA, with dues of approximately $165 per month, which include mowing and gardening of the front yard.

For approximately 90% of Belterra homeowners, however, the HOA is simply $144 per quarter, or $576 per year.

That range of housing options is one of the things that makes Belterra unusual. A buyer might find a smaller garden home, a traditional family-size home, a large home with a pool on a greenbelt, or a newer luxury property - all within the broader Belterra community.

Highpointe Has a More Consistently Gated Feel

One of the most obvious differences is that Highpointe is gated throughout the community. Belterra is primarily non-gated, although San Saba and the Cottages offer gated options within Belterra.

That gives Highpointe a somewhat different feel from the moment you enter the neighborhood. At roughly 740 acres, it is considerably smaller than Belterra's approximately 1,600 acres and feels more contained and consistently residential. Belterra, by comparison, is more spread out and closely integrated with the retail, restaurants and services along the Highway 290 corridor.

Highpointe also has a housing wrinkle of its own. Toward the back of the neighborhood is a section of approximately 200 freestanding condominiums located across five streets. These homes look and live much like detached single-family homes, but they have a condominium ownership structure.

Owners in that section are responsible for two separate HOA assessments, which is important for buyers to understand when comparing monthly ownership costs.

In the past 12 months, six of these Highpointe condo properties sold, with a median sales price of approximately $595,000 and a median size of about 2,868 square feet.

The Property-Tax Difference Is Significant

This is one of the biggest financial differences between the two neighborhoods, and it is something I always encourage buyers to look at carefully.

The current property-tax rate for Highpointe is 2.0321%, including the freestanding-condo section.

Belterra has two WCIDs, so the tax rate depends on where the home is located: Belterra WCID #1: 2.2602% and Belterra WCID #2: 2.3559%.

That difference can become meaningful as home values increase. This is also why I encourage buyers not to compare homes based solely on purchase price or HOA dues. The better comparison is the total annual cost of ownership - property taxes, HOA assessments, maintenance obligations and insurance.

Sometimes the home with the higher HOA actually has the lower overall annual carrying cost.

What Does the Current Market Look Like?

The past 12 months provide a good illustration of how these two communities differ.

For the 12 months ending September 20, 2026, there were 91 closed residential sales in Belterra. The median sales price was $675,000, the median home size was 2,852 square feet, median sold price was approximately $237 per square foot, and median days on market was 16 days.

During the same period, Highpointe recorded 32 closed sales. The median sales price was $807,625, median home size was 3,170 square feet, median sold price was approximately $248 per square foot, and median days on market was 24 days.

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A Quick Comparison

There are a couple of important caveats to those numbers. The Belterra statistics include the Cottages and garden-home products, while the Highpointe numbers include its freestanding-condominium section. So these are whole-neighborhood statistics, not a direct appraisal comparison between identical houses.

That matters because the housing mix is different. Highpointe homes sold during this period were larger at the median, which explains some of the approximately $133,000 difference in median sales price. The difference in median price per square foot is much smaller - roughly $11 per square foot.

So it would be misleading to simply conclude that "Highpointe is worth $130,000 more than Belterra." Real estate doesn't work that way.

Location and Convenience Feel Different Too

Belterra sits directly along the Highway 290 corridor and has very convenient access to Belterra Village, restaurants, grocery shopping, medical services, fitness, entertainment and other businesses.

That connectivity is one of Belterra's biggest advantages for buyers who want Hill Country living without feeling removed from everyday conveniences.

Highpointe is tucked farther south off Sawyer Ranch Road. Residents still have easy access to the same 290 retail corridor, but Highpointe itself feels more removed from the commercial activity.

Neither approach is necessarily better. They simply appeal to different preferences.

Both Have Strong Amenities - and Active Community Lifestyles

Both communities offer substantial neighborhood amenities, so I don't think this is an area where there is an obvious "winner."

Belterra offers multiple parks, pools, trails, recreation areas and fitness amenities spread throughout a much larger community.

Highpointe offers its own extensive amenity package, including pools, fitness facilities, trails, athletic areas and community gathering spaces.

But amenities are only part of the story. Both Belterra and Highpointe employ a full-time lifestyle director who regularly plans community events throughout the year. Residents can typically choose from multiple activities and gatherings each month, which gives both neighborhoods a stronger sense of community than you might get from a subdivision that simply provides a pool and clubhouse.

That can be an important consideration for buyers - particularly those who are new to the area - and want opportunities to meet their neighbors and become involved in the community.

Belterra also has its own community swim team for children and teens ages 4 through 18. For families with swimmers, it is another way for children to participate in a neighborhood activity, meet other kids and become part of the community.

For buyers, I think the more meaningful question is not simply, "Which one has better amenities?" but rather, which amenities and community programs will you actually use, and how close are they to the particular home you are considering?

In a large community like Belterra, location within the neighborhood matters.

What About the Schools?

Both communities are located within Dripping Springs ISD, and the school district is one of the reasons many families consider this part of the Austin area.

This is also personal for me. All three of my children went through the Dripping Springs ISD school system, so my perspective comes not only from selling homes here, but also from experiencing the district firsthand as a parent. From my family's experience, I consider DSISD an exemplary school district, and it continues to be highly rated by independent school-ranking organizations.

For 2026, Niche gives Dripping Springs ISD an A overall grade, ranks it #3 among school districts in the Austin area and #1 in Hays County, and ranks it among the top school districts in Texas.

Rooster Springs Elementary is physically located within Belterra, while the Sycamore Springs elementary and middle-school campuses are immediately adjacent to the Highpointe area.

Of course, as Dripping Springs continues to grow, school attendance boundaries can change. I always recommend that buyers verify the current assigned schools for a specific property directly with DSISD rather than relying solely on an old MLS listing.

So Which Neighborhood Is Better?

I don't think there is one correct answer. If someone asks me to describe the biggest difference in a sentence, I would probably say: Belterra is larger, more diverse in its housing options and more integrated with the Highway 290 commercial corridor, while Highpointe is smaller, gated throughout and generally has larger homes with a lower property-tax rate.

But even that is an oversimplification. Within Belterra alone, a Sitterle garden home in San Saba is a completely different product from a 4,500-square-foot home on a large greenbelt lot.

The same is true in Highpointe. A freestanding condo in the back section should not be evaluated the same way as one of the larger traditional single-family homes elsewhere in the neighborhood.

That is why neighborhood expertise matters. After living in this area for more than two decades and selling hundreds of homes here, I've learned that the street, section, builder, lot, floor plan and individual property often matter just as much as the neighborhood name on the MLS sheet.

If you are considering buying or selling in Belterra, Highpointe or the greater Dripping Springs area, I'm always happy to help you dig deeper than the online statistics and look at what the individual property - and the surrounding market - is actually telling us.

Market statistics based on MLS closed sales for the 12-month period ending September 20, 2026. Property-tax, HOA and school information should always be independently verified for the specific property before purchase.

Alexia Dauterive currently serves as Treasurer for the DS Elite Board of Directors.