Headwaters

The community

Headwaters is the most complete master-planned community in Dripping Springs right now — roughly 1,000 acres off Highway 290 with about half of it left as open space. The amenity package is actually built, not promised: a resort-style pool, fitness center, The HUB coworking and coffee lounge, and a trail network that follows the headwaters of Barton Creek. An on-site Dripping Springs ISD elementary opened for the 2025-26 school year, which materially changed the morning routine for families here.

The trade-off is the tax bill. Headwaters sits in a MUD, and total rates run meaningfully higher than older non-MUD streets closer to downtown Dripping Springs. Rates step down as district debt retires, but verify the current rate for the specific section you’re buying in — it varies.

The homes

This is production and higher-spec production, not custom. Builder-published base pricing in July 2026 runs from the $650s to about $1.3M — verify current releases, because incentives and inventory move monthly. Active builders have included David Weekley Homes, Taylor Morrison, and Drees Custom Homes, with rosters rotating by phase.

Lots are suburban: mostly 50- to 80-foot widths, call it 0.15 to 0.30 acres. Homes run roughly 2,000 to 4,000+ square feet, mostly Hill Country contemporary elevations in stone and fiber cement. Some ridge-line lots back to greenbelt and carry real premiums; interior lots are conventional suburban spacing. If you want an acre and a view, look at Caliterra or acreage neighborhoods further west instead.

Location, schools, and the drive

Headwaters is zoned to Dripping Springs ISD, with the on-site elementary a genuine draw — verify zoning before you write a contract, since boundaries shift as the district grows. Middle and high school are a drive.

The commute is the honest question. Downtown Austin is 35–50 minutes depending on when you hit 290; the Y at Oak Hill improvements have helped, but school-hour traffic through Dripping Springs is real. Belterra Village shopping is 10 minutes east, downtown Dripping Springs about 8 minutes west. If your office is in the city five days a week, drive it at 7:45 a.m. before you decide.