AUSTIN · TRAVIS COUNTY
Samsung Austin Semiconductor, Parmer Lane
Samsung Austin Semiconductor’s history page says the company arrived in Austin in 1996 and opened its first fab on Parmer Lane in northeast Austin in July 1997.
RELOCATING FOR SAMSUNG IN CENTRAL TEXAS
Moving to Austin for Samsung.
Plan around the site you will work at.
Samsung has a long-running campus in northeast Austin and a newer site in Taylor, in Williamson County. Compare areas by the commute you will actually make, then work through leases, licenses, utilities and school district lines with official sources.
Austin Local Team is an independent real estate team. We are not affiliated with or endorsed by Samsung, and this page is not employer relocation guidance. Confirm relocation benefits, housing allowances and policies with your employer.
TWO SITES, ONE REGION
Start with where you will work.
The two sites sit on different sides of the region, so an area that is convenient for one can be a longer drive to the other. Ask which site, building and shift pattern you will have before you choose an area.
TAYLOR · WILLIAMSON COUNTY
The Taylor site
Samsung announced the Taylor site on November 24, 2021, with an estimated $17 billion investment, and construction began in January 2022. In December 2024, Samsung said the U.S. Department of Commerce had awarded it up to $4.745 billion in CHIPS Act funding for the Taylor facility and the modernization of its Austin site. Samsung’s Taylor page lists 2030 as the year all CHIPS Act-supported facilities are expected to be operational.
In its 2021 announcement, Samsung described the Austin site as about 25 kilometers (about 15 miles) southwest of Taylor in a straight line. Road distance is longer, and drive times change with the route, tolls, construction and shift times.
COMMUTE GEOGRAPHY
Compare areas by the trip, not the label.
These groups describe location and roads only. They are starting points for testing a commute, not recommendations. Each one includes many different streets, prices and home types.
North and northeast Austin
Closest to the Parmer Lane campus, with the Taylor site farther to the northeast. Many addresses inside Austin city limits get electricity from Austin Energy, the city-owned utility; confirm the provider for the specific address.
Between the two sites: Pflugerville, Hutto and east Round Rock
Useful to test if you may work at both sites or two people in the household commute in different directions. SH 130, a TxDOT toll road, and US 79 carry much of the traffic in this area, so compare toll and non-toll routes.
Taylor and nearby
Closest to the Taylor site. The City of Taylor provides water, wastewater and garbage service, and Oncor delivers electricity, so residents choose a retail electricity provider. Some addresses outside the city limits are served by other providers.
Round Rock, Georgetown, Leander and Cedar Park
North and northwest suburbs. The trip to the Parmer Lane campus and the trip to Taylor run in different directions from here, so test the one you will make most often at your real shift times.
Manor and Elgin
East of Austin. Manor is one of CapMetro’s member cities; Elgin is in Bastrop County. Test the route to your site and the errands you will make in an ordinary week.
Test the commute before you sign.
Drive or time the route on a weekday at the hours your shifts start and end, in both directions. Save the site and other destinations in My Austin to compare commutes from each address, and use the area comparison map to shortlist areas worth visiting.
How to test a real commuteTransit: CapMetro’s FY2024 annual financial report lists its member cities as Austin, Manor, San Leanna, Jonestown, Lago Vista, Leander and Point Venture, plus unincorporated parts of Travis and Williamson counties. Taylor, Hutto, Round Rock, Pflugerville and Georgetown are not on that list. Check current routes for your address and site before planning around transit.
SCHOOL DISTRICT BOUNDARIES
Check the district for the exact address.
In this part of Texas, city limits and school district boundaries often do not match, so the city in a mailing address does not tell you the school district. Before you lease or buy, look up the specific address with the district, and ask the district about enrollment documents, new-student registration dates and any language support your children need.
Districts whose boundaries include parts of these areas
- Taylor ISD
- Hutto ISD
- Round Rock ISD
- Pflugerville ISD
- Georgetown ISD
- Leander ISD
- Manor ISD
- Austin ISD
- Elgin ISD
This list is not complete; smaller districts serve some addresses. We link official district sites and do not rate or rank schools.
HOUSING ON AN ASSIGNMENT
Choose the housing type for the length of your stay.
Short-term and furnished leases
A furnished or shorter lease can cover the first weeks while you test commutes and school district addresses. Ask about the lease length, the price difference for shorter terms, and what happens if your start date or site changes.
A standard lease
Many leases run 12 months. If your assignment has a fixed end date, ask the property before you apply how early termination works and what it costs, and read the lease clause before signing.
New construction
If you are considering a newly built home, remember that a builder’s contract is not the same as a resale contract. Ask an agent to explain the builder’s terms, the construction timeline and the inspections you can arrange.
Buying or renting on a two- or three-year assignment
Buying can make sense for some households, but compare the closing costs on both ends, the property tax, insurance and any HOA or district taxes against rent for the same period. Ask what happens if the assignment is extended or ends early.
MUD and PID taxes in newer subdivisions
Some subdivisions, often newer ones, are in a municipal utility district (MUD) or a public improvement district (PID), which can add a tax or assessment to the bill. Texas law requires a seller to give a buyer a written notice for a property in a MUD before the contract. Compare the total tax rate for each address in our property tax worksheet.
PRACTICAL TASKS
What newcomers usually need to sort out.
