Advantages & Disadvantages of Moving to Austin

You consider moving to Austin but want to learn more about the city before making your final decision?

Great! Stick with me since I will show you all the pros and cons of living in Austin in the following chapters.

Living in Austin – Overview

Advantages of Living in Austin

1. Austin has pretty low crime rates
2. Unemployment rate is low as well
3. Many big corporations to work for
4. Income level is higher than in most other big cities in Texas
5. Rents are still affordable
6. Average person can still afford to buy a home
7. Housing shortage is not a big problem in Austin yet
8. You don’t have to search for long to find a good place to stay in Austin
9. Average person can make a decent living in Austin
10. Austin is a pretty tolerant city
11. It attracts people from all over the world
12. You can meet people from many different cultures
13. People are friendly and willing to help you out
14. You can really grow in character by moving to Austin
15. Austin is a great place to socialize
16. Decent nightlife makes Austin interesting
17. Many leisure activities to choose from
18. You can spend lots of time in nature
19. You will never get bored in Austin
20. Great summers make Austin attractive
21. Winters in Austin are warmer than in most other cities
22. You can spend lots of time outdoors
23. Austin is not as crowded as other big cities
24. Air quality in Austin is decent
25. Population in Austin is growing
26. Decent future outlook for Austin
27. Austin is an important economic region
28. Austin has become increasingly attractive to people from all over the US
29. You will find many recreational spaces in Austin
30. People in Austin are more relaxed than in other major cities
31. Austin can be a decent place to invest in property
32. Austin is still a secret tip
33. Austin has a decent art scene
34. Many museums to choose from in Austin
35. You can watch many different sports events
36. You will find decent schools and universities in Austin
37. People in Austin are not as shallow as in other major cities
38. You will find everything you need for daily life
39. You will find most things within walking distance
40. Austin is a great place for every age group
41. Many people never leave Austin once they moved to this place
42. You can build a decent business network in Austin
43. You don’t have to deal with the pressure that comes along with living in more expensive cities
44. Easy to travel from Austin
45. Public transport is decent in Austin
46. Many different neighborhoods to choose from in Austin
47. Austin is a bike-friendly city
48. Traffic jams are not a big problem yet
49. Relatively easy to find a parking lot in Austin

Austin has pretty low crime rates

One advantage of moving to Austin is that crime rates are pretty low and Austin is a relatively safe city compared to most other big cities in the US.

Hence, it can be a great place for families since you can let your kids play outdoors without having to worry that much that they get involved in serious incidents in this regard.

Unemployment rate is low as well

Another reason to move to Austin is that the city has a pretty low unemployment rate and many people will find decent jobs sooner or later.

Thus, you can likely make a decent living from what you are doing in Austin as long as you have some skills that are valuable in the job market right now and are also willing to work hard.

Many big corporations to work for

Austin is a city where many big corporations are located and this means that you can also find many decent jobs in different sectors and it therefore doesn’t matter that much what exactly you’ve learned as long as you can generate value in the corporate world so that you can find and keep your job in the long run.

Income level is higher than in most other big cities in Texas

Another upside to moving to Austin is that the average income level is higher than national average and you can also make more money compared to other major cities in Texas.

Consequently, it will be easier for you to save and invest money for retirement and you will also be able to afford many nice things.

Rents are still affordable

Rents are also still pretty affordable in Austin and you don’t have to spend a high fraction of your disposable income on housing yet.

Consequently, you will have enough money left to spend on other nice things and can also afford some luxury, at least if you work in a job where you can make decent money and don’t overspend on rent.

Average person can still afford to buy a home

Not only rents are pretty low, but also property prices are still affordable in Austin and this means that the average person can still afford buying a home and living the classical American dream while people moving to San José often struggle in this regard since they have to spend too much of their disposable income on housing and don’t have enough left for other things of daily life.

Housing shortage is not a big problem in Austin yet

Since the housing market is still pretty relaxed compared to other major cities, housing shortage is not a big problem yet and this means that you can choose among a decent variety of homes and you will most likely find what you are looking for sooner or later.

You don’t have to search for long to find a good place to stay in Austin

Since demand for housing is not as big as in many other places, you will also not have to compete with many other prospective tenants when it comes to finding a home for rent and this means that you will also find a new place to stay relatively soon and don’t have to spend that much time searching for a nice place to live in Austin.

