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Moving to
Steiner Ranch.
Steiner Ranch is an unincorporated community in Travis County, TX. It has no city government: the county runs it, and the Census counts it as its own place.
What it's like to live in Steiner Ranch
Steiner Ranch is an unincorporated community in Texas with county unemployment below the national average, household incomes running above the national average, a highly educated workforce, and schools with smaller class sizes than the national average. Those factors carry real weight for anyone weighing where to move next.
The tradeoffs are worth naming plainly. Steiner Ranch deals with rent well above the national average, home prices well above the national average, commute times longer than most cities, and air quality that falls short of national benchmarks.
The good
- Low unemployment in the county
- Higher-than-average incomes
- Highly educated workforce
- Low student-teacher ratio
The not so good
- Rent well above the national average
- High home prices
- Above-average commute times
- Air quality concerns
- High rent burden for renters
- Hot summers
How Steiner Ranch compares
Median household income
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
What it takes to move to Steiner Ranch
Based on Steiner Ranch's median rent, home value and household income
To rent
$3,910
up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit
- Income to keep rent under 30%: $78,200 a year
- 64% of Steiner Ranch renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent
To buy
$165,300
a 20% down payment on the median home
- With 10% down: $82,650
- Homes cost 4.3× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)
Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.
The details
Cost of living▲ 38% above US
$1,955/mo median rent
Rent is expensive here, at $1,955 a month median and well above the national average. This is the kind of city where housing costs deserve serious budgeting before committing to a move. Home prices are steep, with a median around $826,500. Renting first to get a feel for the city before buying is often the more practical route.
Median home value $826,500 · 64% of renters cost-burdened
Job market
3.4% county unemployment
Unemployment in Travis County is 3.4%, a little below the national average of 4.3%. That's the county-wide rate; BLS doesn't measure a place this size on its own.
Travis County (county-wide)
Safety
319 violent crimes per 100k, whole jurisdiction
Steiner Ranch doesn't have its own police department, so there's no crime rate for it alone. The figures shown are for the Travis County Sheriff's Office jurisdiction as a whole, which runs close to the national average for violent crime and covers many communities. Individual neighborhoods can differ a lot from that overall rate.
Property crime 1291/100k · Policed by Travis County Sheriff's Office (county-wide rate) · 2025 data
Getting around▲ 15% above US
30 min average commute
Commutes run about average, at 29.8 minutes. Fine day to day, but it adds up over a year, and where someone lives relative to where they work starts to matter. 5 in 10 workers drive to work; 43% work from home.
How workers get to work
Climate
Summers run seriously hot, with average highs pushing 96°F, and winters are mild, with lows rarely dropping below 44°F.
Average month
30-year averages, 1991–2020
Education & workforce▲ 105% above US
74% bachelor's degree or higher
This is a highly educated city, with over half the adult population holding a college degree. That tends to shape the job market and the broader culture, and it's a solid indicator of a strong professional scene.
Schools
4 public schools inside the boundary
There are 4 public schools inside the boundary and 2 private schools. The student-to-teacher ratio is 14:1, well below the national average of 16:1. Smaller class sizes are generally a positive sign for a district.
Parks & recreation
The nearest national park or historic site is El Camino Real de los Tejas National Historic Trail (38 miles away). There are 4 national parks and sites within a day's drive.
Bottom line
Steiner Ranch's strongest points are county unemployment below the national average and household incomes running above the national average; the main tradeoffs are rent well above the national average and home prices well above the national average. A year of median rent ($1,955/mo) equals 12% of the median household income here, less than the 21% typical nationwide. It tends to suit job seekers (county-wide unemployment is low), remote workers (43% of workers here already work from home), and college-educated professionals. It may be a harder fit for renters on a tight budget.
Other places near Steiner Ranch
All Texas guides →Moving to Lakeway →
5 mi away · pop. 19,307
Rent $2,981/mo · Income $190,060
Compare with Steiner Ranch →Moving to Austin →
10 mi away · pop. 979,539
Rent $1,729/mo · Income $93,658
Compare with Steiner Ranch →Moving to Cedar Park →
12 mi away · pop. 78,301
Rent $1,846/mo · Income $129,545
Compare with Steiner Ranch →Moving to Brushy Creek →
14 mi away · pop. 19,576
Rent $2,127/mo · Income $138,589
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