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Georgetown vs Round Rock: retirement compared

Georgetown and Round Rock are neighboring Williamson County cities on the Interstate 35 corridor north of Austin, both described in the Austin and Central Texas region. They look similar on a map and differ in age and in what they offer a retiree. The Census Bureau's 2019-2023 American Community Survey counts 78,803 residents in Georgetown, with a median age of 44.3 and 28.2 percent aged 65 and over, and 124,288 in Round Rock, with a median age of 36.2 and 10.9 percent aged 65 and over. Georgetown is best known for Sun City Texas, an age-restricted community marketed as 55+. Round Rock is a working-age suburb with a deep hospital base and a city 50+ center, and it has no age-restricted community of its own on this site.

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Georgetown and Round Rock at a glance

Figures come from each place page and name their own period; sources are listed on those pages.

MeasureGeorgetownRound Rock
Population (ACS 2019-2023 5-year estimate)78,803124,288
Residents aged 65 and over (ACS 2019-2023 5-year estimate)28.2%10.9%
Median age (ACS 2019-2023 5-year estimate)44.336.2
Median home value (owner-occupied) (ACS 2019-2023 5-year estimate)$398,600$383,700
Median gross rent (ACS 2019-2023 5-year estimate)$1,671 per month$1,713 per month
Median household income (ACS 2019-2023 5-year estimate)$91,857$97,187
Property tax context (tax year 2024)2024 rates per hundred dollars of taxable value: City of Georgetown 0.364700; Georgetown ISD 1.054400; Williamson County 0.355670 plus 0.044329 for farm-to-market and roads (units overlap)Williamson County table rates per $100 of taxable value: City of Round Rock 0.360000; Round Rock ISD 0.893100; Williamson County 0.355670 plus 0.044329 road levy (units overlap; rates are not added)
Hospital accessSt. David's Georgetown Hospital, an inpatient hospital at 2000 Scenic Drive in the city with a 24-hour emergency department (hospital system page read October 2026)CMS lists three acute care hospitals with emergency services at Round Rock addresses: Baylor Scott & White Medical Center - Round Rock, Ascension Seton Williamson and Round Rock Medical Center (CMS hospital file read October 2026)
Airport accessNot in our dataAustin-Bergstrom International Airport, owned and operated by the City of Austin, is the commercial airport named for the area; Round Rock's page does not publish a drive time (airport page read October 2026)
55+ communities in our research10

Georgetown vs Round Rock: the short answer

Georgetown and Round Rock are neighboring Williamson County cities on the Interstate 35 corridor north of Austin, both described in the Austin and Central Texas region. They look similar on a map and differ in age and in what they offer a retiree. The Census Bureau's 2019-2023 American Community Survey counts 78,803 residents in Georgetown, with a median age of 44.3 and 28.2 percent aged 65 and over, and 124,288 in Round Rock, with a median age of 36.2 and 10.9 percent aged 65 and over. Georgetown is best known for Sun City Texas, an age-restricted community marketed as 55+. Round Rock is a working-age suburb with a deep hospital base and a city 50+ center, and it has no age-restricted community of its own on this site.

Three cautions apply throughout. First, the two cities share a county, so the Williamson County Tax Assessor-Collector's tax year 2024 table puts both on one page, while the Texas Comptroller's 2025 files give a second, separate year; each figure below is labelled with its year and the two years are not mixed as if they were like-for-like. Second, the 2024 table's text layer does not separate its homestead, age-65 and disability columns reliably, so local over-65 amounts are not assigned to a unit here; confirm them with the Williamson Central Appraisal District. Third, hospital and community descriptions are the operators' own and are not quality ratings. For the statewide rules, see property taxes and appraisal districts and homestead and age-65 exemptions.

Full profiles: Georgetown and Round Rock.

