Austin vs San Antonio
Austin, Texas versus San Antonio, Texas: a factual, side-by-side comparison of cost of living, housing, safety, schools, and climate. Greener figures rank better among US places.
Austin and San Antonio score about the same overall (48 vs 47 of 100) — the differences are in the individual factors below.
Factor-by-factor comparison
| Factor | Austin | San Antonio |
|---|---|---|
| Affordability | ||
| Median Household Income | $87k | $60k |
| Cost of Living | $57k | $47k |
| Home Value | $462k | $198k |
| Monthly Rent | $2k | $1k |
| Monthly Owner Costs | $2k | $2k |
| Property Tax Rate | 1.59% | 1.88% |
| Income Tax | 0.00% | 0.00% |
| Sales Tax | 8.20% | 8.20% |
| Estimated total tax burden | 11.16% | 8.97% |
| Unemployment | 4.4% | 5.9% |
| Weather | ||
| Winter Temp (Jan) | 52°F | 53°F |
| Summer Temp (Jul) | 85°F | 85°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 36.3 in | 34.0 in |
| Annual Snowfall | 0.2 in | 0.1 in |
| Sunny Days | 228 days | 195 days |
| Summer Humidity | 67°F | 70°F |
| Comfortable Days | 103 days | 107 days |
| Safety & Wellbeing | ||
| Natural Disaster Risk | 46.3 | 63.0 |
| Air Quality | 52 AQI | 39 AQI |
| School Quality | 100.0 | 41.3 |
| Violent Crime | 2055/100k | 2559/100k |
| Property Crime | 3608/100k | 5083/100k |
| Community | ||
| Population | 958,202 | 1,445,662 |
| Median Age | 34.2 | 34.1 |
| Racial Diversity | 0.57 | 0.61 |
| Male/Female Ratio | 1.05 | 0.99 |
| Political Leaning | D+46 | D+18 |
| White (%) | 47.7% | 22.6% |
| Black (%) | 7.5% | 6.1% |
| Hispanic (%) | 32.5% | 65.8% |
| Asian (%) | 8.3% | 2.9% |
| Other / Multiracial (%) | 4.1% | 2.5% |
| Getting Around | ||
| Commute Time | 24 min | 25 min |
| Walkability | 17.1/20 | 14.4/20 |
| Airport Distance | 8 mi | 6 mi |
| Lifestyle & Connectivity | ||
| Broadband Access | 91.8% | 86.9% |
| Amenities Nearby | 14.42 | 3.95 |
| Park & Nature Access | Moderate | Moderate |
Each figure is colored by how it ranks among all US places: green is strong, amber average, red weaker. Neutral factors (population, demographics, target-style climate) show their percentile without a better/worse claim.
Frequently asked questions
- Is Austin or San Antonio more affordable?
- San Antonio has the lower cost of living: its index is $47k, compared with Austin's $57k and San Antonio's $47k. Median rent is $2k in Austin versus $1k in San Antonio.
- Is Austin or San Antonio safer?
- Austin has the lower violent crime rate. Austin reports 2055/100k and San Antonio reports 2559/100k (violent crimes per 100,000 residents).
- Are homes cheaper in Austin or San Antonio?
- The median home value is $462k in Austin and $198k in San Antonio, so homes are more affordable in San Antonio.