(78739) Circle C / Shady Hollow Apartment Listings & Reviews

The most residential ZIP in southwest Austin has almost no apartments — and that’s the point.

Circle C / Shady Hollow / Bauerle Ranch | A homeowner ZIP where the few rental options nearby start around $800/mo and top out near $2,700 | 10 communities serve the area, built between 1985 and 2019

I’ve toured apartment communities across the 78739 ZIP code. Here’s what you need to know upfront: there’s one apartment complex inside this ZIP, and it’s age restricted to 62 and older. Everything else is single-family homes. Circle C Ranch, Shady Hollow, Bauerle Ranch. This is where Austin families buy houses and stay for 20 years. If you want to rent in this part of southwest Austin, the apartments are actually in 78749. They’re all along Slaughter and MoPac.

Every community in this ZIP code has a full review below. Each one covers what listing sites leave out: actual screening criteria, real fee breakdowns, net effective rent math, and honest resident feedback compared to what I saw on my own tours.

A few things worth knowing about 78739 before you dig in.

You’re renting next to one of Austin’s most locked-in homeowner neighborhoods. Circle C Ranch is a 4,000-home planned community where 92% of the housing is owner occupied. That shapes what it feels like to live here. Streets are quiet. The HOA stays on top of things. Kids ride bikes to school. The tradeoff is that there aren’t many apartments. Nichols Park starts around $800 for a one bedroom. MAA Western Oaks, the biggest complex near Circle C with 479 units, runs $1,143 to $2,013 and is offering 8 weeks free right now. The Saint Mary is the newest build in the area at $1,450 and up, no special. If you need something under $1,000, Monterey Ranch has studios from $880, but that’s further from the Circle C core.

Base rent isn’t the whole number. Most communities along Slaughter and MoPac add $50 to $150 a month in mandatory fees on top of what they advertise. Trash, pest control, RUBS utilities, valet trash, package lockers. MAA Western Oaks bundles some utilities. The Saint Mary tacks on roughly $81 a month in fixed fees before you even turn the lights on. Nichols Park and Monterey Ranch tend to have lower fees because the buildings are older and don’t have all the extras. When I run numbers for clients, I use the all-in monthly cost, not the base rent. That’s what the cost calculator on each review below does too.

The outdoor access here is hard to beat anywhere in Austin. The Veloway is a 3.1-mile paved loop only for bikes and inline skates. No cars, no pedestrians, no dogs. Nothing like it existed anywhere in the country when they built it in the ’90s. Circle C Metropolitan Park covers 600-plus acres. The Violet Crown Trail runs through it. Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center is a three minute drive. Grey Rock Golf Club sits inside the neighborhood. Circle C has several pools, a tennis center, a disc golf course, splash pads, and miles of hike and bike trails. Shady Hollow has its own golf course and pool complex. If you run, bike, or just want to be outside without driving to a trailhead, this ZIP delivers.

Renters with dogs should know this area before signing. Circle C and the neighborhoods around it have some of the best trail access in Austin for dog owners. Mary Moore Searight, just up Slaughter, has the nearest official off leash trail. But pet rules are different at every complex out here. MAA Western Oaks allows cats and dogs with a large dog park on site. Monterey Ranch and Sedona Springs are pet friendly too. The Saint Mary charges $25 a month in pet rent and a $400 pet fee. Expect $25 to $50 a month in pet rent at most communities here. One-time pet fees run $400 to $600. Breed and weight limits change, so if you’ve got a large or restricted breed, text us before you tour. I check current pet policies as part of every search.

Daily life runs through Escarpment Village. H-E-B, Starbucks, CVS, Waterloo Ice House, District Kitchen + Cocktails, Kerbey Lane Cafe. It’s all right there at Escarpment and Slaughter, about a five minute drive from most spots in Circle C. Trader Joe’s is on Slaughter too. You won’t walk to any of it. Walk Score here is around 14. You need a car. But once you’re in the car, errands stay short.

The schools are a big reason people pay Circle C prices. Bear Creek Elementary, Kiker Elementary, and Clayton Elementary all feed into Gorzycki Middle and then Bowie High. All Austin ISD. All strong ratings. Bowie is one of the top rated high schools in the district, with a solid STEM program. If you’re renting with kids in school, this is one of the few spots where nearby apartments sit in strong school zones.

MoPac gets you downtown in 15 to 20 minutes off peak. Rush hour pushes that to 30 or 40. The toll lanes on MoPac run $3 to $8 each way, so budget $150-plus a month if you’re commuting daily. Southwest Parkway gives you a second route out toward 71 and Bee Cave. If you work remotely or on the south side of Austin, the commute math works. If you’re driving to the Domain or north Austin every day, think hard about that before signing a lease down here.

Pick a community below to read the full review. Or get in touch and I’ll narrow it down based on your budget, timeline, and screening situation.