Average person can make a decent living in Austin

Since rents are still affordable and overall living costs are lower than in other major cities, the average person can still make a decent living in Austin while people living in NYC often struggle in this regard and often get into financial problems sooner or later since they just can’t afford living in such an expensive city in the long run.

Austin is a pretty tolerant city

Another benefit of moving to Austin is that people are pretty open and tolerant and you will be welcome no matter from what state you come from as long as you value local traditions and are also willing to adapt to the Austin lifestyle at least a little bit.

It attracts people from all over the world

Since Austin is a pretty tolerant place, it also attracts many people from all over the world and this means that you can have interesting conversations with people from many exotic parts of our planet and can make many new friends in the long run.

You can meet people from many different cultures

Since you can meet so many different people from different countries, you can also experience many different cultures and this can really help you see the world from a different perspective and you can also become a more tolerant person since you will understand that your lifestyle is just one out of many and that it is also important to tolerate other ways of life.

People are friendly and willing to help you out

People in Austin are also pretty friendly and also willing to help you out.

For instance, if you get lost and don’t find your way back home, there will be many people around you whom you can ask for help and those people will be happy to assist you and to get you back on track.

You can really grow in character by moving to Austin

Since you can have many interesting discussions with people from all over the world, you can also really grow in character by moving to Austin since you will just become more open to new things and will also be less likely to just stay in your own bubble as many other people often do for their entire lives.

Austin is a great place to socialize

Another advantage of living in Austin is that this city is a great place to socialize.

Since people are friendly and outgoing, it will not take you long to make many new social connections during various tasks of daily life and some of those social connections will become really good friends.

Thus, you don’t have to worry about getting socially isolated once you move to Austin since you will find many new friends pretty soon as long as you are friendly and open yourself and don’t just spend your entire life at home.

Decent nightlife makes Austin interesting

Austin also has many decent bars and clubs to choose from.

While you will not have the same quality of nightlife as in NYC or other major cities, chances are that you will still not get bored with nightlife in Austin and you can still party until the early morning if you wish to.

Many leisure activities to choose from

Since Austin is a big city, you will also have many leisure activities to choose from.

Not only can you go to the movies, but you can also participate in many different sports clubs or can spend your time in various other ways you may prefer even more.

You can spend lots of time in nature

Since Austin is surrounded by nice lakes, you will have more than enough opportunities to go fishing, swimming, hiking, kayaking and so on so that you can spend lots of time in nature and really relax from your stressful life and also reload your batteries without having to drive long hours.

You will never get bored in Austin

Since there are so many different things to do in and around Austin, chances are that you will never get bored living in this city. In fact, you will often find more than enough events and will often have to choose one out of many.

Great summers make Austin attractive

Another benefit of living in Austin is that you can experience many great summers and you will also be able to enjoy lots of sun.

Thus, if you are a sun lover and also like the heat, moving to Austin can also make sense for you from a climatic standpoint.

Winters in Austin are warmer than in most other cities

Not only will you be able to enjoy hot summers, but you will also have pretty warm winters and if you don’t like the cold at all but rather want to live in a pretty warm place, moving to Austin will make more sense for you compared to moving to Chicago or other cities that are much colder on average.

You can spend lots of time outdoors

Since Austin offers nice weather and overall temperatures are pretty high, you can also spend lots of time outdoors and this gives you the opportunity to spend your time after work in a nice park so that you can better relax from your workday compared to just sitting at home in your confined apartment.

Austin is not as crowded as other big cities

While Austin is a big city, it is still not as crowded as other major cities in the US and this means that you will have enough space to move and will not run into people on a regular basis.

It also means that you will find many quiet spaces if you want to be on your own for a certain period of time.

Air quality in Austin is decent

Another upside to living in Austin is that air quality is pretty decent compared to other big cities and this will not only increase your overall quality of life but also makes it less likely that you will suffer from pulmonary or cardiovascular diseases in the long run since good air quality is crucial for staying healthy.

Population in Austin is growing

Population in Austin has also been growing significantly over the past decade and chances are that this trend will also continue in the future.

Consequently, Austin becomes increasingly popular and chances are that overall quality of life and overall infrastructure will become even better just a few years from now.

