Austin, Texas

What's the cost of living in Austin, TX?

Austin is one of the fastest-growing metro areas in the country. That may be great news for the local economy, but a tough pill to swallow for people shopping for a home. The median sale price for a single-family home in Austin is well above the national median. However, Austinites' pocketbooks benefit from no personal or corporate income tax, and a low state and local tax rate. 

What's the best way to get around Austin, TX?

Austin is among the nation's worst metro areas for traffic congestion. Austin's traffic problem can be addressed with flexible work schedules, due diligence when choosing a neighborhood and, for those wanting to get in some exercise while commuting, using public transportation, walking and biking.

The metro area's public transit system, Capital Metro, operates more than 80 bus routes and a 32-mile rail line. Texans love to drive though, and for those craving the wind-in-the-hair feeling, State Highway 130 offers miles of tolled lanes with the highest speed limit in the western hemisphere: 85 miles per hour.

Austin-Bergstrom International Airport is just a few miles from downtown and has about 300 daily flights. Amtrak trains and intercity buses also service the metro area.

Who lives in Austin, TX?

While Austin attracts a wide range of people, from students and single professionals to families and retirees, it is not necessarily geographically diverse. Income segregation is seen on the impoverished east side of Austin, versus the west. With its scenic views of the downtown skyline and rolling hills – West Austin has become the center of Austin affluence. Students at the University of Texas fill housing in central Austin, while young professionals, wealthy retirees, lawyers and lobbyists inhabit the thousands of condos and apartments downtown.

Austinites with kids tend to live outside of the urban core. Despite the traffic, parents regularly take advantage of the metro area's wide range of kid-friendly events and activities, from free museum days and outdoor festivals to natural attractions, like watching the world's largest bat colony emerge from a bridge downtown at dusk. 

What is there to do in Austin, TX?

Residents like to escape the urban bustle with a hike, bicycle ride, jog, kayak or canoe ride in one of more than 250 parks. Austinites also love to watch sports, and enjoy wearing burnt orange to cheer on the University of Texas Longhorns, tailgating at football games and packing the school's basketball arena. Austin also hosts the X Games and Formula One races at the Circuit of The Americas.

Known as the Live Music Capital of the World, Austin houses many establishments where residents can enjoy good tunes. Those who are looking for a great dining experience will enjoy Austin's bustling culinary scene, featuring an endless array of food trucks and high-quality, esteemed restaurants.