Sunrise Beach Village is one of the older lakefront communities on Lake LBJ — it was founded in 1958 by San Antonio developer David Miller and was one of the very first subdivisions built on the lake, well before most of the Highland Lakes area developed. It incorporated as its own city in 1973 and sits between Marble Falls and Llano in Llano County. It’s stayed small and residential on purpose: the city doesn’t allow short-term rentals, so what you’re buying into is a full-time and weekend-owner community, not a rotating cast of renters.
I’m Robbie English, REALTOR and Broker at Uncommon Highland Lakes Realty here in the Hill Country.
Living in Sunrise Beach Village
With around 700 residents, this is a small town in the true sense — not a subdivision with an HOA newsletter, but an actual incorporated village with its own city government. Homes range from older lake cottages that have been in families for decades to newer builds, and a good number of properties have private docks. The city maintains public parks with boat ramps and picnic areas along the shoreline, so lake access isn’t limited to waterfront lot owners.
Because the lake here runs at a constant level, boating and fishing are reliable year-round rather than dependent on seasonal water releases — one of the reasons this stretch of Lake LBJ has held onto long-term owners rather than turning over quickly. As of the 2020 census, fewer than 800 people lived here full-time, which gives you a sense of scale — this isn’t a subdivision inside a bigger city, it’s genuinely its own small town with its own city government.
For a deeper look at the town’s history, schools, and what the no-short-term-rental rule actually means day to day, read Living in Sunrise Beach Village, TX.
That same no-rental rule is a big part of why this town appeals to retirees looking to settle in for good rather than just visit — for more on that, plus healthcare access and downsizing-friendly housing here, see Retiring in Sunrise Beach Village, TX.
Other Highland Lakes communities
If you’re weighing Sunrise Beach Village against other spots on the Highland Lakes chain, I’d also look at Highland Lakes homes for sale more broadly, Burnet if you want more town amenities close by, Kingsland where Lake LBJ meets the Colorado and Llano Rivers, or Sherwood Shores, another small lake community nearby.
If you’re ready to look at what’s actually listed in Sunrise Beach Village, reach out and I’ll walk you through it.
