Photo: Wikipedia
Quality of Life in Burnet County
A livable area that tracks near national norms for affordability, walkability, and neighborhood health.
What does Quality of Life tell us?
Quality of Life measures an area by evaluating factors like cost of living, nearby amenities, country club access, airport proximity, socioeconomic signals and neighborhood character. For large states, this is a general average — quality of life can vary dramatically between metro areas, suburbs, and rural communities within the same state.
What does this tell us?
Quality of Life measures an area by evaluating factors like cost of living, nearby amenities, country club access, airport proximity, socioeconomic signals and neighborhood character. For large states, this is a general average — quality of life can vary dramatically between metro areas, suburbs, and rural communities within the same state.
Cost of Living
12% above national average
87%
The Real Cost of Living in Burnet County for 2026
| Tier | Individual | Family (4) |
|---|---|---|
| Survival | $21k | $40k |
| Comfortable | $60k | $89k |
| Luxury | $139k+ | $216k+ |
| Elite (Top 5%) | $179k+ | $278k+ |
Quality-of-Life Analysis
Burnet County, Texas, offers a broad spectrum of quality-of-life options, from the lake-oriented, amenity-rich town of Marble Falls to the deeply rural, quiet stretches of unincorporated areas like Briggs and Oakalla. The county’s character shifts noticeably as you move between its population centers and its open ranchlands, attracting a mix of lakefront retirees, Austin commuters, and families seeking land and lower density. With a cost-of-living index of 112 (above the U.S. average of 100) and a median home value of $310,500, the county provides a middle ground between the high prices of the Austin metro and the affordability of more remote Hill Country counties.
Largest town(s) & population centers
The county’s primary population anchor is Marble Falls, home to roughly 7,000 residents and the region’s commercial and retail hub. Daily life here revolves around the Lake Marble Falls waterfront, the historic downtown district along Main Street, and big-box shopping along US-281. The town hosts the Highland Lakes Airshow and a steady stream of tourists, giving it a busier, more connected feel than the rest of the county. Burnet, the county seat with about 6,000 residents, has a quieter, more traditional small-town character centered on the Burnet County Courthouse square. Its annual Bluebonnet Festival and proximity to Inks Lake State Park draw visitors, but daily life is slower-paced than in Marble Falls. Granite Shoals (population ~5,500) and Cottonwood Shores (population ~1,200) are primarily residential lake communities along Lake LBJ, where many residents commute to Marble Falls or even Austin for work. The average commute across the county is 28 minutes, a figure that reflects the trade-off many residents make for lake access and lower home prices relative to Travis County.
Smaller towns & rural pockets
Beyond the main towns, Burnet County contains several smaller communities that offer a markedly different lifestyle. Bertram, with fewer than 1,500 residents, is a classic Hill Country farming town where life moves slowly and the nearest grocery store is a 15-minute drive. Briggs and Oakalla are unincorporated crossroads with little more than a post office and a handful of homes, appealing to those who want acreage, privacy, and minimal services. Smithwick, located along the Colorado River, is a tiny community popular with anglers and weekend cabin owners. These areas lack municipal water and sewer in many cases, and residents rely on wells and septic systems. The trade-off is significantly lower land prices and a level of quiet that is hard to find in the county’s larger towns.
Cost & lifestyle range
The cost of living and available amenities vary sharply across Burnet County. At the higher end, lakefront properties in Marble Falls and Granite Shoals can push well above the county’s median home value of $310,500, with some waterfront homes exceeding $600,000. Renters in these areas pay a median of $1,324 per month, but lake-adjacent rentals often command a premium. At the lower end, older homes in Bertram or rural tracts near Briggs can be found for under $250,000, though buyers should budget for well and septic maintenance. The county’s cost-of-living index of 112 is driven largely by housing and transportation costs; groceries and healthcare are closer to the national average. Residents in the larger towns have access to a hospital (Baylor Scott & White in Marble Falls), multiple grocery stores, and a range of dining options, while those in rural pockets drive 20–30 minutes for basic errands. Property taxes in Burnet County are relatively high, around 2.1–2.3% of assessed value, which is typical for Texas but a significant factor for budget-conscious buyers.
