Austin Suburbs Are Fleeing to Small-Town Smithville
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Something interesting is happening in Central Texas. Families who once dreamed of living in Austin's trendy suburbs are packing up and heading east—to a small town most of them had never heard of five years ago.
The Austin dream isn't what it used to be. Traffic that turns a 10-mile commute into an hour-long ordeal. Home prices that have doubled in a decade. Neighborhoods where you don't know your neighbors' names. For many families, the tradeoffs no longer make sense.
Enter Smithville: population 4,000, located 45 minutes southeast of Austin, and suddenly on everyone's radar.
Average commute from Smithville to downtown Austin—often less than commuting across Austin itself
Why the Exodus?
The reasons families give for leaving Austin suburbs are remarkably consistent. It's not one thing—it's everything adding up:
1The Traffic Breaking Point
Austin's traffic has become legendary—and not in a good way. What used to be a 20-minute drive to work now takes 45 minutes or more. Parents spend hours in cars instead of with their families. At some point, people ask: "Why am I doing this?"
2The Affordability Crisis
The median home price in Austin suburbs has skyrocketed. What $350,000 buys you in Pflugerville or Round Rock—a cramped lot, cookie-cutter design, zero character—gets you something completely different in Smithville.
3The Community Void
Many Austin suburbs have grown so fast that community never had a chance to form. Neighborhoods of 500+ homes where people drive into garages and never meet their neighbors. That's not what people pictured when they imagined raising a family.
4The Quality of Life Question
At some point, people stop and ask: "Is this the life we wanted?" The answer, increasingly, is no. They wanted space, community, safety, and time with family—not stress, traffic, and a mortgage that keeps them up at night.
Austin Suburbs vs. Smithville: The Real Comparison
Typical Austin Suburb
- $450,000+ for entry-level home
- 0.10-acre lot (or less)
- 45-60 min commute within Austin
- 500+ home subdivisions
- Don't know neighbors' names
- Chain restaurants and big box stores
- Crowded schools
- Constant construction noise
Smithville
- $316,500 starting price at The Prairie
- Nearly 0.19-acre lots
- 45 min to Austin (reverse commute)
- 28-home boutique community
- Neighbors become friends
- Historic downtown, local businesses
- Excellent Smithville ISD
- Peace and quiet
What Smithville Offers
Smithville isn't trying to be Austin. That's precisely the point. It's a real Texas town with a historic downtown, friendly neighbors, and a pace of life that lets you actually enjoy living.
Smithville Highlights:
- Gigabit Internet — Work from home with faster internet than most Austin neighborhoods
- Historic Downtown — Real shops, real restaurants, real character
- Colorado River Access — Kayaking, fishing, and nature minutes away
- Excellent Schools — Smithville ISD where teachers know students' names
- Community Events — Jamboree, Festival of Lights, farmers markets
- Safety — Small-town security where kids can play outside
"We spent three years in Round Rock. Nice house, but we never met our neighbors. Our kids couldn't ride bikes in the street because of traffic. We moved to Smithville and within a week, we knew everyone on our street. Our kids have friends. We have friends. This is what we were looking for all along."
The Remote Work Revolution
The rise of remote work has been a game-changer for small towns like Smithville. When you don't have to commute to an office every day, the calculation changes completely:
- No daily commute — Work from your home office, not stuck in I-35 traffic
- Gigabit fiber internet — Smithville has had gigabit internet since 2013
- Hybrid flexibility — 45-minute drive when you do need to go in
- Better work-life balance — Actually enjoy where you live
- Lower cost of living — Your Austin salary goes much further
For knowledge workers, the question has shifted from "Can I work from Smithville?" to "Why wouldn't I work from Smithville?"
The New Commute Math
Here's something that surprises people: commuting from Smithville to Austin often takes less time than commuting across Austin.
Commute Comparison:
- Cedar Park to Downtown Austin: 45-75 minutes (depending on traffic)
- Round Rock to Downtown Austin: 40-70 minutes (depending on traffic)
- Smithville to Downtown Austin: 45 minutes (consistent, mostly highway)
The difference? Smithville's commute is predictable. No surprise traffic jams. No accidents adding 30 minutes. Just open road.
What About the Kids?
For families, the decision often comes down to one question: "What kind of childhood do we want our kids to have?"
In Smithville, kids can:
- Ride bikes around the neighborhood safely
- Walk to friends' houses
- Play in actual yards (not postage-stamp lots)
- Attend schools where teachers know their names
- Experience small-town community events
- Grow up knowing their neighbors
These aren't luxuries—they're the childhood experiences that used to be normal, and still are in places like Smithville.
The Question Isn't "Why Smithville?"
It's "Why not Smithville?" For families ready to trade Austin stress for small-town living, the answer is clear.
Making the Move
If you're tired of the Austin suburb grind and ready to explore what Smithville has to offer, The Prairie is the perfect place to start. Our boutique community of just 28 homes offers:
- New construction starting at $316,500
- Nearly .19-acre lots—real yard space
- Secluded entrance—privacy without isolation
- 1-2-10 year warranty for peace of mind
- Modern homes with quality finishes
Ready to Escape the Austin Suburbs?
The Prairie Smithville offers new construction homes starting at $316,500 in an intimate community where neighbors become friends.
Schedule a tour and discover what small-town Texas living is really like.
Contact Sharon Foerster
Van Zandt Properties
325 String Prairie Way, Smithville, TX 78957
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