Market Overview for Llano County
There are 317 active listings in Llano County with a median list price of $840K and a median sold price of $725K.
Homes average 108 days on market.
Over the past 30 days, 19 homes have sold, with 268 sales in the past 12 months.
The average price per square foot is $472.
About Llano County
Llano County sits in the heart of the Texas Hill Country about 72 miles northwest of Austin, where the Llano River winds west-to-east through rolling granite country before joining the Colorado. Organized in 1856 from the Bexar District and Gillespie County, the county takes its name from the river and covers roughly 966 square miles — about 934 of land and 32 of water — with elevations climbing from around 800 feet along the rivers to more than 2,000 feet in the western hills. The county seat and largest town is Llano, a historic ranching and rail community on the Llano River that still anchors the county's commerce, government, and Saturday-morning barbecue traffic.
The defining feature of the region is the Llano Uplift, an ancient dome of exposed pink granite and gneiss that gives the county its distinctive rounded rock outcrops and its long history of granite quarrying and monument work. The best-known outcrop is Enchanted Rock, a 425-foot pink-granite dome straddling the Llano–Gillespie county line and protected as Enchanted Rock State Natural Area, a Texas Parks & Wildlife site popular for hiking, primitive camping, rock climbing, and stargazing. Ranching — chiefly cattle, with a strong hunting-lease economy layered on top — remains the backbone of the rural landscape, and Llano is widely known as the "Deer Capital of Texas," leading the state in white-tailed deer harvested each fall.
Water shapes the eastern half of the county. Three of the Highland Lakes — Lake Lyndon B. Johnson (Lake LBJ), Inks Lake, and Lake Buchanan — lie partly within Llano County, impounded along the Colorado River by the Lower Colorado River Authority's dam system. Lakeside communities draw retirees, second-home buyers, and outdoor enthusiasts: Kingsland sits at the confluence of the Llano and Colorado rivers on Lake LBJ; Sunrise Beach Village, one of the earliest lakefront subdivisions on Lake LBJ, incorporated at the water's edge; and the resort city of Horseshoe Bay spreads across the Llano–Burnet county line at the southern end of Lake LBJ. Inland, unincorporated communities such as Buchanan Dam, Buchanan Lake Village, and Tow serve the surrounding lake and ranch country.
State Highways 16 (north–south) and 29 (east–west) meet in the city of Llano and form the county's main road grid, with State Highway 71 crossing the southeastern corner near the lakes and Ranch-to-Market roads linking the smaller lake communities toward Marble Falls and Burnet. Day-to-day the county trades big-city amenities for space, scenery, and recreation, with Marble Falls and the wider Austin metro reachable for major shopping, specialty healthcare, and air travel. For buyers the market runs heavily to lakefront homes, Hill Country acreage, hunting tracts, and small-town in-town lots rather than large master-planned subdivisions — a quieter, recreation-focused alternative to the metro that still sits within a day-trip of Austin.
Living in Llano County
Life in Llano County revolves around the outdoors and the water. Residents fish and boat the Highland Lakes, hunt and ranch on Hill Country acreage, and gather in historic downtown Llano — built around the county courthouse square — for barbecue, riverfront parks, and small-town events. It is a rural, close-knit place that trades chain retail and traffic for open country, granite hills, and a slower pace.
The county's population is older and more seasonal than the Austin metro's: the 2020 Census counted about 21,200 year-round residents, with Census estimates near 23,400 by the mid-2020s, and the lake communities swell with weekenders and second-home owners in the warmer months. Everyday shopping, groceries, and services concentrate in the city of Llano and along the Kingsland–Horseshoe Bay lake corridor, while Marble Falls to the east and the wider Austin metro handle big-box retail, specialty medical care, and air travel.
Healthcare in the county centers on Baylor Scott & White Medical Center – Llano, a small acute-care hospital in the county seat, with larger hospital systems in Marble Falls, Burnet, and Austin for advanced care. Public education is handled primarily by Llano Independent School District, and the county's rhythm still follows the ranching and hunting calendar as much as the school calendar. For buyers, the trade-off is clear: fewer urban conveniences in exchange for lake access, acreage, clear night skies, and a recreation-first way of life within day-trip range of the capital.
