●Burnet, TXHomes for Sale

Market Overview for Burnet

There are 74 active listings in Burnet with a median list price of $321K and a median sold price of $315K.

Homes average 82 days on market.

Over the past 30 days, 7 homes have sold, with 103 sales in the past 12 months.

The average price per square foot is $209.

About Burnet

Burnet is the county seat of Burnet County in the Texas Hill Country, a city of 6,436 residents (2020 census) sitting at 1,339 feet of elevation on U.S. Highway 281 about 54 miles northwest of Austin. The town was established in 1852 when Burnet County was created and formally incorporated in 1883. It nicknames itself the "Bluebonnet Capital of Texas," sharing the Texas Legislature's 1981 designation of Burnet and Llano counties as "Bluebonnet Co-Capitals of Texas." Each April the wildflowers draw visitors to Highway 281 and Park Road 4, and the Burnet Bluebonnet Festival fills the downtown square with parades, music, and crafts.

The city traces its origin to Fort Croghan, one of the first four frontier forts the United States established to protect settlers along the Texas frontier. Fort Croghan was founded March 18, 1849 at the current site and abandoned in December 1853 after its purpose was served. In the 1960s the Burnet County Historical Society preserved a portion of the original grounds, and the Fort Croghan Museum now operates there with restored buildings including a blacksmith shop, schoolhouse, and powder house. An annual Fort Croghan Day celebrates frontier life on the site.

Burnet sits at the heart of the Highland Lakes region. Inks Lake State Park and Longhorn Cavern State Park are both a short drive west of the city via Park Road 4 — Inks Lake covering 1,201 acres along Inks Lake and Longhorn Cavern covering 645 acres with a 1.1-mile guided cavern tour and stone Civilian Conservation Corps-era structures. Lake Buchanan, the largest of the Highland Lakes at 22,333 acres, lies northwest of town. The Austin Steam Train Association's Hill Country Flyer excursion train has run to the historic Burnet depot since 1992, arriving from the Cedar Park Depot on a 66-mile round trip with a two-hour layover downtown.

Housing in Burnet spans in-town neighborhoods near the county courthouse and downtown square, newer subdivisions along U.S. 281 and Park Road 4, and Hill Country acreage in the county's rural surrounds. Buyers who choose Burnet over the Austin metro typically cite lower property costs, smaller-school districts, and the proximity to the lakes and state parks. The 54-mile drive to Austin via Highway 281 and the 183A tollway takes roughly 70 to 90 minutes at rush hour.

Living in Burnet

Burnet's day-to-day life is organized around the historic courthouse square and the U.S. 281 corridor. The downtown square hosts the county courthouse, independent restaurants and shops, and community events including the Bluebonnet Festival each April. Full-service grocery, pharmacies, and retail are clustered along U.S. 281 north and south of downtown, and Baylor Scott & White Medical Center – Marble Falls, 13 miles south on Highway 281, serves as the main regional hospital. The Hill Country Flyer steam train brings visitors to the downtown depot on scheduled weekends through the year.

Outdoor recreation is a core part of life in Burnet. Inks Lake State Park is about a 15-minute drive west via Park Road 4 and offers swimming at Devil's Waterhole, camping, and hiking on pink granite outcrops along the Colorado River. Longhorn Cavern State Park is adjacent, with its 90-minute guided underground tour and CCC-built stone architecture. Lake Buchanan, the largest of the Highland Lakes, lies to the northwest and is known for striped bass, catfish, and shoreline campgrounds. Closer to town, the city maintains Hamilton Creek Park, a downtown greenbelt with a walking trail along the creek.

Practical considerations: the drive to Austin is about 54 miles via Highway 281 and the 183A tollway, typically 70 to 90 minutes at rush hour. Many residents who work in Austin are hybrid or remote rather than driving in daily. Schools are served by Burnet Consolidated ISD, a district that covers Burnet, Bertram, and more than 700 square miles of rural Burnet County with approximately 3,300 students across six campuses.