Which one fits you

Choose Georgetown if

  • You want a city that has adopted a local-option tax freeze ceiling: in the county's 2024 table the City of Georgetown carries the mark for it, as does Williamson County, while the Round Rock city row does not.
  • You want an age-restricted community, Sun City Texas, marketed as 55+ with three championship golf courses, eight pools and new homes from $340,990, and a city where 28.2 percent of residents are 65 or older.
  • You want a hospital in town: St. David's Georgetown Hospital at 2000 Scenic Drive has a 24-hour emergency department with a Level IV Trauma Center, and you accept that the Georgetown pages also point to the Baylor Scott & White hospital in Round Rock for admission and emergencies.
  • You accept a higher school rate in return for those features: the Comptroller lists Georgetown ISD at 1.0506 per $100 for 2025 against Round Rock ISD's 0.8931.

Choose Round Rock if

  • You want three acute care hospitals with emergency services inside the city, and you value a lower school rate, with Round Rock ISD at 0.893100 in the county's 2024 table and 0.8931 in the Comptroller's 2025 file.
  • You want a city-run 50+ center: the Allen R. Baca Center in downtown Round Rock lists more than 1,300 members and annual 50+ memberships listed at $30, $60 and $110, and you are content with an all-age city with 10.9 percent of residents aged 65 and over.
  • You want the city's own flood guidance and water facts in one place, including its statement that a more accurate estimate of the 100-year floodplain near Round Rock is the current FEMA 500-year floodplain.
  • You can accept that the Round Rock city row carries no freeze mark in the 2024 table and that the city adopted 37.2 cents for fiscal year 2026 and a 42.3 cent maximum rate for fiscal year 2027.

Georgetown and Round Rock: best for, and think twice if

Georgetown

Best for

  • If you want age-restricted living near a local emergency department: Sun City Texas, marketed 55+ with its own golf courses and more than 150 clubs, is on the west side, and St. David's Georgetown has a 24-hour ER.
  • Buyers 65 or older who want unit-by-unit tax ceilings: the county table flags freeze ceilings adopted by Williamson County and the City of Georgetown, and 28.2 percent of residents are 65 or older.
  • If you want a city recreation center: the 65,000-square-foot Georgetown Recreation Center has indoor and outdoor pools and two gymnasiums, and the city lists SilverSneakers.

Think twice if

  • Think twice about the school rate: Georgetown ISD's home page shows $1.1106 after a November 2026 election, higher than the 1.0544 in the 2024 county table.
  • Buyers should confirm district layers: a Georgetown address can fall in Emergency Services District No. 8 at 0.096817 or Georgetown Village PID at 0.12 on top of city, county and school taxes.
  • Think twice about cost and heat: the median owner-occupied value is $398,600, and the Austin normals show roughly 123 days a year at or above 90 degrees.

Round Rock

Best for

  • Buyers who want several inpatient hospitals in one city: CMS lists three acute care hospitals with emergency services at Round Rock addresses, and Ascension Seton Williamson says a new tower adds 96 inpatient beds.
  • If a city-run 50+ center matters: the Allen R. Baca Center reports more than 1,300 members and lists 50+ memberships from $30 to $110 a year.

Think twice if

  • Think twice about flood maps: the city says FEMA's current maps do not yet reflect heavier rainfall and that the 500-year floodplain is a better estimate of the 100-year one, so check a property against both.
  • Taxes stack by address: the city is listed at 0.372, Round Rock ISD at 0.8931 and MUDs such as Round Rock MUD #1 at 0.68, and the council adopted a maximum rate of 42.3 cents for fiscal year 2027, up from 37.2.
  • Buyers wanting a retiree concentration should note that 10.9% of residents are 65 or older, and only 56.2% of occupied homes are owner-occupied, a large rental share for a city this size.

Each point restates facts from that place's own page and sources. It is not a rating.

