LOCKHART, Texas — About 35 miles south of Austin, in Caldwell County, sits the city of Lockhart, home to nearly 15,000 people.
Officially recognized as the "BBQ Capital of Texas," Lockhart is home to iconic barbecue joints like Black's BBQ, Kreuz Market and Smitty's Market.
"[Lockhart] smells like BBQ. You cannot beat it," Lockhart resident Cato Medor said.
Lockhart native Michael Velasquez works the barbecue pits at Smitty's Market, where the brisket, ribs and sausage are plentiful.
"It's a peaceful little town. I would never leave here. Raised my kids here, have my grandkids coming up," Velasquez said.
But he is concerned the once small farming community is growing so fast.
“It’s hard on our taxes now," Velasquez said.
New houses are popping up quickly, with developers like Lennar and D.R. Horton putting up hundreds of homes.
"We love it. [It] is a quiet place, about 14,000 people, and [we] have all the luxuries you need," Medor said.
Medor and his wife moved from Leander to Lockhart last month to be closer to his stepdaughter, who is a musician. He said they also moved because Lockhart is more affordable.
"It’s a lot cheaper, a whole lot cheaper," Medor said.
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That was a big draw for his family.
“I honestly think this house was a little over $300,000. I am guessing if you put this inside the city of Austin, it will probably go up to $700,000, if not double, if not more," Medor said. "It’s a beautiful place.”
Lockhart Mayor Lew White said Lockhart is more affordable than other Central Texas cities, with home prices in the $300,000 range for a 3-bedroom – a lot more house than you can get for the same price in Austin.
"More economical places to live – lower taxes, lower utilities, slower pace," White said.
In addition to residents, Lockhart is also attracting more businesses.
Mill Scale Metal Works, which builds high-end smokers, is building a 10,000-square-foot facility next to Kreuz Market, off US 183. And popsicle factory Ziegenfelder will be creating 100 new jobs and bringing a $29 million capital investment to the city in 2025.
Meanwhile, Real Cold, a 300,000-square-foot cold food storage facility, will build in Lockhart later this year. It will focus on direct-to-consumer grocery delivery in the Austin-San Antonio area, bringing 100 new jobs and a $65 million investment to Lockhart.
"It's a good thing. We want to grow our tax base. We want to create jobs for people to work here locally,” White said.
But with the growth comes challenges – like more traffic.
"We are constantly in discussion with TxDOT – our major thoroughfares are TxDOT roads," White said.
He said road improvements are needed.
"Projects right now being considered, that's for a feasible for the traffic on Highway 142 at 130, where the majority of housing development is happenings right now," the mayor said.
Velasquez said as much as he and his family love the slower pace of life, they embrace the growth.
"It brings us a lot of business," he said.
The city of Lockhart projects the population could double by 2040.
Boomtown is KVUE's series covering the explosive growth in Central Texas. For more Boomtown stories, head to KVUE.com/Boomtown.