Decent future outlook for Austin

Since population is growing at rapid speed, the city of Austin will also have a bright future for many years to come and you don’t have to worry about too many people leaving this region. Instead, you will find everything you need for many years to come.

Austin is an important economic region

Since many big corporations are located in Austin and it is also a big city, Austin is a pretty important economic region and the state will therefore make sure that the Austin region will stay a livable place and you can expect significant investment in infrastructure in the near future.

Austin has become increasingly attractive to people from all over the US

Since Austin provides decent quality of life while rents and property prices are still reasonably low, Austin has become an attractive place to move to for many people from all over the US and this means that the city becomes increasingly diverse and interesting in the long run.

You will find many recreational spaces in Austin

Not only will you have many recreational spaces near Austin where you can go fishing, hunting and do many other nature activities, but you will also have many parks and other places where you can relax in the city center and don’t have to drive long distances in this regard.

People in Austin are more relaxed than in other major cities

Since people in Austin don’t have to make as much money as other people who live in more expensive cities, people in Austin also have more time to spend on leisure and are also just more relaxed since they don’t have to deal with the huge financial burden that often comes along with living in L.A. or other more expensive regions.

Austin can be a decent place to invest in property

Since property prices in Austin are still fairly low while rental yields are pretty decent, Austin can also be an interesting place to invest in property since due to population growth, demand for housing and property prices and rents may increase significantly over the next decade.

Austin is still a secret tip

While Austin has become increasingly popular, it is still a rather secret place that not that many people all over the US are aware of and the city may be booming once people realize how well you can live in this place while you still only have to spend a fraction of what you would have to spend on rent in other more expensive cities.

Austin has a decent art scene

Moving to Austin can also make quite a lot of sense for you in case you are an artist or just interested in art since you will find a decent art scene and many like-minded people to spend your time with so that you can make really good friends with other artists in the long run.

Many museums to choose from in Austin

Not only will you find a decent art scene, but you will also have many museums and exhibitions in Austin and you will therefore find more than enough opportunities in this regard.

You can watch many different sports events

While Austin doesn’t have as many popular sports teams as other major cities, you can still watch many decent sports events in Austin and can meet many like-minded people to hang out with.

You will find decent schools and universities in Austin

Austin also offers pretty decent education and you will also find many schools and colleges where your kids can get decent schooling and learn everything they need to succeed in life later on.

People in Austin are not as shallow as in other major cities

People in Austin are also more real and less shallow compared to other major cities in the US.

For instance, while people in NYC often brag about all the nice things they got, people in Austin usually don’t do that in the same manner and rather focus on friendships and inner values instead.

You will find everything you need for daily life

Since Austin provides decent public infrastructure, you will also find all the things you need and don’t have to drive long hours to other cities as would be the case if you moved to smaller towns or villages.

You will find most things within walking distance

You will also find many things for daily life within walking distance and this is quite convenient since you can get what you need pretty soon by just walking down the street for a few minutes.

Austin is a great place for every age group

Austin is not only a great place to live in for young people, but also the older generation will find everything it needs to live a happy and content life in Austin and this means that you will find a healthy balance between young and old people in this region.

Many people never leave Austin once they moved to this place

Since Austin is a great place for every age group, you may never have to leave the region and can stay happy in this place for the rest of your life without having to move ever again.

You can build a decent business network in Austin

Since job prospects in Austin are pretty decent, you can also meet many ambitious people from all over the world and can therefore build a strong business network in the long run that may help you find decent career opportunities for many years to come.

You don’t have to deal with the pressure that comes along with living in more expensive cities

While many other people living in more expensive regions often struggle financially and have to worry about paying their bills all day long, you don’t have the same level of pressure in Austin since living and housing costs are much lower and you will have a rather relaxed time in this regard.

Easy to travel from Austin

Since Austin has an international airport, it is also pretty easy to get from Austin to many exotic places in the world without having to deal with layovers so that you can get from A to B in the most efficient manner.

Public transport is decent in Austin

Another reason for moving to Austin is that public transport is pretty decent in the city center and you may not even need a car to get around if you live close enough to the center.

Many different neighborhoods to choose from in Austin

Since Austin is a big city, you will also have many different neighborhoods to choose from and you can just go for properties in the boroughs where you find the most like-minded people so that you can stay happy with your housing situation in the long run.

