Living in Jarrell, Texas: What I Tell Buyers Before They Drive Up I-35
Jarrell is the place buyers ask about with one eyebrow raised. Is it too far? Is it the deal it looks like on a map? I'm Felix, a Texas Realtor, and I live in Cedar Park. I am going to give you real numbers, and before you reach the bottom of this page I'll show you three things.
First, what the home value index did in Jarrell over the last year, next to its neighbors. Second, the drive, in minutes, and what TxDOT is proposing for the road you would drive. Third, the question about the tax bill that changes by address, and the reason most listings skip it. Stay with me, because the third one is the one that can change your math.
Where Jarrell is
Jarrell is in north central Williamson County, at the crossing of Interstate 35 and Farm Road 487, about two miles from the Bell County line, according to the Texas State Historical Association. Williamson County's own profile puts it about 43 miles northeast of downtown Austin, with Georgetown 16 miles away, and calls Jarrell the county's most recently incorporated city. The Texas Historical Commission lists the incorporation as 2001.
If you want to see the next cities down the highway, start with Georgetown, Round Rock and Hutto.
A short history, because it explains the place
Jarrell began in 1909, when Temple real estate developer O. D. Jarrell and E. C. Haeber of Bartlett platted a townsite where an old stagecoach road met the planned Bartlett and Western Railway. By December 1911, when the railroad arrived, most of the residents of nearby Corn Hill had moved to the new town, and 20 to 25 buildings came with them. The town reached about 500 people in 1914, then shrank after cotton declined and the railway closed in 1935.
A state historical marker stands at the Jarrell community center. Then came the growth. The Census Bureau counted 1,753 people in 2020 and estimates 5,870 in July 2025, more than three times as many in five years. A town that size, changing that fast, is a different place every year, and that is why I check what is built today and what is still on paper.
The price numbers, side by side
Here is the first thing I promised. This is a national home value index that tracks the typical middle-tier home, single-family and condo, smoothed to take out month-to-month noise. These are the figures as of Sep 30, 2026, with the change from a year earlier and the Census Bureau's average commute for workers who live in each city.
| City | Typical home value, Sep 30, 2026 | Change from Sep 30, 2025 | Average commute, minutes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jarrell | $250,230 | down 5.6% | 33.4 |
| Hutto | $328,297 | down 6.7% | 29.3 |
| Round Rock | $395,851 | down 5.1% | 24.9 |
| Leander | $420,175 | down 5.6% | 29.2 |
| Georgetown | $419,666 | down 3.9% | 28.2 |
| Cedar Park | $456,996 | down 3.1% | 25.5 |
| Liberty Hill | $479,477 | down 5.8% | 34.1 |
| Austin | $491,960 | down 3.2% | 23.7 |
Home values come from a national home value index for middle-tier single-family homes and condos, smoothed to take out month-to-month noise. Commute is the Census Bureau's 2020 to 2024 average for workers who commute. Some city rows may include areas outside the city limits.
Read it slowly. Jarrell has the lowest typical value in this table, $250,230, which is about $164,000 below the typical home in the Austin metro, $414,273, on the same index. Over the year, Jarrell's index fell 5.6 percent, while the Austin metro's fell 4.3 percent. From its July 2022 high of $346,482, Jarrell's index is down 27.8 percent.
I am not telling you that is a bargain, and I am not telling you it is a warning. An index is a map, not a price tag, and your home sits above or below it. I also can't tell you where it goes next, and nobody honestly can. For the sold market, Unlock MLS, the Central Texas MLS, reported a median sold price of $421,000 for the Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos area in September 2026, with 5.4 months of inventory and homes closing at an average of 92.7 percent of their original list price. That is a different measure than the index, so don't line the two up as if they were the same thing.
The drive, and the road you would drive
Here is the second thing. The Census Bureau's 2020 to 2024 survey puts the average one-way trip to work for people who live in Jarrell at 33.4 minutes. Cedar Park is 25.5 and Round Rock is 24.9, so Jarrell runs about 8 minutes longer than Cedar Park on average. An average hides your worst morning. Yours and mine will not match, because it depends on where you work and what time you leave.
