From the Blog
Fredericksburg vs. Boerne vs. Kerrville: Retiring in the Texas Hill Country
Redfin's median sale prices for the three months ending August 2026 put Fredericksburg near $507,000, Boerne near $450,000, and Kerrville near $368,000. The property tax stacks tell the opposite story: Gillespie County, home to Fredericksburg, runs about 1.27%, among the lowest combined rates of any major Texas county; Boerne's city-inclusive stack runs about 1.86%; and Kerrville lands near 1%, roughly 0.97% to 1.02%. Here is the honest comparison for retirees choosing among three wonderful Hill Country towns.
Redfin's median sale prices for the three months ending August 2026 put Fredericksburg near $507,000, Boerne near $450,000, and Kerrville near $368,000. The property tax stacks tell the opposite story: Gillespie County, home to Fredericksburg, runs about 1.27%, among the lowest combined rates of any major Texas county; Boerne's city-inclusive stack runs about 1.86%; and Kerrville lands near 1%, roughly 0.97% to 1.02%. Here is the honest comparison for retirees choosing among three wonderful Hill Country towns.
The video I send clients weighing Boerne; it pairs with the tax numbers above.
On my channel: Boerne Texas Reality Check: Dream Town or Expensive Mistake?
The price picture, town by town
Over the three months ending August 2026, Redfin puts Fredericksburg's median sale price near $507,000, up about 4.1% year over year; Boerne near $450,000, down about 5.5%; and Kerrville's 78028 ZIP at about $368,000, up about 5.9%. Other trackers land a little differently: Zillow's average home value for Kerrville is near $355,000, because averages and medians measure different windows and mixes. Read them side by side and the honest summary is clear: Fredericksburg costs the most, Boerne sits in the middle and has cooled this year, and Kerrville is the value.
The tax picture, town by town
Gillespie County's combined city, county, and school stack runs about 1.27%, which county tax comparisons rank as one of the lowest among major Texas counties, with Gillespie County's own 2025 rate at $0.2685 per $100. Kerrville's combined rates land near 1%, roughly 0.97% to 1.02% effective, with the city's 2025 rate around $0.5595 per $100. Boerne is the heaviest of the three: the city-inclusive stack for 2025 runs about 1.86%, with Boerne ISD at $1.0109 per $100, and estimates for Kendall County commonly range from about 1.8% to 2.3%. On a $400,000 home before exemptions, that is roughly $5,080 a year in Gillespie County, about $4,000 around Kerrville, and near $7,440 inside Boerne city limits. The spread is real, and it adds up over a ten-year retirement.
The 65+ rules that soften the bill
In all three towns, homeowners 65 and older file for the over-65 exemption on their homestead, and once you qualify, Texas Tax Code Section 11.26 freezes the school portion of the bill at the amount owed in the year you first qualify, so that part stops climbing with appraisals. Kerrville's city, county, and ISD also offer their own senior freezes on top of the state rule. The details vary by exact address everywhere, so the honest method is to pull the last two years of tax history on a specific home and model the exemptions before comparing bills. Property taxes also reset when ownership changes, so never carry the seller's bill forward as your own.
The lifestyle difference
Fredericksburg is the wine-and-Main-Street town: boutique shopping, wineries and tasting rooms across Gillespie County, and the busiest social calendar of the three. Boerne is the walkable Hill Country small town closest to San Antonio, with a historic main street, Cibolo Creek trails, and highly rated schools nearby, which matters for visiting grandchildren and for resale. Kerrville, on the Guadalupe River, is the quiet value pick: river access, a slower pace, and the most affordable entry into the Hill Country lifestyle. All three are small-town in feel, and the choice is really about your favorite day off.
Distance and convenience
Boerne is the closest to San Antonio at roughly 30 to 40 minutes from downtown, which keeps Medical Center, airport, and city errands practical. Kerrville runs about an hour northwest, and Fredericksburg is the farthest at roughly an hour and 15 minutes. If you will keep ties to San Antonio, family, or doctors, that drive matters more than it feels like it should. If you are fully retired and mostly staying put, being farther out rarely bothers anyone. I ask every retiree the same question: how often do you actually need to be in San Antonio?
Which town fits which retiree
Fredericksburg fits the buyer who wants the liveliest Main Street and the lowest tax bill and who is comfortable paying the price premium for both. Boerne fits the buyer who wants Hill Country charm with San Antonio within a half hour and who weighs the higher tax stack against convenience and schools. Kerrville fits the budget-conscious buyer who wants river life and a slower pace, with local senior tax freezes that soften the bill further. And a fourth option is always on the table: a right-sized home in an age-diverse neighborhood in any of these towns, with no age restriction at all.
Written by Phyllis Domingo
REALTOR® · TX License 745926 · 100+ homes sold · Helping families move well in San Antonio and the Hill Country since long before the hard part became normal.
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