Living in Manor Texas Pros & Cons

Pros

Manor's location makes it very accessible to downtown Austin or any of the major tech companies like Applied Materials, Samsung, Freescale, and our newest addition; The Tesla Gigafactory and SpaceX. These companies are all less than 11 miles away from Manor. This is why the population has grown exponentially, and it's supposed to continue to grow over the next 5-10 years.

Another advantage to Manor's location is highway 290. It's a major thoroughfare to getting to Houston, and you can do that in about two and a half hours.

Also, Manor sits east of highway 130, a toll road, which can take you as far north as Georgetown and as far south as San Antonio. Who's ready for a weekend trip?

Affordability

Manor is still very affordable compared to Austin proper. Home prices range from $220,000 up to $2.3 million. The $2.3 million property has 45 acres, which explains the higher price point. 

In Manor, you'll find single-family homes and plenty of new construction homes. Some top-rated neighborhoods include:

• Chateau Glen; a golf course community. It has a fitness room located in the center of the amenity, four acres of a water park, and features two large swimming pools, a splash pad, and a waterslide. There are over 200 acres of natural woodland along Wilbarger Creek to explore.
• Wildhorse Ranch is a masterplan community that will soon have a state-of-the-art amenity center, plus other community features.
• Whisper valley has the vision of creating a community where positive environmental impact is of utmost importance. Zero Energy capability living is at the heart of Whisper Valley’s development, which includes businesses.

Cost of living

Manor has a median rental rate of about $1200 a month, according to rate.com. The median household income is approximately $70,000 a year and is about 7% lower than the national average. Utility cost is 1% lower, and groceries are about 14% lower than the national average, according to areavibes.com.

The Schools

The manor school district is growing, and it's excelling when it comes to student progress. It has over 9,500 students who are enrolled, and it's a smaller district. The student-to-teacher ratio is 50:1. Also, it has excellent programs and plans for the district. A couple of those programs include the STEM program along with mentoring alliances.

Manor ISD was named district of innovation by the state of Texas for its innovation in instructional learning. Their educational approach focuses on the IB program and curriculum, project-based learning, and fine arts and academics. Although the district is not an A-rated district, the plans that are in place for students to grow and learn do play a factor in their future academic performance.

Small town Vibe

Manor has a small-town feel, which is great because it also has accessibility to Austin's entertainment and employers. It's a friendly city where everyone knows your name.

Manor is a tight-knit community that comes together as a town, whether supporting the local Manor community farmers market, the banner distillery, or showing up to any city-wide event like the Fourth of July fireworks and music in the summertime music theory. It's a place that feels like home.

Cons

Small Town Vibe

Although the small-town vibe is charming, there are some drawbacks to being in a smaller city. Word in a small town travels super-fast, and some may not like that idea. If you’re looking for a little privacy, Manor may not be for you.

Secondly, life in Manor is slower-paced and quiet; which is great for some but not for others. However, it's growing rapidly and may not be a small town forever.

Development and Entertainment are Very Limited

There's not much going on that's ready to be enjoyed at the moment, but there are commercial developments entertainment that will be here soon. Projects like Wildhorse Ranch and Whisper Valley will bring some brand new life as far as a mixed-use master-planned community feel is concerned. Some will have office spaces and retail shops, open spaces, and parks that you'll be able to enjoy.

Although entertainment is limited, you'll still be able to get into a little something with the local bars and restaurants. Also, let's not forget the Libation Station, where you can go pick up your frozen drink and enjoy it at home. Manor is growing, and there are plenty of activities that will be coming soon.

Property Taxes

This is the number one con. The property taxes in Manor are quite high compared to other areas in Austin, hitting at a total of 2.9%. That's what you need to look out for, especially in the new construction areas because they could be as high as 3.2%.

Make sure that you consider when you're looking at a place in Manor, Texas. The base price of those homes may be lower than other suburbs in the Austin area, but add those taxes to make sure that it will still be affordable for your budget.