The fast-growing community of Dripping Springs is about to grow even more. Meritage Homes recently kicked off the sale of more than 700 homes in the 200-acre, master-planned Big Sky Ranch development, about 25 miles west of downtown Austin.

Prices for the single-family, one- and two-story homes start in the $260s. Square footage ranges from roughly 1,600 to more than 3,500. In all, the project — at U.S. Highway 290 and RR 12 near downtown Dripping Springs — features 21 home designs.

“The proximity of this project to the core city limits of Dripping Springs will encourage future residents to walk to destinations like our downtown historic districts, Founders Memorial Park, and other retail establishments within walking distance,” Ginger Faught, deputy city administrator in Dripping Springs, says in a July 8 release from Meritage Homes.

The project will feature 48 acres of parkland and open space, improvements to Founders Memorial Park, a community pool, and almost 1.7 miles of trails.

“The community was planned through a collaborative effort with Dripping Springs city leaders and staff, who worked more than 18 months to design a community that was complementary to their vision for the future,” Matthew Scrivener, vice president of land development at Scottsdale, Arizona-based Meritage Homes, says in the release.

Aside from Founders Memorial Park, nearby attractions include the original Salt Lick BBQ, Hamilton Pool, Mercer Street Dancehall, wineries, breweries, and distilleries.

For homebuyers, one of the main draws of Dripping Springs — known as the “Gateway to the Hill Country” — is the highly rated Dripping Springs ISD. According to a study presented last year to Dripping Springs ISD leaders, the number of occupied single-family homes in the district is projected to rise from 4,169 in 2019 to 7,145 in 2028. That would be an increase of 71 percent.

Population growth obviously would translate into enrollment growth for Drippings Springs ISD. The study predicts the district’s enrollment will climb from 7,811 in 2020 to 13,262 in 2028. That would represent a jump of 70 percent.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the population within the city limits of Dripping Springs stood at 5,708 in 2019, up 160 percent from 2010. Census data shows that in 2018, the median value of a home in Dripping Springs was $341,100.