Belton, TX · Neighborhood Guide · Reviewed September 20, 2026
Best Neighborhoods in Belton, TX (2026): Ranked Cheapest to Most Expensive
Compare selected Belton-area neighborhoods using a defined year of MLS closed sales, with current asking prices labeled separately. See the actual sample sizes, assigned-school checks, taxes and trade-offs before building your shortlist.
Watch the full walking tour: I rank every Belton neighborhood cheapest to most expensive using real MLS sold data (12:54).
What are the best neighborhoods in Belton, TX in 2026?
For the CTXMLS residential closed-sale window September 2, 2025–September 1, 2026, the six defined cohorts on this page run from Morgan’s Point Resort ($250K median; 47 closings) to four named lake-area subdivision families ($658K median; 21 closings). In between: Ridge at Belle Meadows (17 annual closings; four active Stylecraft listings from $242,900 to $304,900 on September 19), Three Creeks ($313K; 121 closings), and Dawson Ranch and Dawson Ridge ($385K; 36 closings). The matched annual city cohort, September 2, 2025–September 1, 2026, puts Belton near $321,000 and Temple near $270,000. The roughly $51K gap does not isolate the value of schools or lake access.
- Cheapest entry: Morgan’s Point Resort — $250K median across 47 closings; median build year 1997.
- Most popular: Three Creeks — 121 closings, the largest sample among the six defined cohorts.
- The ceiling: Four named lake-area subdivision families — $658K median and $236/sqft across 21 closings.
- Belton schools at a Temple price: Sage Meadows (Temple address, Belton ISD) — verify the exact address with the district boundary lookup.
Compare the home, the campus and the monthly cost
Is the Belton address worth the premium?
In the matched 12-month CTXMLS closed-sales cohort, September 2, 2025–September 1, 2026, Belton’s median was about $321,000 (660 sales), versus about $270,000 in Temple (1,456 sales): a gap of about $51,000. These are residential records labeled with those cities, observed September 2. City medians mix different homes and do not establish what schools, lake access or any one feature adds to a home’s value.
Check the assigned campus, not just the district name
TEA’s 2026 accountability ratings list Belton ISD: B (80) and Temple ISD: B (81). Within Belton ISD, Lake Belton High School is A (93), Lakewood Elementary A (92), High Point Elementary F (58), and Hubbard Branch Elementary F (53). Temple High School is A (90). These dated state measures are starting points for researching a school; a letter alone does not establish the right fit for a student.
Enter the home’s exact address in the Belton ISD attendance-boundary lookup or Temple ISD Find My School. Confirm the grade, program and assignment with the district, then read the campus report on TXschools.gov. The Belton ISD neighborhood guide helps organize that address-level comparison.
School source: official 2026 TEA ratings workbook, checked September 20, 2026. Ratings may be adjusted through appeals. Market source and school review dates are separate.
Still weighing the cities? Use the Temple vs Belton breakdown to compare the same type of home, commute and costs.
Where it sits
Where is Belton, TX — and what’s it close to?
Belton is the Bell County seat in Central Texas, sitting right on Interstate 35 between Temple and the Killeen–Fort Hood area, with Lake Belton along its northwest edge. That location is most of why the neighborhoods below hold their value: you’re minutes from Baylor Scott & White’s flagship hospital in Temple, a short hop from Fort Hood, and inside an hour of Austin. Approximate drive times (verify your own commute):
Google Maps checked September 20, 2026: Tuesday September 22 departures from Bell County Courthouse, 101 E Central Ave. BSW: 2401 S 31st St, 7:45 a.m., 8.3 miles; Fort Hood: Marvin Leath Visitor Center, 69004 T.J. Mills Blvd, 6:45 a.m., 21.6 miles. These typical ranges exclude hospital parking, gate queues and on-post travel. Other city estimates are broad orientation only; recalculate your actual route.
The ranking · cheapest → most expensive
How Belton-area neighborhoods compare on price
Five neighborhoods, lowest median to highest. Every number below is median sold price, price per square foot, and 12-month sales volume from the Central Texas MLS — the real closed-sale data, not list prices or automated estimates.
Morgan’s Point Resort
Technically its own little city wrapped around Lake Belton, but it carries a Belton address and Belton schools. You get trees, hills, and the lake — boat ramps and a marina minutes from the driveway — at the lowest median on this list.
Ridge at Belle Meadows
The cheapest way into a brand-new home in Belton. New everything — roof, HVAC, warranty — with four active Stylecraft listings from $242,900 to $304,900 in the September 19 snapshot.
Three Creeks
If you’ve heard of one Belton neighborhood, it’s this one — and the data backs it up. The defined Three Creeks cohort recorded 121 closings in the stated window, the largest sample among the six cohorts compared here. You get the full master-planned package — pools, ponds, miles of trails, sidewalks everywhere — and real range, from the low-$200s up to just under $500K, so you can move up without ever leaving. Builders here include D.R. Horton, Stylecraft, and Tippit. Straight shot to Baylor Scott & White in Temple; Fort Hood is an easy drive the other way.