Georgetown and Round Rock side by side

DimensionGeorgetownRound Rock
City, county and school rates in the same 2024 tableThe Williamson County Tax Assessor-Collector's table for tax year 2024 lists Williamson County at 0.355670 per $100 of taxable value plus 0.044329 for the county's farm-to-market and road levy, the City of Georgetown at 0.364700 and Georgetown ISD at 1.054400. It also lists Williamson County Emergency Services District No. 8 for Georgetown at 0.096817, which applies only inside that district, and a Georgetown Village PID at 0.120000, an assessment set by the district.The same 2024 table lists the City of Round Rock at 0.360000 and Round Rock ISD at 0.893100, with the same county rates. It lists Williamson County Emergency Services District No. 9 for Round Rock at 0.097704 and municipal utility districts such as Round Rock MUD #1 at 0.680000 and Round Rock MUD #2 at 0.511000, which apply only inside those districts. For example, county, farm-to-market, city and school rates add to 1.819099 per $100 for Georgetown and 1.653099 for Round Rock, our arithmetic and before any special district. Round Rock's lower school rate more than offsets Georgetown's slightly lower city rate.
City, county and school rates in the Comptroller's 2025 filesThe Texas Comptroller's 2025 city file, a working version dated January 28, 2026, lists the City of Georgetown at a total of 0.353, made up of 0.113871 for maintenance and operations and 0.239129 for debt service. The school file lists Georgetown ISD at a total of 1.0506, made up of 0.6931 and 0.3575. Georgetown ISD's own home page shows a tax rate of $1.1106, adopted by the trustees and conditioned on a tax ratification election, which is a different year and a condition, so read it as a direction and not a like-for-like figure.The same 2025 files list the City of Round Rock at a total of 0.372, made up of 0.256757 and 0.115243, Round Rock ISD at 0.8931, made up of 0.7101 and 0.183, and Williamson County at a total of 0.413776 when the general fund and farm-to-market levy are combined. Round Rock's budget page says the council adopted 37.2 cents per $100 for fiscal year 2026 and a maximum rate of 42.3 cents for fiscal year 2027 on August 13, 2026; a maximum rate is a ceiling set before the final vote. For example, the county, city and school rates add to 1.817376 for Georgetown and 1.678876 for Round Rock in 2025, our arithmetic, so the order matches 2024 even though the cities' own rates swapped places.
Local over-65 amounts: what the county table can and cannot showThe county table has columns for homestead, 65 and over and disability, each with a mandatory and a local-option version, but its text layer does not align them reliably, so no local over-65 amount is attributed to the City of Georgetown here. The Georgetown ISD row shows school amounts of 100,000, 10,000 and 3,000 that predate the current state amounts. The Texas Comptroller states that school districts must give a $140,000 residence homestead exemption and an additional $60,000 for owners 65 or older or disabled, and that any taxing unit may adopt local-option exemptions.The Round Rock city and school rows sit in the same table with the same layout limit, so the age-65 amount for the City of Round Rock is left for the appraisal district or the county tax office to confirm. The county row carries 125,000 in two amount fields; confirm which exemption each belongs to before relying on it. Williamson Central Appraisal District says a homeowner qualifies for the age-65 exemption in the year of turning 65 and can apply through the homestead application, with a regular filing period of January 1 through April 30. Exemptions reduce taxable value and are not cash payments.
Tax ceilings and freeze marks, 2024The 2024 table marks entities that have adopted a local-option freeze ceiling with a double asterisk and says that, except in certain circumstances, taxes paid to the entity in the year you qualify for the over-65 or disabled-person exemption will not increase. Both Williamson County and the City of Georgetown carry the mark. The Georgetown ISD row does not, but the school-tax ceiling is separate and has its own conditions. A surviving spouse who is 55 or older can keep a transferred school-tax ceiling, according to the Williamson Central Appraisal District.In the same 2024 table Williamson County carries the freeze mark, while the City of Round Rock, Round Rock ISD and Round Rock MUD rows do not. So a retiree in Georgetown has a city ceiling to consider and one in Round Rock does not, as of that table. A ceiling is unit by unit and conditional, not a statewide freeze at 65, and ceilings and rates change by budget year, so verify the current status before relying on it.