Jarrell sits on I-35, and TxDOT is proposing changes to the stretch of I-35 south of it. The I-35 Georgetown to Round Rock project covers 13 miles from SH 29 to SH 45 North. TxDOT's proposal adds managed lanes in each direction, adds one main lane in each direction between SH 29 and RM 1431, relocates and modifies ramps, rebuilds several bridges and adds shared-use paths. TxDOT held a public meeting on Aug 13, 2026. It is a proposal, not a finished road, so when we plan your route I check where it stands.
Closer to home, Williamson County and TxDOT celebrated the finished Sonterra Boulevard project on Dec 8, 2025, which added a right-turn lane from the northbound I-35 frontage road onto Sonterra Boulevard in Jarrell. The county also says that when East WilCo Highway is fully built, it will connect SH 130 in the far south of the county to I-35 in Jarrell. Segment 2 opened on Oct 8, 2026, and the road now links SH 130 in Pflugerville to Chandler Road in Taylor.
Water, sewer and the city bill
Before the tax bill, ask who sends the water bill. The City of Jarrell says that multiple water providers serve customers within the city limits. That was the reason the city gave for adopting a flat monthly wastewater charge: $50, effective Dec 1, 2026, up from $35. The city also lists voluntary Stage 2 water conservation, in effect since Oct 2, 2025.
So the first thing I find out about any Jarrell address is which provider serves it, what the sewer arrangement is and what the monthly charges are. I put those next to the price so there are no surprises.
The tax bill that changes by address
Here is the third thing I promised. Texas has no state property tax. Local taxing units set the rates, according to the Texas Comptroller. In Jarrell that stack can include the city, Williamson County, the school district and special districts. The city's own budget notice for fiscal year 2026-2027 lists a total city rate of $0.394004 per $100 of property value. That is one slice. The county, the school district and any other district that covers the address add their own.
Williamson County's tax rate page lists worksheets for many municipal utility districts and emergency service districts, so whether a Jarrell address sits inside one changes the bill. Some neighborhoods also carry a yearly assessment from a public improvement district, which can appear on the tax statement and is not an ad valorem tax. I check each address for these before you fall for the house.
Texas also has homestead protections for a primary residence, including a $140,000 school-district exemption, and the rules come with conditions, so I point you to the official source for your address. I'm a Realtor, not a tax advisor, and your tax professional has the final word.
What is in town, and what is on paper
Jarrell Memorial Park and Community Center is at 1651 County Road 305. The city lists baseball, softball and soccer fields and a large first-come pavilion next to the ballfields, and the community center can be rented for events. The city's Very Merry Jarrell Christmas Festival is set for Dec 12, 2026, from 3 to 7 p.m.
Downtown is the part still being written. The city released a draft Downtown Master Plan on Aug 17, 2026, with recommendations that include new parks and public gathering spaces, better walkability and downtown business opportunities. The city scheduled the final plan for its Oct 6, 2026 council meeting, and a public-meeting tracker reports that the council adopted it and that it does not yet authorize specific projects or spending. A plan is a direction, not a building, so I tell you what I can verify.
Who Jarrell fits
I match homes by commute and by what is there, never by who lives there. Jarrell fits a plan that puts the price of the home first and can carry a longer drive. It fits a plan that wants to be part of a town while it is still writing its downtown plan. It does not fit a plan built around a short trip into Austin, and I would rather tell you that now. For a shorter commute, look at Round Rock and Cedar Park, and for new homes along the corridor see new homes and Liberty Hill.
Moving from out of state? I wrote a guide for each starting point. Start with Moving From Dallas to Austin, and I also wrote Moving From California to Austin, Moving From Chicago to Austin and Moving From New York to Austin.
The question I ask before I show you a Jarrell home
Here is where it all comes together. I ask: Where do you need to be at 8 a.m., and which way do you drive to get there? If the answer is Georgetown, the drive is one thing. If the answer is north Austin, it is another. If the answer is your kitchen table, Jarrell looks different again.
