Austin, Texas
Among the top 3% of US places for getting around.
AffordabilityAffordability: grade D, better than 11% of US places
WeatherWeather: grade B+, better than 84% of US places
Safety & WellbeingSafety & Wellbeing: grade D, better than 24% of US places
Getting AroundGetting Around: grade A+, better than 97% of US places
Lifestyle & ConnectivityLifestyle & Connectivity: grade C, better than 35% of US places
- top 1% for walkability
- top 3% for airport distance
- bottom 1% for monthly owner costs
Austin is a major city in Texas with about 958,000 residents. It grades A+ for getting around and D for affordability. Standout strengths include walkability, airport distance, and school quality. It rates lower on property crime and monthly owner costs.
- The median home value in Austin is $462k, per the U.S. Census ACS (5-Year).
- Median household income in Austin is $87k, per the U.S. Census ACS (5-Year).
- Median gross rent in Austin is $2k a month, per the U.S. Census ACS (5-Year).
- Austin has a violent crime rate of 2055/100k, per the FBI Uniform Crime Reports.
- The average one-way commute in Austin is 24 min, per the U.S. Census ACS (5-Year).
Climate
Sweltering, humid summers · Cool winters · Moderate rain
cool
comfortable
warm
hot
sweltering
hot
warm
comf.
cool
72%51%clearovercast
Precipitation 3.4 in2.4 in
muggy 76%dry
Livability factors
Affordability
Median Household Income$87k77th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Cost of Living$57kbetter than 15% of US places
Home Value$462k89th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Monthly Rent$2kbetter than 15% of US places
Monthly Owner Costs$188kbetter than 0% of US places
Property Tax Rate1.59%better than 22% of US places
Income Tax0.00%better than 92% of US places
Sales Tax8.20%better than 36% of US places
Estimated total tax burden11.16%better than 34% of US places
Unemployment4.4%better than 45% of US places
Weather
Winter Temp (Jan)52°F91st percentile — neutral, not ranked
Summer Temp (Jul)85°F97th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Annual Precipitation36.3 in33rd percentile — neutral, not ranked
Annual Snowfall0.2 inbetter than 85% of US places
Sunny Days228 daysbetter than 43% of US places
Summer Humidity67°Fbetter than 29% of US places
Comfortable Days103 daysbetter than 89% of US places
Safety & Wellbeing
Natural Disaster Risk46.3better than 75% of US places
Air Quality52 AQIbetter than 14% of US places
School Quality100.0better than 93% of US places
Violent Crime2055/100kbetter than 7% of US places
Property Crime3608/100kbetter than 4% of US places
Community
Population958,202100th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Median Age34.219th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Racial Diversity0.5791st percentile — neutral, not ranked
Male/Female Ratio1.0565th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Political LeaningD+464th percentile — neutral, not ranked
White (%)47.7%17th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Black (%)7.5%81st percentile — neutral, not ranked
Hispanic (%)32.5%91st percentile — neutral, not ranked
Asian (%)8.3%95th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Other / Multiracial (%)4.1%63rd percentile — neutral, not ranked
Getting Around
Commute Time24 minbetter than 62% of US places
Walkability17.1/20better than 100% of US places
Airport Distance8 mibetter than 97% of US places
Lifestyle & Connectivity
Broadband Access91.8%better than 71% of US places
Amenities Nearby14.42better than 17% of US places
Park & Nature AccessModeratebetter than 42% of US places
Data sources
- EPA Air Quality (AQI)
- EPA Smart Location Database
- EPI Family Budget Calculator
- FAA airport enplanements
- FBI Uniform Crime Reports
- FEMA National Risk Index
- MIT Election Data Lab (2020)
- NCES School Finance Survey
- NOAA Climate Normals (1991–2020)
- NOAA nClimGrid
- OpenStreetMap
- Tax Foundation + state revenue depts
- U.S. Census ACS (5-Year)
- USGS Protected Areas (PAD-US)
Similar places
Frequently asked questions
- Is Austin an affordable place to live?
- Austin is relatively expensive. Its cost-of-living index is $57k, better than 15% of comparable areas. Median rent is $2k.
- Is Austin safe?
- Austin is higher-crime than most comparable areas, with a violent crime rate of 2055/100k (better than 7%). Property crime is 3608/100k.
- What is the weather like in Austin?
- Austin averages 85°F in July and 52°F in January, with 36.3 in of annual precipitation and about 228 sunny days a year.
- How are the schools in Austin?
- Public-school quality in Austin is above average, scoring better than 93% of comparable areas on a composite of graduation rates, spending, and student-teacher ratio.
- How long is the commute in Austin?
- The average one-way commute in Austin is 24 min.