Austin is a bike-friendly city

Austin is also a bike-friendly city and you can get around by bike in a relatively safe manner.

Consequently, you can rather use your bike instead of your car and can not only save money on fuel but can also do good for our environment.

Traffic jams are not a big problem yet

Another advantage of moving to Austin is that traffic jams are not a big problem yet since many people get around by bike and compared to other big cities, you will not lose much time in traffic but can rather get around in a pretty efficient manner.

Relatively easy to find a parking lot in Austin

Since traffic is not a big problem in Austin yet, it is also pretty easy to find a parking lot in Austin and you can therefore save lots of time and money in this regard in the long run.

As you can see, there are many reasons to move to Austin.

However, it is still not all sunshine and we also have to talk about the downsides that come along with it so that you can better decide whether you still want to move to Austin or rather want to live in a different place instead.

Disadvantages of Living in Austin

1. Austin may be too hot for you
2. Lack of seasons in Austin may become annoying
3. Austin is not located at the coast
4. Landscape around Austin is not as diverse as in other places
5. Low-qualified people often have a hard time finding a job
6. Property prices in Austin have increased significantly over the past years
7. Rents have increased as well
8. Housing shortage may become a serious problem
9. Average person may no longer be able to make a good living in the future
10. Austin will become increasingly crowded
11. Public infrastructure may not be suitable to host too many new people
12. Many locals may have to leave Austin
13. Gap between the poor and the rich increases
14. Social tensions may increase as well
15. Homelessness may become a serious problem in Austin
16. Austin may run out of water sooner or later
17. Natural disasters may destroy your home
18. Austin is not the most popular city
19. Austin is not well-known by international tourists
20. Austin is not the most glamorous city
21. You may miss the feeling of big city life
22. You will not meet many famous people in Austin
23. Public transport outside the city center is relatively poor
24. It takes time to get from one end of the city to the other
25. You may have to justify for moving to Austin
26. Not as many great shopping opportunities as in other big cities in the US
27. You may not be satisfied with nightlife in Austin
28. Many people in Austin live a pretty unhealthy lifestyle

Austin may be too hot for you

One problem with living in Austin is that it is pretty hot and you will have many days above 100 degrees Fahrenheit.

In turn, this means that you will sweat quite a lot and if you are the kind of person who doesn’t like the heat, you should rather move to cooler places instead.

Lack of seasons in Austin may become annoying

While you will have real seasons in New York City or many other places in the US, you will have hot summers and pretty warm winters in Austin and this may become really annoying in the long run since you will almost never experience really cold weather.

Austin is not located at the coast

Another downside to moving to Austin is that the city is not directly located at the coast.

Hence, while people living in Long Beach or other places on the West Coast can go surfing just a few minutes from their homes, you will not have the same luxury in Austin.

Landscape around Austin is not as diverse as in other places

While Austin is surrounded by nice lakes, you will still not find as much astounding landscape as in other regions and you may therefore not be able to enjoy your leisure in nature that much.

Low-qualified people often have a hard time finding a job

While Austin has many great jobs for highly-qualified people, people with poor education often have a hard time finding a job and may really struggle to make a living and sometimes even have to work a second job to survive.

Property prices in Austin have increased significantly over the past years

While property prices in Austin are still fairly low compared to other major cities in the US, they still have increased significantly over the past decade and if this trend continues, the average person may no longer be able to afford buying a home in the near future.

Rents have increased as well

Not only property prices have increased, but also rents have skyrocketed in Austin over the past years and tenants may have a hard time finding an affordable place to live just a few years from now.

Housing shortage may become a serious problem

Due to increasing population and increasing popularity all over the US, demand for housing in Austin has increased significantly over the past years and if this trend continues, the average person may have a hard time finding a suitable place to live in the future.

Average person may no longer be able to make a good living in the future

Since rents and property prices tend to increase, the average person may also no longer be able to make a decent living in the future and may really struggle to pay his or her bills.

Austin will become increasingly crowded

Another disadvantage of moving to Austin is that due to population growth, the city will become increasingly crowded and you may no longer have enough space and may rather have to share public spaces with a high number of other people which may prevent you from relaxing in public parks or other places.

Public infrastructure may not be suitable to host too many new people

Since Austin has been growing significantly over the past decade, public infrastructure may collapse sooner or later since the city has never been meant to accommodate that many people and this may greatly lower overall quality of life in the long run.

