Real Estate Investing in Round Rock, TX: 2026 Market Guide

Real estate investing in Round Rock, TX is a bet on Austin's northern suburbs and on Dell's hometown. The typical Round Rock home is worth about $389,000, and houses rent for around $2,195 a month.^1,2 That's a gross rent-to-price ratio of about 6.8%, lower than in many Texas cities because homes here cost more.

Round Rock grew from about 119,000 residents in 2020 to about 141,000 in 2025, an increase of about 18%.³ The city estimates more than 142,500 residents as of April 2026 and expects about 160,000 by 2030.⁴ Much of that growth is in suburban subdivisions, so single-family rental homes are a big part of the market.

Why investors are watching Round Rock in 2026

• Fast population growth. Round Rock grew about 18% from 2020 to 2025, and the city expects about 160,000 residents by 2030.^3,4
• A long-term anchor employer. Dell has been headquartered in Round Rock since 1994 and extended its agreement with the city through 2099.⁵
• A growing university campus. Texas State opened the $52.4 million Esperanza Hall on its Round Rock campus in August 2026 and will add an electrical engineering degree in 2027.⁶
• Rents up while prices are down. House rents rose about $95 a month in the past year while home values fell 5%, so rent covers more of the price than it did a year ago.^1,2

Round Rock housing and rental market in 2026

Round Rock prices have come down. Zillow's typical home value of about $389,000 is down 5.0% from a year ago, and homes take around 62 days to go under contract.¹ Put simply, more homes are for sale and buyers are taking their time. Across Williamson County in September 2026, new listings rose 7.7% from a year earlier, sales fell 12.1%, and the median sale price slipped 2.5% to $395,000.⁷

Rents are moving the other way. The average house rents for about $2,195 a month, up about $95 from a year ago, with about 362 houses listed for rent and an average of about 67 days on the market.² Across all rentals, including apartments, the average is about $2,050, up about $50.² One reason is that far fewer new apartments are opening. Austin-area apartment completions in the second quarter of 2026 were down about 56% from a year earlier.⁸

• Typical home value: ~$389,000, down 5.0% year over year.¹
• House rent: ~$2,195 a month, up ~$95 year over year.²
• All rentals: ~$2,050 a month, up ~$50 year over year.²
• Days to pending: ~62 days.¹
• Gross rent-to-price: ~6.8% a year. Annual house rent ($2,195 × 12) ÷ typical home value ($389,451), before taxes, insurance, repairs and vacancy.

Gross rent-to-price is only a first screen. Before you invest in rental property, run the net numbers too, such as cap rate and cash-on-cash return, which account for taxes, insurance, repairs and vacancy. Texas has no state income tax and relies heavily on property taxes. Round Rock's city rate is low, but school district, county and any MUD taxes are added on top, so check each property's full tax bill before you buy.

Jobs, growth and population: what's driving demand

Round Rock's economy blends technology, health care, retail and data centers. Dell moved its world headquarters to Round Rock in 1994 and in 2024 extended its economic development agreement with the city through 2099.⁵ Dell is also cutting costs. Its global workforce fell about 10%, to roughly 97,000 employees, in the fiscal year that ended in January 2026, and the company did not say how many of those jobs were in Round Rock.⁹

Data centers are a growing part of the local economy. The University of Texas's Horizon supercomputer is housed at the Sabey data center campus in Round Rock and was nearing early operations in mid-2026.^10,11 Data centers bring large investments but few jobs: the Sabey agreement requires 20 new jobs.¹⁰ In February 2026 the city approved zoning for another data center near Old Settlers Boulevard, over neighbors' objections about noise and power use.¹² Texas State University's Round Rock campus is growing too, with a new academic building that opened in August 2026.⁶

Round Rock neighborhoods and areas to know

Downtown Round Rock

The historic core, where the city has invested more than $250 million since 2001, a new Town Green is due in fall 2026, and new rules allow buildings up to 12 stories in some areas.¹³ Inspect older homes carefully.

The District and south Round Rock

A 65.5-acre mixed-use project near I-35 and State Highway 45, where a 316-unit apartment building started going up in March 2026.¹⁴ New apartments here will compete with nearby rental homes.

Northeast Round Rock and University Boulevard

A growing corridor that includes the Texas State campus. Traffic on University Boulevard rose 52% from 2016 to 2025.^4,6 Many homes are newer, but check MUD and HOA costs.

Southeast Round Rock and Gattis School Road

Established subdivisions where the city is spending about $23 million to widen Gattis School Road.⁴ Older homes often cost less, but inspect roofs for hail damage.

Comparing Texas markets? See our 2026 market guides to Abilene, Amarillo, Corpus Christi, Dallas, Fort Worth, Frisco, Garland, Houston, Killeen, Laredo, Mesquite, Midland, Pearland, San Antonio, Sugar Land, The Woodlands, Tyler and Waco, or browse all of our real estate market guides by city.

Risks to weigh before investing in Round Rock

• New supply. About 7,515 homes and apartments were in Round Rock's development pipeline as of April 2026, and Williamson County had about 5 months of homes for sale in September.^4,7 Apartment vacancy in the Round Rock area was about 9.7% in mid-2026, and apartment rents there were down about 2% from a year earlier.⁸ Understand real estate market cycles before you buy.
• Property taxes and special districts. Round Rock's city rate is about 37 cents per $100 of value, which the city calls one of the lowest in Central Texas, but school and county taxes come on top.¹³ Texas's 20% cap on yearly appraisal increases for non-homestead property is scheduled to expire after 2026, and some newer subdivisions add MUD taxes.^15,16
• Insurance and hail. The average Texas homeowners premium was about $3,500 in 2025, and Texas has had more billion-dollar weather disasters than any other state, including 48 from 2020 to 2023, and about two-thirds of them over the years were severe storms such as hail and wind.^17,18 A September 2023 hailstorm caused up to $70 million in damage to Round Rock ISD buildings alone.¹⁹ Get quotes before you buy.
• A tech-heavy job base. Dell is the city's best-known employer, and it cut about 10% of its global workforce in its latest full fiscal year.⁹ A slowdown in tech hiring would weigh on housing demand here. Our guide to real estate market analysis walks through what else to check.

3 ways to invest in Round Rock rental property, including fractional real estate investing

There are three common ways to invest in rental properties in a market like Round Rock. They differ mainly in how much money you need up front and how much work you take on.

Buy a rental home yourself

Investment property loans typically require 20% to 25% down. On a $389,000 home, that's roughly $78,000 to $97,000 before closing costs and repairs. You also find tenants and handle maintenance, or pay a property manager. Our guide to choosing the right rental property covers what to check before you buy.

Buy a REIT or real estate fund

A REIT lets you invest with less money, but you own a slice of a large national portfolio rather than specific Round Rock homes. See more ways to invest in real estate without buying property.

Invest in fractional real estate online

Fractional real estate lets you buy shares of individual rental homes instead of the whole property. With a real estate investment platform like Tirios, you can invest in real estate online starting at $100 per share, through the website or the Tirios app. Our guide to investing in rental property online explains how it works. The team handles tenants and maintenance, and rent is paid out as quarterly dividends, which makes it a hands-off way to earn passive income from real estate.