Austin REAL ESTATE

Chances are, you love the corner of the nation your family calls home. And that’s exactly as it should be. But let’s face it: Certain towns have more of the things that make a place great for raising a family and building a rich life—like plentiful jobs, excellent schools, scenic beauty and houses that won’t suck away your last dime.
As we do every year, we set out to identify those communities that just seem to have it all. We analyzed the nation’s small cities, those with populations of 50,000 to 300,000. That means you won’t find, for example, Chicago on our top 10 list—but you will find places that offer Chicago-like amenities (such as cafés and culture) plus other benefits the Windy City can only dream of (such as low crime and affordable homes).
These 10 towns aren’t mere suburbs; they’re places in their own right, with thriving commerce and job growth. That means many residents need not leave town for work—a huge plus with gas at $4—and some rarely need to drive at all. One result: a strong sense of community. “One of the great things about walkable cities is that if you’re constantly passing by someone you don’t know, eventually you say hello,” says Elizabeth Plater-Zyberk, dean of the University of Miami’s School of Architecture.

No 7: Round Rock, Texas
Population: 92,400
Miles from Austin: 17
Typical single-family home: $192,500
Job growth since 2000: 46.8%
Pros: Affordable homes, loads of outdoor amenities
Con: One employer dominates the economy
When Walter Rock, 49, moved here in 1990, he says, the biggest entertainment was watching people play dominoes in front of the gas station. Now, says the engineer turned real estate agent, “I rarely have to leave Round Rock for anything.”
Once merely a bedroom community of Austin, Round Rock today is very much its own city thanks largely to three things: affordable housing, excellent schools and computer maker Dell, which has established its headquarters here.
The city boasts three medical centers and a campus of Texas State University. There’s a lot of shopping, from an IKEA to a premium outlet mall, and a minor league baseball team, the Round Rock Express. Residents enjoy more than 800 acres of open space, two golf courses and 64-mile-long Lake Travis, just west of the city.