About 40 miles north of downtown Austin, the once-quieter rural community of Liberty Hill has exploded in recent years, as large-scale technology and innovation developments in neighboring cities have attracted more commerce and business endeavors.
In the 2020 Census, Liberty Hill was home to approximately 3,568 people. Come July 2024 Census figures, that number had ballooned a whopping 236%, with 11,984 people estimated to call the city home.
It's a trend that isn't unique to Liberty Hill alone, but one city leaders are working to capitalize on development projects and increased interest in both the Central Texas region as a whole and the city specifically. Among those core tenets in the city, Liberty Hill leaders said its focus on growth "hasn't changed who we are - a caring and compassionate community where it's easy for businesses to get things done."
Pulling from its namesake, officials said "liberty" equates to minimal red tape and supplementing the region as an additional local, national and global base for innovation.
"Samsung’s $191 billion investment in our region makes it clear that Liberty Hill is good for business," leaders with the Liberty Hill Economic Development Corporation note online. "But, manufacturing isn’t the only growing sector in Central Texas. Healthcare, niche retail, bioscience and professional services companies are also growing in Liberty Hill."
Zeroing in on active projects underway, documents from the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation reveal hundreds of millions of dollars in upgrades and new construction planned for existing school facilities alongside new commercial opportunities for the city.
Liberty Hill's population booms spells out new, upgraded school campuses
On the education front, a September 2024 project registration on TDLR noted $23 million in additions are planned for Liberty Hill High School, focusing specifically on a new band hall addition, renovations to the school's current fine arts wing alongside additional concessions and restrooms. That project is estimated to wrap construction in mid-August 2026, according to filing timelines.
The Williamson County city is also welcoming its yet-to-be-named eighth elementary school to Liberty Hill ISD, with the 110,000-square-foot facility expected to complete construction in late April 2026. Other educational projects include $2 million in renovations to the existing Liberty Hill ISD Service Center housing district operations employees, with facility work expected to conclude in December 2025.
What major commercial, retail projects are coming to Liberty Hill?
On the commercial front, a combined $75 million project is in development to bring a Costco Wholesale warehouse and a fuel facility to Liberty Hill, based on January 13 project documents registered with TDLR. A $62.6 million, 160,000-square-foot warehouse is projected to be completed in late November at Hwy. 183 and Seward JCT Loop, alongside a $12.4 million, 8,307-square-foot fuel site on the property.
Costco isn't the only retailer whose eyes have honed in on the Central Texas city. A December 2024 TDLR filing revealed a $22 million Target is set to kick off construction this July, with an estimated completion in early June 2026. The 148,000-square-foot facility is set to be built at the intersection of Hwy. 183 and State Hwy. 29 in Liberty Hill, per TDLR documents.
If all of this construction talk has wetted your appetite, you're in luck. Liberty Hill will welcome its first Whataburger with a $2.6 million project set to launch work this July. With a targeted completion in November, the 3,305-square-foot restaurant is being constructed at 12925 West State Hwy. 29.