Special districts and assessmentsThe county table lists Georgetown Village PID at 0.120000 and notes that PID assessments are set by the district, and the emergency services district for Georgetown at 0.096817. Owners inside some Georgetown subdivisions may pay a utility district or PID assessment, and whether any applies is specific to the property. The tax statement and the seller's disclosures answer it. Sun City Texas is described by the developer and association without any utility or improvement district assessment, and the county table lists no district named for it.Round Rock's table rows include several MUDs and an emergency services district, and the city says it serves its own customers and several MUDs outside city limits. A newer subdivision can therefore carry a district layer that an older neighborhood near downtown does not. The MUD rates listed, 0.680000 and 0.511000 for two of them, show how large a district charge can be when one applies. See the guide to MUDs, PIDs and special districts.
HospitalsSt. David's Georgetown Hospital, at 2000 Scenic Drive, describes a 24-hour emergency department with a Level IV Trauma Center, a Certified Primary Stroke Center, joint replacement, orthopedics and maternity services, and is part of HCA Healthcare. Baylor Scott & White operates Baylor Scott & White Clinic - Georgetown at 4945 Williams Drive, an outpatient department of its Round Rock medical center, and an urgent care clinic at 900 N. Austin Avenue. For admission and specialists, the Georgetown pages point to the Round Rock hospital as well as to St. David's.The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services list for Williamson County includes three acute care hospitals with Round Rock addresses and emergency services: Baylor Scott & White Medical Center - Round Rock at 300 University Blvd, Ascension Seton Williamson at 201 Seton Parkway and Round Rock Medical Center at 2400 Round Rock Ave, which St. David's lists as St. David's Round Rock Medical Center. Ascension describes Seton Williamson as certified as a Level II Trauma Center, and St. David's lists a Level II Trauma Center. Brushy Creek Family Hospital at 230 Deer Ridge Dr is recorded as having no emergency services. Plan networks change each year.
Flood exposureFlood risk in Georgetown is address-specific and insured separately. FEMA states that any place with a 1 percent or higher chance of flooding each year is considered high risk, that floods do not follow city limits or property lines, that most homeowners insurance does not cover flood damage and that homes in high-risk areas with government-backed mortgages must carry flood insurance. Lake and creek frontage and low-lying lots deserve a map check before an offer.Round Rock's floodplain page says FEMA's Williamson County flood maps took effect on 12/20/19 and cover a significant portion of the city. It says NOAA's Atlas 14 rainfall study shows heavier rainfall in Central Texas flash floods than previously assumed and that the current maps do not yet reflect it, and that a more accurate estimate of the 100-year floodplain in the vicinity of Round Rock is the current FEMA 500-year floodplain. The city recommends that owners and renters determine whether a property is in either floodplain and seriously consider flood insurance.
Hail, drought and wildfireThe Texas Department of Insurance advises homeowners to file a claim as soon as they can after hail or strong-wind damage and to ask whether the wind and hail deductible differs from other deductibles. It explains that some policies pay replacement cost on a roof while others pay actual cash value, so roof age and material are worth examining before buying in Georgetown. Premiums are not quoted because they vary by insurer, roof, claims history and address.The same advice applies in Round Rock, so hail is a shared hazard and not a difference between the cities. Drought is a recurring condition in Central Texas, and the National Weather Service Austin/San Antonio office keeps a drought page. Wildfire exposure is greater at the brushy edges of the metro than in developed neighborhoods, and Texas A&M Forest Service is the lead agency for wildfire response. No single risk label describes either city. See the guide to hail, wildfire, drought, heat and outages.