Leasing without a U.S. credit history
Many rental applications ask for a Social Security number for a credit check, proof of income and identification. If you do not have a U.S. credit history yet, ask the property before you apply what it accepts instead, such as an employment or offer letter, a larger deposit or prepaid rent. Policies differ by property, and a property may decline any of these.
Texas driver license
Texas DPS says new residents can drive with a valid license from another U.S. state, a U.S. territory, a Canadian province or a qualifying country for up to 90 days after moving. DPS lists license reciprocity with France, Germany, South Korea, the United Arab Emirates and Taiwan, which can waive the knowledge and skills tests. Check the DPS page for the documents you need and book an office visit early.
Vehicle registration
The Texas DMV gives new residents 30 days to register a vehicle, with an inspection first where one is required, at the county tax office. DPS asks you to register your vehicles before applying for a Texas license.
Utilities depend on the address
In Austin, City of Austin Utilities starts electric, water and other city services. In areas open to electric competition, such as Oncor’s delivery area that includes Taylor, you choose a retail electricity provider; Power to Choose is the Public Utility Commission’s official comparison site. Some addresses are served by an electric cooperative instead. Ask the property or seller who provides each service.
Property tax and the homestead exemption
If you buy and live in the home as your principal residence, you may qualify for a residence homestead exemption. The Comptroller says applications are filed with the county appraisal district, such as Travis CAD or Williamson CAD, and the general deadline is before May 1. Use our property tax worksheet to compare the taxing units for an address.
Flood maps and the ground under the home
Check the FEMA flood zone and mapped geology for an address in our address research tool before you apply or make an offer. Mapped information is not an inspection.
A SIMPLE TIMELINE
From offer letter to first tax season.
60 to 90 days before
Confirm your site, start date and relocation benefits. Shortlist areas by commute, look up school districts for sample addresses, and gather documents a landlord may ask for.
30 days before
Arrange temporary housing if you need it, schedule viewings or a scouting visit, and ask properties about their policies for applicants without a U.S. credit history.
Arrival week
Test the commute at shift times, start utilities, and contact the school district about registration.
Within 30 days
Register any vehicle you bring at the county tax office after any required inspection.
Within 90 days
Get your Texas driver license at a DPS office.
If you buy
Apply for the homestead exemption with the county appraisal district; the general deadline is before May 1.
PUT LOCAL KNOWLEDGE TO WORK
Useful before your next decision.
Test your real commute
A method for timing the trips that matter from each area you are considering.
Take a closer lookMoving to Austin timeline
A practical 60/30/7-day plan for the dependencies of a move.
Take a closer lookBuild a moving budget
Compare monthly expenses and move-in cash using your actual quotes.
Take a closer lookTry the area comparison map
Compare mapped planning areas and dated local records before you visit.
Take a closer lookCompare property tax by address
Bring official taxable values and rates, including MUD and PID taxes, into one worksheet.
Take a closer lookResearch an address
Check the FEMA flood zone and mapped geology, with clear source limitations.
Take a closer lookKeep the useful discoveries. My Austin saves your guides, neighborhoods and search criteria.
WHEN YOU WANT A PERSON
Bring your site, your dates and your questions.
The team can help you compare areas by commute, line up viewings for a scouting visit and explain lease and purchase terms.
SOURCES
Where these facts come from.
Facts change. Check the source before you rely on a date, a rule or a fee.
- Samsung Semiconductor Newsroom: Samsung Electronics Announces New Advanced Semiconductor Fab Site in Taylor, Texas Published November 24, 2021
- City of Taylor: Taylor chosen for $17 billion Samsung semiconductor plant Published November 23, 2021
- Samsung fact sheet: New CHIPS Act Incentives for Samsung Fuel American Innovation (December 2024) Checked October 2, 2026
- Samsung Austin Semiconductor: History Checked October 2, 2026
- Samsung Austin Semiconductor: Taylor Checked October 2, 2026
- Taylor Economic Development Corporation: Utilities and infrastructure Checked October 2, 2026
- TxDOT: Austin-area toll roads Checked October 2, 2026
- CapMetro: Fiscal Year 2024 Annual Comprehensive Financial Report Checked October 2, 2026
- Texas DPS: Moving to Texas, a guide to driver licenses and IDs Checked October 2, 2026
- Texas DMV: New to Texas Checked October 2, 2026
- City of Austin Utilities: Utility service Checked October 2, 2026
- Power to Choose (Public Utility Commission of Texas) Checked October 2, 2026
- Texas Comptroller: Property tax exemptions Checked October 2, 2026
- Texas Water Code, Chapter 49 (Section 49.452, notice to purchasers) Checked October 2, 2026
- Williamson Central Appraisal District Checked October 2, 2026
- Travis Central Appraisal District Checked October 2, 2026
- Williamson County Checked October 2, 2026
How this page describes areas: by location, roads, public records and official boundaries. It does not describe who lives in an area, and our team will not steer you toward or away from any area on that basis. Equal Housing Opportunity.
LET’S MAKE THIS PERSONAL
Tell us about your assignment.
Share which site you expect to work at, your timing, whether you plan to rent or buy, and the household needs that matter. Your request starts a conversation with the team; it does not reserve a home or enroll you in a relocation program.
Good questions to bring.
- Which areas fit a commute to my site at my shift times?
- Which school district serves this specific address?
- What can I offer a landlord without a U.S. credit history?
Your request goes to Austin Local Team for review and a follow-up about your plans. Submitting it does not create a representation agreement.
Prefer to talk? (512) 710-0337