Among cities in Texas with populations greater than 25,000, Leander was ranked No. 3 and Cedar Park was ranked No. 6 for homeownership in a recent study by a national consumer advocacy website.



NerdWallet announced in January the results of its study, which used U.S. Census data from 2010–12. Cities were ranked based on cost of living, housing inventory and population growth.



Cost is represented as the percentage of household income spent on housing. Median monthly homeowner costs total $1,562 in Leander and $1,765 in Cedar Park, according to the report.



The availability of homes was measured by the area's homeownership rates. NerdWallet calculated growth based on population increases.



In February, the Austin Board of Realtors reported that the Austin area experienced a 9 percent increase in single-family home sales year-over-year. While the number of new homes on the market in the Cedar Park market dipped compared with 2013, the Leander area saw a 13 percent increase in new home listings from February 2013 to February 2014.



The median sale price of homes in Leander increased nearly 14 percent during that time, and Cedar Park home prices increased by almost 11 percent.



According to ABoR data provided by Angele Moyseos, a broker associate with Realty Austin, sellers on average received about 98 percent of the original list price for homes sold in 2014 in Leander and Cedar Park.