Land for Sale in Kerr County, TX

Kerr County sits on the Edwards Plateau in the Texas Hill Country, with 52,598 residents (2020 census), Kerrville as its seat and the Guadalupe River running through it. It is a popular market for retirees and second-home buyers. In July 2025, flash flooding on the Guadalupe killed more than 100 people in the county, so flood exposure is the first thing to understand when you look at land here.

Kerr County at a glance

  • County seat: Kerrville. Other places: Ingram (a city), Center Point and Hunt.
  • 2020 population 52,598; about 1,107 square miles on the Edwards Plateau.
  • Highways: Interstate 10 and State Highways 16 and 27.
  • Catastrophic flash flooding over the July 2025 holiday weekend killed more than 100 people in Kerr County, with a second flood reported in 2026.
  • Texas counties have little power to zone, so rules come from deed restrictions, city limits and floodplain regulations.

The Kerr County land market

Kerrville anchors the market, and parcels run from city lots to 5- and 10-acre Hill Country homesites, larger ranch and hunting tracts, and river and creek frontage. Buyers like the hills, the climate and the distance from Austin and San Antonio. Prices are highest for river frontage and views, and lower for dry ranchland farther from town.

Flood risk on the Guadalupe and its creeks

The July 2025 flood showed how quickly the Guadalupe River and Hill Country creeks can rise: reports describe as much as 10 inches of rain in a few hours and the Guadalupe at Comfort rising about 22 feet in 30 minutes. Camp and RV-park sites in the floodway were among the hardest hit. Reporting in 2026 found that, unless a city or county adopts stricter standards, flood-damaged buildings can be repaired without meeting current code if the repair costs less than half the structure's value, and that homes in many flood-prone places can be rebuilt if elevated to the 100-year flood height.

What this means for a buyer: check the FEMA flood map for the exact parcel, but do not stop there, because maps can lag reality. Look at the parcel's elevation above the creek or river, walk the drainage, ask neighbors about past floods, and get a flood insurance quote and a survey before you offer. Land on higher ground with no stream crossing may be a very different risk from river frontage.

Groundwater and wells

Kerr County wells fall under a groundwater conservation district (Headwaters Groundwater Conservation District). Texas Water Code section 36.117 requires a district to exempt from permitting a well used only for domestic use or livestock on a tract larger than 10 acres that cannot produce more than 25,000 gallons a day, but districts generally still require registration and apply spacing and construction rules. Check the district's current rules and website before you plan a well, and ask whether a water supply corporation serves the parcel.

Restrictions, septic and records

Because Texas counties generally cannot zone, read the deed restrictions and any property owners' association rules, and check whether the parcel lies inside a city or its extraterritorial jurisdiction. Septic systems outside sewer service need an on-site sewage facility permit, and shallow rock on the plateau can make septic design more expensive. Texas is a non-disclosure state, so sale prices are not on public records.

Before you buy land in Kerr County

  • Flood: FEMA zone, elevation above the nearest river or creek, past flooding and an insurance quote.
  • Whether any structure is in a floodway, and what rebuilding rules apply.
  • Water: well registration and permit rules from the groundwater district, or water supply corporation service.
  • Deed restrictions, ETJ status and septic permit feasibility.
  • Legal access, especially low-water crossings that wash out in storms.

Land due diligence checklistHow to verify legal access to land

Frequently asked questions

Is Kerr County land safe from flooding?

It depends on the parcel. Land along the Guadalupe River and its creeks is exposed, as the July 2025 flood showed. Check the FEMA map, the parcel's elevation above the water, past flood history and an insurance quote.

Do I need a permit to drill a well in Kerr County?

Wells are regulated by the groundwater conservation district. State law exempts some small domestic and livestock wells on tracts over 10 acres from permitting, but registration and construction rules usually still apply.

Does Kerr County have zoning?

Texas counties generally cannot adopt zoning. Look at deed restrictions and city rules, and check whether the parcel is in a city or its extraterritorial jurisdiction.

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