Williamson County · Texas · South · 980k residents
Austin, TX: cost of living, taxes & quality of life
Residential facts for Austin: housing, taxes, monthly costs, climate, schools, and household income, with the Texas median as the yardstick. Compare it live against any of 3,000 US cities.
Data coverage: Curated city row; coverage varies by fact.
The median home value in Austin is $540,000, 110% above the Texas median. A two-bedroom rents for about $1,900/mo. Day-to-day costs index at 107 against a national baseline of 100. The median household here earns $86,000 a year.
What the numbers show
Source-confirmed findingsLimited coverage: This profile does not yet have enough source-confirmed local data for a city brief.
This profile does not yet have enough source-confirmed local data for a city brief.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 American Community Survey 5-year estimates(2024 ACS 5-year; tables B01003, B15003, B19013, B25077). Geography: Census place where available. This product uses the Census Bureau Data API but is not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.
WhereToHQ calculates the comparisons. Figures are estimates for context, not a guarantee or personal financial advice. Read the methodology or send a correction.
What makes this place distinctive
A factual snapshot of the place, based on the profile data. It is not a tourism or cultural claim.
A creative Texas capital where live music, oddball traditions, and outdoor water culture coexist.
Known for: Live music, SXSW, Austin City Limits, food trucks, swimming holes, and the local “Keep Austin Weird” motto.
Calendar note: Official city and visitor sources list SXSW, Austin City Limits, Viva La Vida, and the O. Henry Pun-Off.
Story source: Visit Austin
- Scale: A large city with a quarter-million or more residents in the profile data.
- Setting: The profile places Austin about 12 miles from the nearest tracked lake.
- Climate signal: The profile records 228 sunny days.
- Daily pace: The profile records a walk score of 42 and an average commute of 27 minutes.
WhereToHQ derives these signals from the committed city dataset. Read the methodology for coverage and source limits.
Compare Austin side by side
Cost of living index
107
Median home value
$540,000
2-bedroom rent
$1,900/mo
Median household income
$86,000
Housing momentum
How fast Austin's housing market is moving, ranked against the US cities we track.
4/100
Cooling
Ranks Austin's home-price and rent growth against the US cities we cover. The label is relative pace, not a direction, so a market can rank low while some figures still rise. A higher score moves faster, it is not cheaper or better. Not investment or relocation advice.
Adjusted by Austin's cost-of-living index versus the US average.
| Median home value | $540,000 |
| Price per sq. ft. | $300 |
| Property tax rate | 1.8% |
| 1-bedroom rent | $1,500/mo |
| 2-bedroom rent | $1,900/mo |
| State & local income tax | 0% |
| Sales tax | 8.25% |
| Cost of living index | 107 |
| Groceries index | 97 |
| Utilities | $175/mo |
| Transit pass | $41/mo |
| Gas price | $2.95/gal |
| Healthcare index | 96 |
| Childcare (per child) | $1,350/mo |
| Median household income | $86,000 |
| Unemployment rate | 3.5% |
| Population | 980k |
| Crime index | 44/100 |
| School rating | 7.0/10 |
| Walkability | 42/100 |
| Disaster risk | 90/100 |
| Avg. commute | 27 min |
| Sunny days / year | 228 days |
| July high | 96°F |
| January low | 38°F |
| Annual snowfall | — |
| Home price YoY | -5.4% |
| Home price MoM | -0.6% |
| Rent YoY | -2.9% |
| Rent MoM | -0.3% |
| Ocean coast | 149 mi |
| Big lake | 12 mi |
| Mountains | 344 mi |
| Major airport | 22 mi |
| Ski resort | 512 mi |
Popular comparisons
Nearby
- Brushy Creek, TX · 20k
- Cedar Park, TX · 78k
- Round Rock, TX · 128k
- Pflugerville, TX · 66k
- Leander, TX · 74k
Similar size
- Fort Worth, TX · 963k
- El Paso, TX · 680k
- Dallas, TX · 1.3M
- San Antonio, TX · 1.5M
- Arlington, TX · 398k
Real listings in Austin
Homes on Zillow ↗Realtor.com ↗Rentals on Zillow ↗Apartments.com ↗
Links open third-party listing searches. WhereToHQ has no paid relationship with these sites.
- What is the cost of living in Austin, TX?
- Austin indexes at 107 for day-to-day costs against a national baseline of 100, with a typical two-bedroom renting for $1,900/mo and a median home value of $540,000.
- How much does a house cost in Austin?
- The median home value in Austin is $540,000, 110% above the Texas median (compiled estimate; individual listings vary).
- How much is rent in Austin?
- A two-bedroom in Austin rents for about $1,900/mo.