Things to Do in Llano County
- Enchanted Rock State Natural Area: A 425-foot pink-granite dome straddling the Llano–Gillespie county line and protected by Texas Parks & Wildlife, with hiking trails, primitive camping, rock climbing, and wide-open stargazing. Reservations are required on busy weekends.
- Inks Lake State Park: A Texas Parks & Wildlife park on constant-level Inks Lake near Buchanan Dam, offering swimming, fishing, boating, camping, and Hill Country hiking among the granite outcrops.
- Highland Lakes boating & fishing: Lake LBJ, Inks Lake, and Lake Buchanan give the county open-water boating and bass and catfish fishing, with marinas and lakeside dining around Kingsland, Sunrise Beach Village, and Buchanan Dam.
- White-tailed deer hunting: Llano County leads Texas in white-tailed deer harvested each fall and carries the nickname "Deer Capital of Texas," making hunting leases and the autumn season a major part of local life and the rural economy.
- Historic downtown Llano & the Llano River: The county seat's courthouse square, riverfront parks, and local barbecue anchor small-town Hill Country life, and the Llano River is a popular spot for paddling and fishing.
- Llano Uplift geology & granite country: The ancient Llano Uplift exposes some of the oldest rock in Texas; its pink granite has long been quarried for monuments and building stone and gives the region its rounded granite hills and rockhounding appeal.
Major Employers in Llano County
- Llano Independent School District (Education): The county's public school district, serving about 2,000 students across four campuses and among the largest employers in the county.
- Llano County government (Local Government): As the county seat, Llano hosts the courthouse, county offices, and services, making county government a leading local employer.
- Baylor Scott & White Medical Center – Llano (Healthcare): A small acute-care hospital in the city of Llano serving the county and the surrounding Highland Lakes area.
- City of Llano (Local Government): Municipal government and utilities for the county seat of Llano.
- Ranching & agriculture (Agriculture): Cattle ranching, hunting leases, and related agriculture remain a core part of the county's rural economy.
- Tourism & recreation (Tourism): Lake resorts, marinas, state parks, hunting operations, and Hill Country tourism support seasonal and year-round jobs across the county.
Llano County Schools
Public schools in Llano County are served primarily by Llano Independent School District, which enrolls about 2,000 students across four campuses — Llano Elementary, Packsaddle Elementary, Llano Junior High, and Llano High School (2025-26). The specific schools zoned to a given community or address appear on that location's page.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Llano County, Texas located?
Llano County is in the Texas Hill Country about 72 miles northwest of Austin. Its county seat is the city of Llano, and it sits within the Highland Lakes region along the Colorado and Llano rivers.
What lakes are in Llano County?
Three of the Highland Lakes lie partly within Llano County: Lake LBJ, Inks Lake, and Lake Buchanan, all impounded along the Colorado River. Lakeside communities include Kingsland, Sunrise Beach Village, Buchanan Dam, and Horseshoe Bay.
Why is Llano called the "Deer Capital of Texas"?
Llano County leads the state in the number of white-tailed deer harvested each fall, and hunting leases are a significant part of the local economy — earning it the long-standing nickname "Deer Capital of Texas."
What is there to do outdoors in Llano County?
Highlights include Enchanted Rock State Natural Area's 425-foot granite dome, Inks Lake State Park, boating and fishing on the Highland Lakes, paddling the Llano River, and fall deer hunting across the county's ranch country.
What school district serves Llano County?
Most of the county is served by Llano Independent School District, which enrolls roughly 2,000 students across four campuses. The specific schools zoned to a given address are listed on each community's page.
What towns and communities are in Llano County?
Incorporated cities are Llano (the county seat), Sunrise Beach Village, and Horseshoe Bay (which is partly in Burnet County). Notable unincorporated communities include Kingsland, Buchanan Dam, Buchanan Lake Village, and Tow.
