Moving to Austin, Texas, is an exciting but big decision if you're unfamiliar with the area. When looking for information on prospective cities, finding what you're looking for can be challenging. What are the best neighborhoods in Austin? Things to do? Quality of life? Texas has plenty of fantastic options, so what makes Austin the best?
Here are the top eighteen reasons to move to Austin; we're sure it'll make your decision much more straightforward.
1. Great Neighborhoods
Where do you live, work, and go to school? How big is your bank account? Is it a rental or purchase? Are you renting or buying? What are your preferences regarding nightlife, home life, a mix, or something else? Is it necessary to you and your family for green space and the general landscape? The built and natural environments affect neighborhoods, as does who lives there-and who leaves. There is no doubt that Austin is booming. Home sales are up, rents are tight, but there is a lack of inventory, and many transplants are moving in. While some longtime Austinites are in the process of moving, others may be overwhelmed with the transformation of their neighborhoods or just looking for a change. That's why we picked what would be considered some of the top three areas!
To dive deeper into Austin neighborhoods, check out our Austin Neighborhood Guide here.
2. Excellent Music Scene
Austin, Texas, is recognized for its live music scene. In fact, it's the "Live Music Capital of the World," and it lives up to that name with a never-ending stream of live music acts that create a funky, fun atmosphere where anyone can access almost any time of the day or night! Whatever you desire, Austin is sure to please hip hop, country, jazz, rock, blues, and you name it. There are many establishments to visit or just walk the streets. For a promising good time, many enjoy visiting Paramount Theater, Empire Control Room, Annual Music Festivals, The Saxon Pub, and the list goes on. Great jobs and entertainment are the perfect combinations for drawing new residents by the thousands.
3. Hot Weather
Known for its almost year-round hot weather, Austin, Texas, is beautiful for three seasons out of the year. Winters in Austin are far from cold and snowy, as high temperatures typically hover in the 60s and 70s, while spring and fall are chilly but still balmy, with an average high of 70°F seven months of the year. Although summer may dismay some people with its highs of 100 degrees and lows of 70, many can still take advantage of central air, swimming, and delicious ice cream to beat the heat until what residents consider the more pleasant months of the year to come back.
4. Rapidly Growing City
Austin's population is among one of the fastest-growing cities in the nation, and data shows rapid-fire growth continuing in Austin. Austin continues to be one of the fastest-growing areas in the country, ranking fourth in total population growth and number one in the growth rate among metropolitan areas with more than 1 million people. With the continuous development and more companies being established, the population will continue to climb and become more popular daily.
5. Healthy Lifestyle
Thanks to the consistently beautiful weather of the three hot seasons in Austin, the area makes residents some of the healthiest people in the country due to the great outdoor recreational activity! The city is packed with a healthy 220 parks, 250 gyms, 30 swimming holes, many lakes, and numerous walking and hiking trails.
In addition to many outdoor activities, residents can pursue other fitness activities, including yoga, pilates, workouts, and much more. Enjoying time outside and staying fit is easy in Austin, Texas, and that appeals to many of the residents who relocate to the city from all across the nation.
6. Lively Nightlife
The music scene in Texas is not the only thing keeping residents from having fun. The nightlife in Austin keeps them up all night! From Rainey Street District boasting bars, hotels, restaurants, and food trucks open till as late as could be, you'll find yourself up till the next day! Other hot spots include Live Oak Brewery, Luster Pearl South, The Yellow Rose, Sahara Lounge, Cosmic Cafe located off South Congress, and lastly, Bufords on West 6th, perfect for a big night out!
7. High-End Shopping
If you love to shop until you drop, then you are sure of luck in Austin. The area has dozens of strip malls, pop-up shops, and boutique stores to splurge in. Some of the best spots to check out include Highland Mall featuring apparel stores including Charlotte Russe, Express, and Wet Seal; familiar specialty retailers include Bath & Body Works and Footlocker. Other hot spots include Barton Creek Square Mall, West Sixth Street, Arboretum at Great Hills, Lakeline Mall, Soco or South Congress Avenue, and Round Rock Premium Outlets featuring high-end shops such as Gucci, Coach, and more.
8. Best Restaurants are Known for BARBEQUE
As with most Texas, moving to Austin is a foodie's dream. Barbecue and Tex-Mex are sure local favorite cuisines highlighted by the world-famous Franklin Barbecue! If this is your first time in Austin, make sure your first meal there is their brisket. Food trucks are also increasingly popular in Austin, and there are dedicated food truck parks to tempt a playful palate. Begin your afternoon or evening by sampling the dozens of food trucks and trailers located at 5000 Burnet Food Park. Please your taste buds with Hawaiian, Venezuelan, Latino, drip coffee, and more.
