Where to Buy an Acre in New Braunfels: 10 Communities Compared

Where can you buy an acre or more in New Braunfels, TX?

New Braunfels has ten established acreage communities where you can own at least one acre and build or buy a custom home: River Chase, Vintage Oaks, Copper Ridge, Havenwood at Hunters Crossing, Rockwall Ranch, Waggener Ranch, Oxbow on the Guadalupe, Eden Ranch, Mission Hills Ranch, and Hunters Creek. Current 2026 prices range from about $560,000 in Mission Hills Ranch to $2.5 million in Waggener Ranch and Rockwall Ranch, with HOA dues, amenities, gates, and lot sizes varying widely from one community to the next.

By Drake and Michelle Carter | July 2, 2026

Not everyone moving to New Braunfels wants to be ten feet from their neighbor. Some of you want an acre, maybe more, and you want it without spending your first year coordinating well drillers and utility hookups on a piece of raw land.

We work the acreage market here every day, so this isn't a list of generic overviews. Here's what actually makes each of these ten communities different, with current prices.

Acreage community vs raw land: know what you're buying

Raw land sounds appealing until you're three months in and realize you need a well, a septic system, a driveway, and utility coordination before you've broken ground on the actual house.

In an established acreage community, much of that infrastructure is already figured out. Underground utilities, paved roads, and water access vary by community, but you're starting from a much better position financially.

You also get deed restrictions, and they work in your favor here. When you're spending serious money on a custom home, restrictions keep your neighbor from putting up a metal building or parking twelve cars in the front yard. That protects your resale value long term.

And there's the community piece. Many of our acreage buyers come from big cities wanting space, but they also want to know their neighbors. These communities give you both. Watch Drake and Michelle break down the trade offs at 0:16.

If you're weighing whether to build from scratch at all, our guide on custom home vs production build in New Braunfels is a good companion read.

The 10 acreage communities, compared

1. River Chase. The one that keeps coming up because it earns it. One to five acre lots off FM 306 between New Braunfels and Canyon Lake, with an amenity package that includes a pool, fitness center, tennis, disc golf, and a 58 acre private river park on the Guadalupe. HOA dues are only $300 a year, and that ratio of what you get versus what you pay is hard to find anywhere in this market. Prices currently run from $650,000 to $1.5 million.

2. Vintage Oaks. A 3,900 acre community with a resort style amenity center, lazy river, miles of trails, and a fitness club. HOA dues run about $825 a year with no city taxes. What actually sets Vintage Oaks apart is the social calendar: summer concert series, holiday events, bunko and wine clubs, even a community magazine. Residents love it so much they recruit their friends to move in. If you want acreage and you also want to actually know your neighbors, this is the one. Prices start just under $700,000 and go over $2 million. See the Vintage Oaks breakdown at 2:15.

3. Copper Ridge. The only community on this list with an actual guard at the gate. Known for views in almost every direction, it sits off Highway 46 with a pool, tennis, basketball, and a park. Building standards are strict, which keeps property values high. Prices start just over $800,000 and climb above $2 million. To see what building here looks like in practice, take a look inside a Kurk Homes custom build at Copper Ridge.

4. Havenwood at Hunters Crossing. Gated, wooded, one plus acre lots, and close enough to I 35 that your commute doesn't take a hit for the space you're gaining. Mature oaks, luxury custom homes, and quick access to shopping and dining. Prices currently range from $750,000 to $1.15 million.

5. Rockwall Ranch. Gated and tucked away with a genuine neighborhood feel and heavy tree cover, plus a fishing pond and clubhouse. Homes tend to run large, and some are older and dated, which works in a buyer's favor right now: you can get a well built home on a spacious wooded lot and update it on your own timeline. Prices range from $700,000 to $2.5 million.

6. Waggener Ranch. For buyers who want real land. Home sites start at five acres in this gated community, which is home to more than 200 exotic animals, including axis deer and blackbuck. Hardwoods, big views, great topography, and real privacy. Homes rarely come up for sale, and when they do, prices run $1.9 to $2.5 million. Watch the Waggener Ranch segment at 4:27.

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Trying to figure out which of these communities actually fits your day to day life? Drake and Michelle walk acreage buyers through these neighborhoods every week, from gate codes to deed restrictions to which lots hold their value. Schedule a free meeting with The Carter Team and get real answers before you commit to a lot.

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7. Oxbow on the Guadalupe. Small, intentional, and positioned right on the Guadalupe River. Lots are at least one acre with underground utilities, no city taxes, mature trees, and bluff river views for days. It's an intimate community that doesn't turn over often. If river frontage is your non negotiable, watch this one closely. Prices depend heavily on whether you get a waterfront lot, running roughly $900,000 to $1.9 million.

8. Eden Ranch. The pick for buyers who've done their research and don't want to pay for amenities they'll never use. No HOA and minimal deed restrictions, though note the restrictions that do exist still have teeth: we had a client who wanted to build a wedding venue here, and the decades old deed restrictions didn't allow it. Tracts typically run five acres and up, some over ten. Prices span a wide range, from around $400,000 for five acres with a dated property to $2 million for twenty acres with a custom home. If avoiding an HOA is a priority, our complete guide to no HOA neighborhoods in New Braunfels covers more options.

9. Mission Hills Ranch. A section of this community has lots just over an acre at a price bracket lower than everything else on this list. If you want the acreage lifestyle without the premium that comes with Vintage Oaks or Copper Ridge, it deserves a serious look. It gets less attention right now, which means less buyer competition. Prices run $560,000 to $860,000.

10. Hunters Creek. The one the locals know about. It sits close to town, and the lots are wooded and larger than you'd expect for the location. The whole package of proximity, trees, and lot size is tough to replicate in this market. Even in a slow market, a decently updated home here sees multiple offers, because buyers who know New Braunfels gravitate to it and move fast. Prices range from $750,000 to $1.5 million.

Our personal picks

We ended the video with the question every buyer eventually asks us: which one would you actually choose?

Michelle's pick is Hunters Creek, for the location you can't replicate. You're close to everything in town, yet certain lots still feel completely private.

Drake's is Waggener Ranch, and he doesn't think it's close. Five plus acres minimum, and exotic wildlife wandering past your back porch while you drink your morning coffee. No other neighborhood on this list gives you that. Hear both picks at 7:14.

The honest takeaway: there's no single best acreage community in New Braunfels. River Chase wins on amenity value, Vintage Oaks on community life, Copper Ridge on security and views, Eden Ranch on land without overhead, Mission Hills Ranch on price, and Hunters Creek on location. The right answer depends on how you actually live day to day.

That's exactly the conversation we have with acreage buyers before they ever step foot on a lot. We'll tell you which communities match your priorities, which lots to avoid, and where the value is right now in New Braunfels, Canyon Lake, Spring Branch, and Bulverde. Get on our calendar and let's find your acre.

About Drake and Michelle Carter Drake and Michelle Carter are licensed Texas real estate agents and the founders of The Carter Team at Keller Williams Heritage in New Braunfels. They specialize in helping buyers and sellers navigate the South and Central Texas Hill Country, serving New Braunfels, San Marcos, Canyon Lake, Seguin, Spring Branch, Bulverde, and North San Antonio. Follow along on their YouTube channel for honest, no fluff advice on living and buying in the Hill Country.