Water source and watering stageThe Georgetown profile does not name the city's water source. Del Webb's description of the city lists the 1,200-acre Lake Georgetown among its attractions, and Round Rock's utility page identifies Lake Georgetown as its own primary water source, so the lake matters to both cities. Confirm the water provider for any address, since the provider and its drought rules are set by the utility that serves it.Round Rock says it serves its own customers and several MUDs outside city limits, and that its primary water source is Lake Georgetown, supplemented by Lake Stillhouse Hollow, the Edwards Aquifer and Lake Travis through the Brushy Creek Regional Utility Authority. The city's page listed year-round watering standards as the current drought stage on October 8, 2026, with outdoor watering allowed on designated days before 10 a.m. or after 7 p.m. Stages change with conditions, so check the current stage.
Heat: one station serves bothNo official climate-normals station within Georgetown was available, so the figures use the 1991-2020 normals for Austin Bergstrom Airport as a regional reference. The normal daily high averages 62.5 degrees Fahrenheit in January, 96.1 in July and 97.0 in August, with a January normal low of 37.7. Our arithmetic from the monthly counts gives about 123 days a year at or above 90 degrees, about 33.1 nights at or below 32 and about 35.57 inches of precipitation.Round Rock uses the same station and the same normals, which list 24.4 days in June, 28.4 in July and 29.4 in August at or above 90 degrees, and monthly precipitation from 1.89 inches in February to 5.00 inches in May. Because one station is the reference for both cities, climate does not separate them. Rain arrives unevenly, and both drought and flash flooding occur.
Airport accessThe Georgetown profile points to a major airport in the region without a drive time. Austin-Bergstrom International Airport, owned and operated by the City of Austin with its Barbara Jordan Terminal at 3600 Presidential Blvd, is the region's commercial airport, and the Sun City Texas profile notes that the developer publishes no distance or drive time. Interstate 35 congestion varies by hour, so drive the route at a realistic departure time.Round Rock's own page does not publish a drive time to Austin-Bergstrom International Airport, which publishes a monthly list of nonstop destinations; its page applies to June 2026 and says airline service changes regularly. The airport is the same for both cities, so test the route from a specific address at the hours you would actually travel.
55+ options and senior programsSun City Texas is marketed as a 55+ active adult community, and the recorded declaration has not been reviewed, so its occupancy rules are not described here. The developer lists three championship 18-hole golf courses, four fitness centers, eight resort-style pools and more than 150 clubs, with single-family homes from $340,990. Its HOA page, which carries no effective date, lists dues of $1,535 per year and a one-time working capital fee of $650. The city also runs the Georgetown Recreation Center at 1003 N. Austin Avenue and lists SilverSneakers among its resources.The Allen R. Baca Center, at 301 W. Bagdad Avenue in downtown Round Rock, offers programming for the active 50+ population, has served the community since 2005 and has more than 1,300 members. The city's membership table lists an annual 50+ membership without weight room at $30, with weight room at $60 and covering both the Baca Center and the Clay Madsen Recreation Center at $110; confirm current rates. A 2019 builder blog describes Heritage at Vizcaya in Round Rock as a 55+ community, which is marketing from 2019 and not a current availability notice.
Age profile, income and housing, ACS 2019-2023The survey estimates 22,215 residents aged 65 and over, a median household income of $91,857, a median owner-occupied value of $398,600, a median gross rent of $1,671 and median monthly owner costs of $2,204 with a mortgage. It counts 34,841 housing units, with 69.4 percent of occupied homes owner-occupied. The stock includes the age-restricted Sun City Texas community on the west side.The survey estimates 49,133 housing units, a median household income of $97,187, a median owner-occupied value of $383,700, a median gross rent of $1,713 and median monthly owner costs of $2,240 with a mortgage, with 56.2 percent of occupied homes owner-occupied. The city's budget page gives a median taxable value home of $395,240 for fiscal year 2026 and $370,288 in its fiscal year 2027 maximum-rate figures; taxable value is after exemptions and caps, so it is not a market price. Both profiles are citywide estimates from the same survey period, so they compare directly.