That one question does more than any search filter. From your answer, I send you a short list of homes that fit, with what is around each one, the water provider and the districts that apply, instead of a flood of listings.
Why now
I can't tell you where prices or mortgage rates go next. Here is what I can show you. Unlock MLS reported that rising mortgage rates slowed September sales in the Austin area, with closed sales down 14.8 percent from a year earlier and 13,465 active listings. Markets move month to month. The part you control is how ready you are. When you start a file today, the right home does not catch you off guard, because I am already working from your list.
Tell me where you are in your plan. I text you and send my agreement the same day.
The facts buyers ask me most about Jarrell
Where is Jarrell, Texas?
Jarrell is in north central Williamson County, at the crossing of Interstate 35 and Farm Road 487, about two miles from the Bell County line, according to the Texas State Historical Association. Williamson County's profile puts it about 43 miles northeast of downtown Austin, with Georgetown 16 miles away.
How big is Jarrell, and how fast is it growing?
The Census Bureau counted 1,753 people in Jarrell in 2020 and estimates 5,870 in July 2025, more than three times as many in five years.
What is the typical home value in Jarrell?
On a national home value index for middle-tier single-family homes and condos, the typical Jarrell home was $250,230 as of Sep 30, 2026, compared with $414,273 for the Austin metro. A typical value is not a price for any one home, so I compare real addresses.
Are home prices in Jarrell going up or down?
On that index, Jarrell's typical value fell 5.6 percent from Sep 30, 2025 to Sep 30, 2026, and the Austin metro's fell 4.3 percent. I can't tell you where prices go next, and nobody honestly can.
What is the commute from Jarrell like?
The Census Bureau's 2020 to 2024 average one-way travel time to work for people who live in Jarrell is 33.4 minutes, compared with 25.5 in Cedar Park and 24.9 in Round Rock. Averages hide rush hour, so I match homes to where you actually need to be.
Why does the tax bill change by address in Jarrell?
Texas has no state property tax, and local taxing units set the rates. A Jarrell address can be taxed by the city, Williamson County, the school district and any special district that covers it, and some neighborhoods also carry a yearly assessment from a public improvement district. I check those for each address and put them next to the price.
Who provides water in Jarrell?
The City of Jarrell says that multiple water providers serve customers within the city limits, so it depends on the address. I find out which provider and which sewer arrangement apply before you fall for a house.
Do you rank schools or neighborhoods?
No. I don't rank schools or neighborhoods, and I don't make claims about who lives where. Each school district publishes its own information and boundaries, and I will point you to the official source for any address you are considering. What I can do is match homes to your commute and to what is around them, like trails, lakes, parks and shopping.
Do I need to be in Austin to get started?
No. Start your file, tell me where you are in your plan, and I will tell you what is best done in person. Then we plan your visit around a short list of homes that fit.
Who do you work for, and will you be at my closing?
My services are fiduciary in nature, so I can only work for clients. When you start a file, I am on your side of the table. Yes, I attend every closing, and I am there at the table with you.
Ready? Open your file and I will text you today. No pressure, just a clear list built around your life.
Important: I'm a Texas Realtor, not an attorney, tax advisor, lender, appraiser or inspector. The figures on this page come from the U.S. Census Bureau, the City of Jarrell, Williamson County, TxDOT, the Texas State Historical Association, the Texas Historical Commission, the Texas Comptroller, Unlock MLS and a national home value index, were pulled on Nov 2, 2026, and can be revised or change. Nothing here is tax, legal, lending or appraisal advice, a price opinion for any home, or a recommendation of any company. Property tax and income tax outcomes depend on your situation and the address, so check with your own tax professional. I list places by what is there and by commute, and I do not rank or describe neighborhoods by who lives in them.
Related: Moving From Dallas to Austin · Moving From California to Austin · Moving From Chicago to Austin · Moving From New York to Austin · Georgetown · Round Rock · Hutto · Liberty Hill
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