9. Quality Job Market
Austin offers cutting-edge restaurants, bars, and a music scene, along with its warm, temperate climate, abundant urban nature, and booming tech communities, so it's no wonder so many people move here each year. Austin is now mainly recognized as a tech hub and has a thriving job market.
While Austin comes with a reputation for being quite expensive, the area offers a relatively low cost of living and fantastic employment opportunities. Austin also provides ample opportunity for other employment opportunities, more than just tech. Health care, education, entertainment, business, and government are also significant sectors. More than ten percent of Austin, Texas, population works in engineering and technology, which is twice the national average.
10. Big City, Lots of Traffic
With a larger city, more times than not, that comes with more traffic, so if you are planning to move to Austin, make sure you purchase yourself a car. You are going to need it! Austin, Texas, without a doubt, is a driving city, especially if you are looking for a faster experience traveling point a to b. Most people living here are car-dependent, but it's not the only form of transportation. Residents also have public buses and soon-to-come rail transit!
11. Very Pet-Friendly
Austin, Texas, is known as one of the most pet-friendly cities in America. Austin ranks 1st in two categories, dog-friendly restaurants per capita and the percentage of pet-friendly hotels. They also fall 7th in pet business per capita and 9th in animal shelters per capita. You won't find many residents in the area without a furry friend!
12. Highly-Rated Schools
Austin boasts some of the best schools around, not just a few but a generous handful. The area houses a diverse option in education, including 29 public school districts, 27 charter school districts, and over 100 private schools. Also, within 200 miles of Austin, an additional 95 four-year colleges and universities enroll over 422,000 students!
13. Real Estate Market is Booming
Austin's housing demand is unbelievable and looks attractive for the years to come. Growing high-tech employment is causing home sales and prices in the Austin real estate market to jump while the inventory of available homes for sale is less than one month. Austin is located in the Hill Country region of Central Texas, surrounded by gorgeous lakes and rivers, including the Colorado River. The city is the state capital and the 11th most populated city.
14. Residents of Austin, Texas, are Laid-Back and Friendly
It's not uncommon for residents to have a full-on conversation with their neighbors or pass by downtown. There's no shortage of conversation at the grocery store, while eye contact alone can invite a friendly discussion anywhere. Maybe it's the beautiful weather, or perhaps the lingering hippie community from the '70s, or the fact that Austin still has a small-town mentality, but people living in Austin are pretty friendly to one another.
15. Tons of Nearby Places to Travel
Austin truly has it all, but that doesn't mean it's not fun to get away now and then. Part of the attraction of the capital city is its proximity to many breathtaking areas. Areas that are in proximity to Austin include the Texas Hill Country featuring many day trip destinations to enjoy the rolling scenery.
Also nearby includes Fredericksburg and New Braunfels. Like most of Austin, many of the best day trips also provide access to nearby outdoor attractions. Places include Hamilton Pool in Dripping Springs or Pedernales Falls in Johnson City, definitely worth the short drives all on their own. Another popular hot spot for a trip includes Inks Lake, State Park.
16. Nature is Plentiful
Austin isn't just a sprawling stretch of roads and buildings, and it's blessed with not one but three beautiful lakes that offer ample recreational activities and help make the city what it is! The famous greenbelt provides a daily oasis on steamy days for fun-filled days with families, friends, and their dogs to take a dip, eat a delicious picnic, float downstream, or hike along the beautiful banks.
17. The Creative, Collaborative Hub Still Feels Like a Small Town
Austin is a community thriving in art and working together between the local fashion, street art, galleries, jewelry designers, and studio walks. Nearly every chain in Austin runs on small businesses, meaning it's possible to explore, eat, and shop before stopping at big box stores. Many weekends in the area are full of excellent flea markets, farmers' markets, and pop-up booths fun for all to attend.
18. It is a College Town
Austin is home to one of the most known University campuses, Mammoth campus home in Texas at Austin. Living and working in neighborhoods that aren't mainly student dominant, you may forget from time to time that Austin is undoubtedly a college town. All you have to do is take a walk down a student stretch of Sixth Street to be reminded that you're living in a city that's home to one of the largest universities!
Robert J Fischer Team team is comprised of specialists, who all focus on what they do best and work together to make the home selling and buying processes as smooth as possible. Each member of our team fights every day to help our clients meet their real estate goals and do what is best for their families. Whether you’re looking to sell a house, an office building, or hundreds of acres, we would love the opportunity to talk with you about putting our best-in-class marketing solutions and services to work for you.