Communities worth a look

  • Sun City TexasA large Del Webb active adult community in northwest Georgetown, marketed as 55+, with three championship golf courses, four fitness centers, eight pools and new single-family homes from $340,990.

Time-sensitive details

  • Georgetown ISD's home page shows a tax rate of $1.1106, effective following the successful passage of a tax ratification election in November 2026. (as of October 8, 2026; valid through November 22, 2026). Confirm before relying on it.

Sources and review date

Last reviewed . Facts on this page come from the sources below; where a rule or figure can change, check the linked source before relying on it.

  1. American Community Survey 2019-2023 DP05 Demographic and Housing Estimates, Georgetown city, Texas — U.S. Census Bureau (accessed 2026-10-08)
  2. American Community Survey 2019-2023 DP04 Selected Housing Characteristics, Georgetown city, Texas — U.S. Census Bureau (accessed 2026-10-08)
  3. American Community Survey 2019-2023 DP03 Selected Economic Characteristics, Georgetown city, Texas — U.S. Census Bureau (accessed 2026-10-08)
  4. 2024 Tax Rates and Exemptions by Jurisdictions — Williamson County Tax Assessor-Collector (accessed 2026-10-08)
  5. Exemptions (frequently asked questions) — Williamson Central Appraisal District (accessed 2026-10-08)
  6. Property Tax Exemptions — Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts (accessed 2026-10-08)
  7. Georgetown ISD home page (By the Numbers: tax rate) — Georgetown Independent School District (accessed 2026-10-08)
  8. St. David's Georgetown Hospital — St. David's HealthCare (accessed 2026-10-08)
  9. Baylor Scott & White Clinic - Georgetown — Baylor Scott & White Health (accessed 2026-10-08)
  10. Baylor Scott & White Urgent Care+ Georgetown (Austin Ave) — Baylor Scott & White Health (accessed 2026-10-08)
  11. U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020, Austin Bergstrom AP, TX (monthly) — NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information (accessed 2026-10-08)
  12. Flood Maps — Federal Emergency Management Agency (accessed 2026-10-08)
  13. National Flood Insurance Program — Federal Emergency Management Agency (accessed 2026-10-08)
  14. Hail damage to your home or car? What to do next. — Texas Department of Insurance (accessed 2026-10-08)
  15. Insurance and your roof: What to know when buying a policy or filing a claim — Texas Department of Insurance (accessed 2026-10-08)
  16. Drought Information, NWS Austin/San Antonio — National Weather Service (accessed 2026-10-08)
  17. Wildfire & Other Disasters — Texas A&M Forest Service (accessed 2026-10-08)
  18. How do I get a Recreation Center membership? — City of Georgetown (accessed 2026-10-08)
  19. 55+ Active Adult Communities in Georgetown, TX — Del Webb (PulteGroup) (accessed 2026-10-08)
  20. Sun City Texas, Georgetown (community page) — Del Webb (PulteGroup) (accessed 2026-10-08)
  21. American Community Survey 2019-2023 DP05 Demographic and Housing Estimates, Round Rock city, Texas — U.S. Census Bureau (accessed 2026-10-08)
  22. American Community Survey 2019-2023 DP04 Selected Housing Characteristics, Round Rock city, Texas — U.S. Census Bureau (accessed 2026-10-08)
  23. American Community Survey 2019-2023 DP03 Selected Economic Characteristics, Round Rock city, Texas — U.S. Census Bureau (accessed 2026-10-08)
  24. 2025 City Rates and Levies (Williamson County rows) — Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts (accessed 2026-10-08)
  25. 2025 County Rates and Levies (Williamson County rows) — Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts (accessed 2026-10-08)
  26. 2025 School District Rates and Levies (Williamson County rows) — Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts (accessed 2026-10-08)
  27. 2025 Special District Rates and Levies (Williamson County rows) — Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts (accessed 2026-10-08)
  28. Budget and tax rate (FY 2026 and FY 2027) — City of Round Rock (accessed 2026-10-08)
  29. Floodplain — City of Round Rock (accessed 2026-10-08)
  30. Water (water restrictions and drought stage) — City of Round Rock (accessed 2026-10-08)
  31. About Your Water — City of Round Rock (accessed 2026-10-08)
  32. Parks and Recreation — City of Round Rock (accessed 2026-10-08)
  33. Allen R. Baca Center — City of Round Rock (accessed 2026-10-08)
  34. St. David's Round Rock Medical Center — St. David's HealthCare (accessed 2026-10-08)
  35. Baylor Scott & White Medical Center – Round Rock — Baylor Scott & White Health (accessed 2026-10-08)
  36. Ascension Seton Williamson — Ascension (accessed 2026-10-08)
  37. Hospital General Information, Texas, Williamson County — Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (accessed 2026-10-08)
  38. About Austin-Bergstrom International Airport (AUS) — City of Austin, Austin-Bergstrom International Airport (accessed 2026-10-08)
  39. Nonstop flights out of AUS — City of Austin, Austin-Bergstrom International Airport (accessed 2026-10-08)
  40. Come to Life at Heritage at Vizcaya (builder blog, April 10, 2019) — Taylor Morrison (accessed 2026-10-08)
  41. The benefits of our Homeowners Association (Sun City Texas) — Del Webb (PulteGroup) (accessed 2026-10-08)
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