Getting to Know Austin Not many cities can compete with Austin. It consistently ranks at the top of various "best of" or "best city" lists. Austinites also live by the slogan, "Keep Austin Weird'' as a way to promote its weird character and small, unique businesses. Whether you're an outdoor enthusiast, music lover or dedicated foodie, Austin offers something for everyone. You can spend the cooler parts of the year biking, walking or jogging the city's trails and paths, including the Greenbelt and Lady Bird Lake. On your lunch break in downtown, you can pop over to one of the unique food trucks to grab a bite, and then hit one of the microbreweries for happy hour after work. Arts & Culture in Austin Austin is the live music capital of the country. It has more than 100 live music venues scattered around town, but 6th Street is the music hotspot. There are many music festivals throughout the year, which we'll talk more about later. You can also get your fill of music, theater and art shows at the University of Texas Performing Arts Center. Want to know more about the city? Take a 30-minute tour through the Texas State Capitol building, a National Historic Landmark and brilliant example of Renaissance Revival architecture. Austin Apartments and Neighborhoods Whether you're a young professional looking for an apartment in the walkable downtown or working parents seeking a family-friendly place to live in a quiet tree-lined community, Austin offers a wealth of rental options. Fun Things to Do in Austin: Festivals Abound! Austin Adventures Whether you're looking to get out on your own, exploring with the family or hanging with friends, check out these top picks for Austin adventures: Things to Do in Austin with Kids Your kids can get up-close and personal with sea creatures at Austin Aquarium, where shark and stingray feeding is encouraged, learn about (and even hold) a snake, watch jellyfish glow, and learn about all sorts of other aquatic animals. Standout School Districts Austin boasts outstanding school districts, including those in the central neighborhood along Mopac Expressway, in Hyde Park, Northwest Hills and in West and South Austin. Austin Outdoors Austin is great for those who like the outdoors, offering a number of green spots for cycling, walking or picnicking. A favorite with locals is Zilker Park, where folks gather to play with their dogs, fly kites and boat. This dog-friendly city offers 15 off-leash dog parks for you and your four-legged companions to explore. Like cycling? There are numerous scenic bike trails, including those around Lady Bird Lake and Walnut Creek Metropolitan Park. In summertime, escape the heat at the San Marcos River where you can enjoy a few hours of tubing down the river. Nightlife in Austin Join your buddies for a beer bike pub crawl or your girlfriends for dancing in downtown Austin, where the microbreweries, rooftop bars, live-music venues, dance clubs and comedy shows combine to create a vibrant nightlife scene. Easy Austin Getaways For an exciting family road trip to the Gulf Coast, drive less than four hours to Galveston to visit the animals and brave the thrill rides at Moody Gardens. Port Aransas, also on the coast, is the ideal destination to sunbathe, fish or spot wildlife, including dolphins and alligators. Just west of Austin is the Texas Hill Country, where a number of bed and breakfast inns, barbeque restaurants and outdoor activities can be found in abundance.
According to 2018 U.S. Census data, the Austin-Round Rock area grew by 2.5 percent% in the last year, making it one of the fastest growing metro areas in the country.
Austin came in slightly below average in WalletHub's most recent report on safest cities in America. It has a low ranking for Home and Community Safety, but is well above average in financial security.
The Austin school system is considered a good one, scoring better than most metro areas of a similar size. It has 17 high schools that made U.S. News and World Report's Best High School rankings , and is home to six universities, including the well-regarded University of Texas.
Austin is a good city for raising a family, ranked 24 out of 182 in the country by WalletHub. It's exceptional in education, child care and affordability, making it a great place to live for parents with young children.
In case you haven't heard, Austin is the live music capital of the world. And true to the adage, you'll never run out of live music in Austin. If that's not your thing, there's also an incredible range of trendy bars and restaurants, especially when it comes to barbecue and Tex-Mex. Austin is home to Barton Springs, a natural spring-fed swimming pool in Zilker Park offering a cool escape from the city's notoriously hot summers. For sports fans, Austin hosts the Texas Longhorns, one of the country's most prestigious collegiate sports programs. There is also a Formula One racetrack and, starting in 2021, a Major League Soccer team. For fun things to do downtown, you can tour the Texas state capitol building, have a cocktail on 6th Street or head to the South Congress Bridge to watch over a million bats emerge at twilight.
The cost of living in Austin is just barely below the national average, costing 1.6 percent less to live there, according to the Council for Community and Economic Research Cost of Living Index .
The average rent for a studio apartment is $1,160 a month, up 6.4 percent from 2018. For a one-bedroom, it's $1,307 a month, down 0.5 percent from 2018. A two-bedroom apartment will run you $1,662 a month, down 1.4 percent from 2018.
According to the Council for Community and Economic Research , the average energy cost (electricity and other sources) in Austin is $178 a month. Expect this number to vary a lot by season, as summers in Austin are quite hot.
Despite the influx of people to Austin, rents haven't gone up sky high like many other cities with similar growth. There are 10 neighborhoods with an average rent under $900 a month for a one-bedroom apartment ( Westgate , University Hills , Georgian Acres , St. Johns , North Austin , North Lamar , Montopolis , Laurel Oaks , Lamplight Village , and Garrison Park ), so there are many affordable options in the city.
Probably, unless you live downtown or near the University of Texas campus. There's some public transit and it's more bikeable than many big cities, but it's not enough to not need a car for most things.
Austin sits right at the edge of a desert to the west and green, humid forest regions to the east, causing the climate to have some of each. Winters tend to be pretty mild with an occasional freeze. Summer is very long and very hot (almost a third of the year stays above 90 degrees), while spring and fall tend to be warm but without much humidity.
Studio | 1 Bed | 2 Bed | 3 Bed | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Dec 19 | $1,085 | $1,277 | $1,434 | $1,761 |
Oct 19 | 997 | 1,307 | 1,510 | 1,833 |
Sep 19 | 1,007 | 1,293 | 1,475 | 1,650 |
Aug 19 | 1,020 | 1,288 | 1,473 | 1,790 |
Jul 19 | 1,008 | 1,292 | 1,504 | 1,845 |
Jun 19 | 997 | 1,262 | 1,507 | 1,778 |
May 19 | 982 | 1,246 | 1,497 | 2,075 |
Apr 19 | 990 | 1,272 | 1,499 | 2,077 |
Mar 19 | 1,130 | 1,289 | 1,496 | 2,071 |
Feb 19 | 1,120 | 1,287 | 1,522 | 2,127 |
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Information is copyrighted and school data provided by GreatSchools.org. Information is deemed reliable but not guaranteed. Schools listed above are based on distance from the selected location and are just a sampling of the schools in the area. To find a particular school district, and how it relates to a specific apartment, please contact the apartment manager.