Is Rollingwood part of Austin?

No. Rollingwood is a separate, incorporated city with its own government and police force, southwest across Lady Bird Lake from downtown in ZIP 78746. Tarrytown, by contrast, is a neighborhood within the City of Austin, west of MoPac in ZIP 78703. The two are often compared because both are prestigious West Austin addresses close to downtown.

Which has better schools, Tarrytown or Rollingwood?

Both are excellent, but they sit in different districts. Tarrytown is in Austin ISD and zoned to Casis Elementary, which ranks in the top 5% of Texas schools, feeding O. Henry Middle School and Austin High School. Most of Rollingwood is served by Eanes ISD, consistently one of the highest-rated districts in Texas, through Eanes Elementary, Hill Country Middle School, and Westlake High School, though a portion of the city falls in Austin ISD. Always confirm the current attendance zone for a specific address with the district.

Does Rollingwood have Lake Austin frontage?

No. Rollingwood has no Lake Austin waterfront of its own; its draw is proximity to Zilker Park, Barton Springs, and the Barton Creek Greenbelt just next door. Tarrytown reaches the Lake Austin shoreline and has direct frontage on select streets such as Scenic Drive, which sets the ceiling for its luxury market. If lake access is a priority, that is a clear point of difference between the two.

Lake Austin and its waterfront homes seen from the bluffs above Tarrytown at sunset, Austin, Texas

Neighborhood Comparison

Tarrytown vs Rollingwood

Tarrytown and Rollingwood both sit minutes from downtown, yet one is a neighborhood inside the City of Austin and the other is a small independent city with its own government and schools. Schools, lake access, and city lines usually decide it.

Tarrytown is a neighborhood within the City of Austin, west of MoPac along Lake Austin in ZIP 78703, zoned to Casis Elementary in Austin ISD, with direct lake frontage on some streets. Rollingwood is a separate, incorporated city of roughly a couple thousand residents just southwest across Lady Bird Lake, adjacent to Zilker Park and West Lake Hills in ZIP 78746, and primarily served by the highly rated Eanes ISD.

Both are prestigious, leafy, and close to downtown, and neither is better in the abstract. The honest differences come down to school district, whether you want to live inside Austin proper or in a small city with its own government, and access to Lake Austin versus the Zilker and Barton Creek Greenbelt scene next door.

Side by side

Tarrytown and Rollingwood, compared

Factor	Tarrytown	Rollingwood
Location	In-town, west of MoPac (78703)	Separate city southwest of Lady Bird Lake (78746)
City / feel	Neighborhood in the City of Austin	Independent incorporated city, small-town calm
Typical lot	Quarter-acre and up, some lakefront	Generous suburban lots, no lakefront
School district	Austin ISD, Casis Elementary (top 5% in Texas)	Primarily Eanes ISD, Eanes Elementary (verify zone)
Water access	Direct Lake Austin frontage on select streets	No lake frontage; Zilker and the Greenbelt next door
Commute to downtown	Short, often under 10 to 15 minutes	Short, roughly 5 to 10 minutes over the bridge
Median sale (TTM, mid-2026)	Roughly $1.5M to $1.65M	A small, tightly held market; sales commonly higher
Taxes / city services	City of Austin taxes and services	Own city government, police, and taxes

Figures are mid-2026 estimates from public sources and should be verified against current MLS data. Always confirm school attendance zones for a specific address with Austin ISD.

The honest verdict

Which fits you, Tarrytown or Rollingwood?

Choose Tarrytown if you want to be inside the City of Austin with Austin ISD and Casis Elementary, the possibility of direct Lake Austin frontage, and established in-town estate streets a short hop from downtown and UT.

Choose Rollingwood if you are drawn to a small, quiet independent city with its own government, primarily Eanes ISD schools, and a location steps from Zilker Park and the Barton Creek Greenbelt. Many buyers tour both, and a specialist who works across West Austin can value current homes in each against your budget and priorities.

Good to know

Tarrytown vs Rollingwood, answered

Is Rollingwood part of Austin?: No. Rollingwood is a separate, incorporated city with its own government and police force, southwest across Lady Bird Lake from downtown in ZIP 78746. Tarrytown, by contrast, is a neighborhood within the City of Austin, west of MoPac in ZIP 78703. The two are often compared because both are prestigious West Austin addresses close to downtown.
Which has better schools, Tarrytown or Rollingwood?: Both are excellent, but they sit in different districts. Tarrytown is in Austin ISD and zoned to Casis Elementary, which ranks in the top 5% of Texas schools, feeding O. Henry Middle School and Austin High School. Most of Rollingwood is served by Eanes ISD, consistently one of the highest-rated districts in Texas, through Eanes Elementary, Hill Country Middle School, and Westlake High School, though a portion of the city falls in Austin ISD. Always confirm the current attendance zone for a specific address with the district.
Does Rollingwood have Lake Austin frontage?: No. Rollingwood has no Lake Austin waterfront of its own; its draw is proximity to Zilker Park, Barton Springs, and the Barton Creek Greenbelt just next door. Tarrytown reaches the Lake Austin shoreline and has direct frontage on select streets such as Scenic Drive, which sets the ceiling for its luxury market. If lake access is a priority, that is a clear point of difference between the two.

Continue through Tarrytown

Tarrytown vs Barton CreekIn-town estate living versus gated Hill Country golf.Read more →Tarrytown vs Pemberton HeightsLake access and lot size versus a historic enclave.Read more →Lake Austin Waterfront HomesThe finite shoreline that sets the ceiling for West Austin luxury.Read more →Tarrytown Neighborhood GuideHistory, boundaries, architecture, amenities, and who lives here.Read more →Tarrytown Luxury HomesEstate homes and architectural new builds above the $2M mark.Read more →Tarrytown Realtor: Luke AllenWhy a Tarrytown and Lake Austin specialist matters.Read more →

Work with Luke

Touring both? Let's compare honestly.

Luke Allen works across Tarrytown and Rollingwood and will value real, current homes in each against your budget and priorities, with no pressure.

Luke Allen

Licensed Texas REALTOR, TREC #788149

Austin Marketing + Development Group

Call 254-718-2567 Text Luke