The people who thrive in Burnet County are those who value space, lake access, and a slower pace but still want reasonable proximity to Austin (about 50 miles from Marble Falls). Retirees and second-home buyers gravitate to the lake communities, while families and remote workers often choose the smaller towns for the lower cost per square foot. The county works best for those who are comfortable with longer drives for specialized shopping or medical care and who prioritize outdoor recreation—boating, fishing, hiking—over urban nightlife or cultural amenities.
Crime in Burnet County
Crime rates similar to the national median for U.S. locations.
Violent CrimeViolent Crime Analysis
Property CrimeProperty Crime Analysis
Crime Analysis
Burnet County, situated in the Texas Hill Country along the Colorado River, presents a mixed safety profile that falls slightly above state averages for property crime but remains notably safer than the most dangerous urban corridors in Texas. With a violent crime rate of 345.1 per 100,000 residents and a property crime rate of 1,780.9 per 100,000, the county offers a generally secure environment for families and retirees, though specific towns and unincorporated areas show meaningful variation in risk levels.
Crime in context
Burnet County's violent crime rate of 345.1 per 100K is roughly 10% higher than the national average of 380 per 100K but significantly lower than Texas's most dangerous cities. For comparison, Houston's violent crime rate exceeds 1,000 per 100K, and Dallas County's rate hovers around 600 per 100K. The property crime rate of 1,780.9 per 100K is approximately 20% above the national average of 1,954 per 100K, placing Burnet County in a moderate-risk tier among Texas's 254 counties. The county's location along the rapidly growing I-35 corridor between Austin and Waco means it experiences some spillover crime from the metro areas, particularly vehicle theft and burglary. However, the county's violent crime is driven primarily by domestic incidents and acquaintance assaults rather than the random street violence seen in larger jurisdictions.
What residents experience
Daily life in Burnet County's incorporated towns feels markedly safer than the raw statistics suggest. Marble Falls, the county's largest city with roughly 7,000 residents, experiences the bulk of reported property crime, including thefts from vehicles at the Lake Marble Falls public access areas and occasional burglaries in the commercial district along US-281. Burnet, the county seat, reports lower crime volumes but has seen an uptick in drug-related offenses tied to the broader opioid crisis affecting rural Texas. Granite Shoals and Cottonwood Shores, smaller lakeside communities, report the lowest crime rates in the county, with violent incidents rare enough to be notable when they occur. The unincorporated areas around Lake Buchanan and Inks Lake see seasonal property crime spikes during summer months when vacation homes sit vacant. The 33rd Judicial District, which covers Burnet County, operates under a conservative judicial philosophy that emphasizes prosecution and incarceration, a factor that keeps recidivism lower than in progressive urban jurisdictions where lenient sentencing and soft-on-crime policies have demonstrably increased victimization rates.
Neighborhood-level variation is pronounced. The newer subdivisions around Meadowlakes and Horseshoe Bay, a gated golf-course community, report near-zero violent crime and property crime rates comparable to the safest suburbs in Texas. Conversely, the older mobile home parks and rental-heavy areas along the RM-1431 corridor between Marble Falls and Burnet show elevated rates of domestic violence calls and theft. The county's Sheriff's Office maintains a visible presence with proactive patrols, and the Marble Falls Police Department has implemented a real-time crime center that uses license-plate readers and camera networks to deter property crime. Residents in the western portion of the county, near Bertram and Briggs, report feeling safest due to low population density and strong neighborhood watch programs. Overall, Burnet County offers a livable safety environment for those who choose their specific town and neighborhood carefully, with the understanding that property crime requires standard precautions like locking vehicles and securing vacation homes.
* Values derived from national, state, county, city and local statistics and may differ in a specific area. Last updated: 2026-06-23T20:04:54.000Z
Narrative content on this page is AI-generated and may contain mistakes. Verify any details that matter before acting on them.
ReloMaps may earn a commission from affiliate links at no extra cost to you.
