For single-family home renters, finding the right suburb to live in around Austin can be a complicated process. But three distinct Austin neighbors have come out among the top 10 best best suburbs for house renters in Texas: Hutto, Lakeway, and Leander.

This crowning achievement was awarded in online real estate marketplace Point2Homes' new study, "Top Texas Suburbs for House Renters." The report compared suburbs within a 20-mile radius (or 30-mile driving distance) from Texas' five largest cities — San Antonio, Austin, Houston, Dallas, and Fort Worth — based on 12 metrics, including a suburb's cost of living, share of single-family rental listings, five-year renter income growth, and more.

Hutto ranked as the No. 3 best suburb for house renters in Texas, while Lakeway and Leander ranked No. 5 and No. 6, respectively.

Bulverde, a small town 22 miles outside San Antonio, was declared the No. 1 best suburb for house renters statewide. Two Houston suburbs — Iowa Colony (No. 2) and West University Place (No. 4) — round out the top five.

Point2Homes touted Hutto, located 22 miles northeast of Austin, as a suburban paradise full of "serenity and city convenience." The 2020 Census calculated the city had an estimated population of nearly 27,600 residents, and Hutto Economic Development said two out of five Hutto residents are under the age of 30.

Out of the suburb's entire renter population, the report found 92 percent of renters are residing in single-family homes, and there are 94 single-family home listings available to rent per 1,000 renter households.

The median household income for single-family home renters is $105,354, the report said, which has grown nearly 66 percent over the last five years, while the population simultaneously ballooned 30.3 percent.

Other factors that contributed to Hutto's No. 3 ranking were its residents' average commute time (28.8 minutes) and the share of the population aged 25 and older who have "higher education" degrees (32.2 percent). But the study latches onto one unorthodox benefit of living in Hutto.

"Hutto’s historic downtown is adorned with century-old buildings and charming boutiques, all framed by ... hippos," the report's author wrote. "Estimates suggest there are between 5,000 and 10,000 concrete hippos scattered around town ... and there’s even an interactive Hippo Map Tour tracking them all."

Residents also benefit from living in a quiet, close-knit community that has many outdoor recreational activities for families.

"As Hutto grows, so does its green space, with 150 acres of public parks and counting," the report said.

Other top Austin suburbs for house renters in 2024
Situated 25 miles northwest of Austin, the suburb of Lakeway boasts an estimated population of more than 19,000 residents as of the 2020 Census, a figure that has grown 33.1 percent over the last five years. A majority of the city's population aged 25 and older (72 percent) have higher education degrees.

The median household income of single-family renters in Lakeway is $79,904, and the city's income level has grown less than 2 percent in the last five years. Less than half of all renters in Lakeway (48.2 percent) are single-family home renters.

There are 44 single-family rental listings on the market per 1,000 renter households in Lakeway, and the study said the median number of rooms in a rental home comes out to 5.5.

Here's how Point2Homes broke down Lakeway's ranking in the remaining metrics in the study:

• +104.9 percent – Cost of living compared to state median
• 16.2 percent – Share of renters out of the entire population
• 1,464 – Population density
• 27.1 minutes – Average commute time
• 2.8 percent – Unemployment rate

The study said the median number of rooms for a rental home in Lakeway is 5.5. Photo courtesy of Spaces and Faces Photography

According to the City of Lakeway website, the suburb had a humble beginning as a retirement and second-home community before being transformed into a highly sought after destination for Austinites who want to get away from the hustle and bustle of the city.

"Now, families are drawn to the 'lake lifestyle,' the city’s award-winning parks and recreation programs and facilities, and Lake Travis ISD’s renowned schools," the website says. "Active empty-nesters and young professionals are attracted to the city’s natural beauty, proximity to Austin and endless recreational activities including tennis, golf, hiking, biking, picnicking and camping, fishing, boating, swimming, and scuba diving."

The third Austin suburb to earn a top 10 rank was Leander, which is also known as one of the most livable small cities in America. A single-family renter household in the city has a median income of $71,228, which has grown about 30 percent over five years. However, it's not cheap to live in Leander, as the cost of living is 44 percent higher than the state median cost of living, the report said.

This is how Leander stacked up in the report's remaining metrics:

• 51.6 percent – Share of single-family renters
• 109.2 – Single-family rental listings per 1,000 renter households
• 4.9 – Median number of rooms in a rental home
• 23.6 percent – Share of renters out of the entire population
• 54.9 percent – Five-year population change
• 1,615 – Population density
• 29.5 minutes – Average commute time

Leander residents are really livin' it up these days. The City of Leander, Texas/Facebook

Other Austin-area suburbs that earned spots among the top 100 best Texas suburbs for single-family home renters include:

• No. 11 – Elgin
• No. 14 – Hornsby Bend
• No. 15 – Manor
• No. 17 – Brushy Creek
• No. 18 – Dripping Springs
• No. 22 – Buda
• No. 26 – Bee Cave
• No. 38 – Kyle
• No. 43 – Bastrop
• No. 45 – Lockhart
• No. 51 – Georgetown

The full report and its methodology can be found on point2homes.com.