Dawson Ranch & Dawson Ridge
Belton’s move-up neighborhood — and its newer sibling, Dawson Ridge. The cohort’s median home was about 2,088 square feet on established streets close to everything. This is where people go for house number two after the starter neighborhoods.
The exact Ranch at Woodland Trails subdivision-name cohort had only 3 closings in the stated window, a $544K median and 31 median days on market. That sample is too small to support a fastest-moving or future-market claim.
Named lake-area group (Rancho Del Lago, Lago Terra, Colinas Del Lago & Twin Mountains)
This defined group covers Rancho Del Lago, Lago Terra, Colinas Del Lago and Twin Mountains, not every lake-area or waterfront property. It recorded 21 closings from September 2, 2025–September 1, 2026, with a $658,000 median and an observed range of $265,000 to $875,000. Big custom homes, big lots — it feels like acreage out there, with the water out the window.
The 60-second pit stop
How do Belton property taxes actually work?
This is the question I get more than any other. The short version: your rate depends on where the property sits — inside Belton city limits, in the ETJ just outside, or out in the county — and generally, the further out, the lower the city portion of the bill. Two homes at the same price can carry very different monthly payments.
Don’t chase a low rate straight into a MUD (municipal utility district) or PID fee — that special-district charge can eat the savings completely. Before you write an offer on any address in this guide, look up the parcel through BellCAD’s property search and read the actual numbers so you’re not surprised three weeks after you go under contract.
| Selected 2025 entity | Rate per $100 taxable value |
|---|---|
| Bell County | $0.312800 |
| Road District | $0.019900 |
| City of Belton | $0.522500 |
| Belton ISD | $1.149400 |
Those four rates sum to $2.004600 per $100 only for a parcel subject to all four. This is a component subtotal, not a complete parcel tax quote: other entities, MUD taxes or PID assessments may apply. The 2025 table lists a $140,000 school residence-homestead exemption; eligibility and other exemptions differ by entity. Do not apply that reduction to every tax line.
Source: BellCAD’s 2025 adopted-rate and exemption table, dated September 30, 2025, reviewed September 20, 2026. These are 2025 components, not a claim that 2026 rates are final.
What does the purchase price mean per month?
Illustration, not a loan quote or a city median: with 20% down and a 30-year fixed loan at 6.95%, a $250,000 home has about $1,324/month in principal and interest; $300,000 is $1,589; $350,000 is $1,853. Each $50,000 price step adds about $265/month to the loan payment under these assumptions.
These figures exclude property taxes, homeowners insurance, HOA dues, special assessments, utilities and closing costs. The 20%-down conventional illustration assumes no PMI. Actual loan terms can differ. Add each property’s own tax and insurance estimates before comparing monthly budgets; a Temple tax assumption is not a Belton tax quote.
Rate reference: Freddie Mac PMMS, September 17, 2026; calculations reviewed September 20. Use the home affordability guide to assemble the other costs.
Full breakdown here: MUD vs PID taxes in Temple & Belton, TX.
Off the list · bonus
Can you get Belton schools at a Temple price?
Here’s a move that isn’t on the ranking above, because the address says Temple — but if the only reason you’re shopping Belton is the schools, it matters. There’s a neighborhood called Sage Meadows: a Temple address that feeds Belton ISD. The defined cohort recorded 33 closings from September 2, 2025–September 1, 2026, at a $267K median; the median home was roughly 2,438 square feet at a median $111 per square foot. That was the lowest median price per square foot among the six cohorts on this page; verify the exact school assignment separately. It also shows up in my Temple neighborhoods guide.
Use the official address lookup and confirm the assigned campus with the district before choosing a home. A Temple mailing address can be inside Belton ISD; that does not establish a school-quality or price advantage for every property.
At a glance
Belton neighborhoods compared, side by side
| Neighborhood | Median sold | $/sqft | Sold (12mo) | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Morgan’s Point Resort | $250K | $181 | 47 | Defined lake-area entry cohort |
| Ridge at Belle Meadows | $265K annual | $162 | 17 | Builder-area closed cohort; current asks shown above |
| Three Creeks | $313K | $165 | 121 | Largest sample on this page |
| Dawson Ranch / Ridge | $385K | $183 | 36 | Defined move-up cohort |
| Named lake-area group | $658K | $236 | 21 | Four named subdivision families |
| Sage Meadows (Temple addr.) | $267K | $111 | 33 | Address-specific school verification required |
Source: CTXMLS residential closed sales, September 2, 2025–September 1, 2026; export observed September 2, 2026. Cohorts use the subdivision-name definitions stated on this page. Medians and price-per-foot move with the market — for the live numbers on a specific street, text me.