Things to Do in Burnet

• Visit Fort Croghan Museum: Fort Croghan was established in March 1849 as one of the first four U.S. frontier forts on the Texas frontier and abandoned in December 1853. The Burnet County Historical Society preserved a portion of the original grounds in the 1960s, and the current museum features restored buildings including a blacksmith shop, schoolhouse, and powder house along with artifacts from frontier life. The site hosts an annual Fort Croghan Day.
• Ride the Hill Country Flyer vintage train: The Austin Steam Train Association has operated the Hill Country Flyer excursion train since 1992. The train departs the Cedar Park Depot for a 66-mile round trip that terminates at the historic Burnet depot, where passengers have a two-hour layover to explore the downtown square. The passenger cars date from the late 1930s through the 1950s.
• Explore Inks Lake State Park: Inks Lake State Park covers 1,201 acres on Inks Lake in western Burnet County, about 15 minutes from the city of Burnet via Park Road 4. The park has been open since 1950 under the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department and offers swimming at Devil's Waterhole, camping, fishing, paddling, and miles of hiking over pink granite outcrops along the Colorado River.
• Tour Longhorn Cavern State Park: Longhorn Cavern State Park is a 645-acre state park near Burnet featuring a 1.1-mile guided walking tour of a river-carved underground cavern, lasting about 90 minutes. The park was developed between 1934 and 1942 by Company 854 of the Civilian Conservation Corps, and the stone entry building and observation tower remain on site in National Park Service Rustic architecture.
• Attend the Burnet Bluebonnet Festival: Burnet County shares the "Bluebonnet Co-Capital of Texas" designation with Llano County, established by the 67th Texas Legislature in 1981. Each April the Burnet Bluebonnet Festival fills the downtown square with parades, live music, arts and crafts, and scenic drives along Highway 281 and Park Road 4 during peak bluebonnet season.
• Fish Lake Buchanan: Lake Buchanan anchors the northern end of the Highland Lakes chain with a surface area of 22,333 acres and more than 120 miles of shoreline. Lake Buchanan is the largest of the Highland Lakes, managed by the LCRA and known for striped bass and catfish. Several marinas, campgrounds, and fishing guides operate out of the lake's Burnet County shoreline northwest of the city.

Major Employers in Burnet

• Burnet Consolidated ISD (Education): Burnet CISD covers the city of Burnet, Bertram, and more than 700 square miles of rural Burnet County, serving approximately 3,300 students across six campuses including Burnet High School, Burnet Middle School, and multiple elementary schools.
• Burnet County government (Public administration): County offices, law enforcement, courts, and public-works positions based primarily at the Burnet County courthouse complex in the city of Burnet, with additional facilities across the county.
• City of Burnet (Public administration): Municipal services for the city of Burnet including police, fire, public works, parks, and utilities, based at the downtown municipal complex near the courthouse square.
• Healthcare corridor (Baylor Scott & White – Marble Falls) (Healthcare): Many Burnet healthcare workers commute 13 miles south on U.S. 281 to Baylor Scott & White Medical Center – Marble Falls, a 46-bed hospital that opened in 2015 and serves as the main hospital for the Hill Country region. An adjacent 66,000-square-foot specialty clinic adds outpatient capacity.
• Tourism and hospitality (Hospitality & Tourism): The Hill Country Flyer train terminus, Fort Croghan Museum, and the nearby state parks (Inks Lake, Longhorn Cavern) anchor a year-round tourism economy. Restaurants, lodging, and retail on the downtown square and along U.S. 281 serve lake visitors and day-trippers from Austin.
• Agriculture and ranching (Agriculture): Cattle ranching and small-scale agriculture remain an economic presence in the rural sections of Burnet County surrounding the city. The Burnet County Fairgrounds hosts livestock and agricultural events tied to the county's ranching heritage.

Burnet Schools

Burnet is served by Burnet Consolidated Independent School District, which covers the city of Burnet, Bertram, and more than 700 square miles of rural Burnet County. The district enrolls approximately 3,300 students across six campuses, including Burnet High School, Burnet Middle School, and multiple elementary schools. Higher-education access for Burnet residents runs primarily through the Central Texas College – Hill Country office in Marble Falls (13 miles south on U.S. 281) and its collaborative Texas Tech at Highland Lakes program.

School District: Burnet Consolidated ISD

Public Schools

Higher Education

• Central Texas College – Hill Country (Marble Falls) - Central Texas College operates its Hill Country office 13 miles south of Burnet in Marble Falls at 806 Steve Hawkins Parkway, offering coursework in business, criminal justice, education, and nursing program prerequisites. The office provides student support across Burnet, Gillespie, Llano, Mason, McCulloch, and San Saba counties.
• Texas Tech University at Highland Lakes - A collaborative Texas Tech program hosted at the Marble Falls / Burnet campus in partnership with Central Texas College, offering bachelor's and master's degrees in selected fields.

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