The Pros and Cons of Living in Bee Cave, Texas
You're probably thinking, why is this place named Bee Cave? According to legend, limestone cliffs along Little Barton Creek were once home to large bee colonies in the 1800s.
This laid-back city will win you over. It's 17 miles from downtown Austin, about a 26-minute drive.
Pro #1 Nature
Bee Cave offers several parks and hiking trails. You can visit The Bee Cave Sculpture Park if you enjoy running into natural and artificial wildlife. In addition to the art, you will find some of the largest oak trees in the City, a spring-fed pond, and over 20 different native plants throughout the 7-acres.
If hiking is more of your jam, you can visit Greenway Primitive Trails, where you can get in about 5 miles of running or hiking throughout some uncrowded trails.
Pro #2 Proximity to modern amenities
Even though Bee Cave is surrounded by nature, it also has shopping. Hill Country Galleria is the main shopping area, which has a Barnes & Noble, Best Buy, Marshalls, Change Cafe, Java Dive Organic Cafe, Chilli's Grill & Bar, and more.
Bee Cave hosts The Lone Star Farmers Market every Sunday from 10 am-2 pm in the LOWE'S parking lot if you are interested in local offerings.
Pro #3 Education
Bee Cave residents are within the Lake Travis ISD district, which is one of the top-rated schools in the area of k-12 public education. Lake Travis ISD earned an 'A' for the 2019-2020 school years, and 2020-2021 ratings were waived due to COVID-19.
Lake Travis ISD has 11 schools, and, as of the 2019-2020 school year, it served 11,057 students. You also have other options, from magnet and charter schools to private education and homeschooling options. By the way, Texas has an estimated more than 350k students that are homeschooled, so the resources are abundant if your family has chosen this option for education.
Bee Cave Elementary school children attend Bee Cave, Lake Pointe, Lakeway, or Serene Hills Elementary. Middle School children attend Hudson Bend, Lake Travis, or Bee Cave Middle School, and High School students attend Lake Travis High School.
Pro #4 Proximity to two lakes
Bee Cave is 17 miles from Lady Bird Lake and downtown Austin, about a 26-minute drive. And the City of Bee Cave is also located near the south shore of Lake Travis, which is larger than Lady Bird Lake and includes recreation centers on its banks. Who wouldn't want to have access to two lakes?
What makes Bee Cave not so great? Let's take a look.
Con #1 Public transportation is nonexistent
The closest stations to Bee Cave Road are 1007 Walsh Tarlton/Bee Caves, 4091 yards away. This ends up being around a 49 min walk.
So, if you want to live in Bee Cave… you'll need a car.
Because you'll need a car, you're 100% going to experience…
Con #2 Traffic
The primary source of backup is coming from IH-71 and RM 620. If you commute to and from downtown Austin, you'll experience traffic.
Con #3 Cost of living
Bee Cave isn't cheap. The overall cost of living index in Bee Cave is 145.3, which is significantly higher than 100; the US average cost of living. A significant reason for this high index is housing. The median home cost in Bee cave is $830,000, whereas the median home cost in the US is $291,700.
Con #4 The Weather
It is HOT in the summer, but the thing that makes us all probably stay in Central Texas, are the fall and spring seasons. Temperatures average about 60 degrees in the winter and anywhere between 75 and 85 in the spring. I tell you what, living in shorts and a light jacket on cooler temp days is not so bad. Not too bad at all. This just means we have longer months to enjoy our outdoor activities.
Con #5 There's no skyline
Hill Country views replace the Austin skyline. This isn't a huge con, but if you are looking for skyscrapers, walkability, bike rentals, or anything you would find in a major city, this might not be the place for you. Bee Cave gets you to respite from the hustle and bustle of everyday life and provides hilly views.
Those are my top pros & cons of living in Bee Cave. Did I miss anything? Let me know in the comments.