Fit check
Who Belton is — and isn’t — the right move for
Belton fits if you…
- Want a specific campus or program and will verify the exact address with Belton ISD
- Value Lake Belton access — boating, trails, water views
- Want newer, master-planned product (Three Creeks, Dawson Ridge, new builds)
- Commute to Baylor Scott & White Temple or Fort Hood
Look at Temple instead if you…
- Want the lowest price per square foot and don’t need a Belton zip
- Are comparing assigned campuses — include Temple-address homes in Belton ISD, such as Sage Meadows, after address verification
- Need maximum inventory and faster-moving listings
- Want to be closer to downtown Temple or the BSW campus itself
Want the live list for any of these neighborhoods?
Tell me which neighborhood stood out and I’ll send you everything currently for sale there, with these same real numbers — not a portal feed, me answering. It’s me, Taylor Dasch, not a team.
Call or text 254-718-4249 See every home for sale in Belton →Questions buyers ask
Belton neighborhoods: FAQ
What is the cheapest neighborhood in Belton, TX?
Morgan’s Point Resort had a $250,000 median across 47 closings from September 2, 2025–September 1, 2026, with a median $181 per square foot, a 1997 median build year and a 1,381-square-foot median size. This is a subdivision-name cohort; inspect the specific home’s condition and address.
What is the most popular neighborhood in Belton?
Among the six cohorts compared on this page, Three Creeks had the largest sample: 121 closings from September 2, 2025–September 1, 2026, a $313,000 median, a median $165 per square foot and an observed $190,000–$515,000 range. That count does not guarantee a future resale time or price.
How much more expensive is Belton than Temple?
For the same 12-month closed-sales window, September 2, 2025–September 1, 2026, Belton was about $321,000 (660 sales) and Temple about $270,000 (1,456 sales), a gap around $51,000. The source was observed September 2. These city medians mix different homes; they do not measure a school or lake premium. Both districts are B-rated in the 2026 TEA results. Compare the assigned campus, actual home and monthly costs.
What is the most expensive area in Belton?
The four named lake-area subdivision families used here—Rancho Del Lago, Lago Terra, Colinas Del Lago and Twin Mountains—had a $658,000 median across 21 closings from September 2, 2025–September 1, 2026, a median $236 per square foot and 95 median days on market. This defined group does not represent every lake-area or waterfront property, and the figures do not guarantee negotiating leverage.
Are there new construction neighborhoods in Belton?
Yes. Research community options in the Three Creeks guide, then verify the specific home’s builder, completion status and written terms. For your budget and move date, compare the builders and included terms or plan builder visits with Taylor before contacting a builder.
Can I get Belton ISD schools at a Temple price?
Sage Meadows is a Temple-address cohort that recorded 33 closings from September 2, 2025–September 1, 2026, with a $267,000 median, a 2,438-square-foot median and a median $111 per square foot. Verify the specific address with the district because boundaries and assignments can change.
Is Three Creeks a good neighborhood in Belton?
Three Creeks had 121 closings from September 2, 2025–September 1, 2026, the largest sample among the six cohorts on this page, with a $313,000 median and 52 median days on market. Its amenities and HOA may fit some buyers; compare each resale with nearby new-build pricing and written incentives. The cohort does not guarantee liquidity, resale ease or price performance.
Is Belton, TX a good place to live?
Belton can fit a buyer who values lake access, its neighborhood choices and the location between Temple and Fort Hood. Compare each home’s assigned campus, full monthly cost and shift-specific commute. The matched annual city medians through September 1, 2026 were about $321,000 in Belton and $270,000 in Temple; those medians of different housing mixes are not an offer price or a guarantee of value.
How far is Belton from Baylor Scott & White and Fort Hood?
For a defined comparison, Google Maps showed a typical 12–20 minutes from Bell County Courthouse (101 E Central Ave) to BSW at 2401 S 31st St for a September 22, 2026, 7:45 a.m. departure. The same origin to Fort Hood’s Marvin Leath Visitor Center (69004 T.J. Mills Blvd) was 18–24 minutes at 6:45 a.m. Checked September 20. These exclude parking, gate processing and travel to a duty building; your neighborhood and shift can change the trip.
How do property taxes work in Belton, TX?
The tax bill depends on the parcel’s taxing entities, each entity’s taxable value and your approved exemptions. City limits, school districts and special districts can overlap differently. Start with BellCAD’s current property search and the 2025 adopted-rate table. Check PID assessments separately and budget from the completed-home value for new construction.
What is the best value neighborhood in Belton?
The data supports different answers by goal. Ridge at Belle Meadows had four active Stylecraft listings from $242,900 to $304,900 on September 19, 2026. Sage Meadows recorded the lowest median price per square foot among these six annual cohorts at $111. Three Creeks had the largest annual sample at 121 closings. None of those facts guarantees future value or resale performance.
Keep exploring