Austin has a reputation for a being a vibrant, unique and quirky city.
Given this reputation, we thought it would be interesting to take a look at each individual Austin zip code to determine which types of businesses are most common in those specific neighborhoods.
The map below shows the types of businesses that are at least three times more popular in each Austin zip code. The font size indicates how disproportionately common a business type is within a given zip code.
As a comparison, this is how the same area of Austin breaks down by zip codes. We've also highlighted where you'll find the University of Texas and the Austin–Bergstrom International Airport.
Despite Austin's unofficial “Keep Austin Weird" slogan, the most common businesses in Austin are actually all quite conventional. The most common businesses are professional services likes doctors, lawyers and real estate agents. This is typical for most cities.
Restaurants catering to a particular cuisine are much more evenly distributed in Austin than they are in many other cities. This could be an indication of the city's widespread diversity – you're less likely to find that a particular cuisine dominates a neighborhood.
The most popular cuisine in Austin is American, followed by Mexican, burgers, pizza, and delis. Compared to other cities, Austin (unsurprisingly) has many Tex-Mex and vegan restaurants.
In Austin, the most common types of businesses catering towards recreation are gyms, followed by martial arts instruction and dance instruction. In general, recreational opportunities tend to be spread out across the city, rather than clustered in a particular neighborhood, which is definitely a good thing.
That being said, there are a couple neighborhoods that stand out for their recreational offerings:
Austin has no shortage of places to shop. If you're looking to hit multiple stores at once, then Westlake Hills, Southpark Meadows, The Domain and The Arboretum at Great Hills will all fit the bill.
If you'd prefer shopping on a smaller scale, Bouldin Creek is home to many boutiques for one-of-a-kind clothes and gifts. Art lovers should head to East Caesar Chavez Street in East Austin, which is lined with galleries.
This article uses data from 30,000 business listings to characterize Austin's neighborhoods as well as identify the areas with unique business, shopping, recreation and dining features that renters are seeking.
The business types listed on these maps are all at least two to three times more common in that specific zip code. Areas that are blank do not have a specific business type that is overwhelmingly prevalent.
Katie Hempenius is a software engineer based in New York City. Her work has been featured by publications like the San Francisco Chronicle, Curbed, SiliconBeat and SFGate. In her free time, she enjoys reading and fitness.