Many locals may have to leave Austin

Another reason not to move to Austin is that many locals will no longer be able to afford to live in Austin just a few years from now and once those people leave the city, Austin may just lose lots of its charm and may no longer offer the same high quality of life just a few years from now.

Gap between the poor and the rich increases

You should also know that overall level of inequality has increased in Austin over the past decade and in case this trend continues, people may no longer be that friendly since poor people will become increasingly frustrated and crime rates may increase as well.

Social tensions may increase as well

Due to an increasing level of inequality, also social tensions may increase sooner or later and people in Austin may just no longer live in the same harmony as they currently still do.

Homelessness may become a serious problem in Austin

Another problem with moving to Austin is that due to increasing property prices, many people may no longer be able to afford to pay for rent and many people may get evicted and may end up homeless in the streets and you may just be one of them if you are unlucky and lose your job for various possible reasons.

Austin may run out of water sooner or later

Since Austin is a pretty hot place, water scarcity may become a serious problem in the future and due to climate change, the Austin region may run out of drinking water just a few years from now and this would greatly decrease overall quality of life.

Natural disasters may destroy your home

Another downside to living in Austin is that the region is vulnerable to natural disasters like tornadoes or wildfires and if you are unlucky, those natural disasters may not only take away your home but even your life.

Austin is not the most popular city

While Austin has a solid reputation, it is still not the most popular city and you should therefore not expect the same high quality of life compared to other major cities in the US.

Austin is not well-known by international tourists

While Austin is known by many people in the US, it is still not that popular among tourists and if you want to meet many people from all over the world, there may be better places for you to move to.

Austin is not the most glamorous city

Austin is also not the right city for you if you love the glamor and want to be at the center of the universe since there are just not as many fancy events going on as in many other big cities like L.A.

You may miss the feeling of big city life

In general, although Austin is a big city, many people living in Austin still miss big city life as they are used to from other big cities like NYC and you should therefore not have too high expectations in this regard.

You will not meet many famous people in Austin

Another disadvantage of living in Austin is that you will not meet as many famous people as in other more popular cities and if you want to connect to and hang out with celebrities, moving to San Diego or other places may be better for you in this regard.

Public transport outside the city center is relatively poor

While public transport is decent in the city center, it is pretty poor in the suburbs of Austin and you may therefore need a car to get around instead of just relying on buses or trains.

It takes time to get from one end of the city to the other

Since Austin is a relatively big city, it will also take time to get from one end to the other and this can be really annoying if you want to visit your friends in different quarters of the city and have to spend lots of time to get there.

You may have to justify for moving to Austin

Some of your friends will also not understand your decision of moving to Austin and you may therefore have to justify quite a lot in this regard.

Not as many great shopping opportunities as in other big cities in the US

While you will find many decent shopping malls, you will still not have as many fancy boutiques in Austin compared to NYC and if you are a fashion victim, you may rather want to move to different cities instead.

You may not be satisfied with nightlife in Austin

Austin also doesn’t have the greatest bars and clubs and you may therefore run out of options in this regard in the long run.

Many people in Austin live a pretty unhealthy lifestyle

Like in many other cities in Texas, people in Austin also often live a pretty unhealthy lifestyle and if you move to this city, chances are that you will adapt to this behavior and may also live less healthily yourself.

Top 10 Moving To Austin Pros & Cons – Summary List

Should You Move To Austin?

Moving to Austin can make quite a lot of sense since property prices and rents are still reasonably low and the average person can still make a decent living in this region.

Austin is also a pretty safe city and unemployment rate is relatively low.

However, Austin is also not as glamorous as other big cities and may not provide the same high quality of life.

Thus, it is on you to evaluate all the advantages and disadvantages of living in Austin so that you can better decide whether you still want to move to Austin or rather want to live in a different region instead.

Alternative Cities To Live In

If you don’t want to move to Austin anymore, you should also have a look at the following articles:

Advantages and disadvantages of living in Dallas

Advantages and disadvantages of living in Houston

Advantages and disadvantages of living in Anaheim

Sources

https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/austincitytexas/LND110210

About the author

This site is about living, moving and traveling to various parts of our fascinating planet.

My name is Andreas and when I was younger, I traveled the world and learned a lot about different cultures and countries.

Thus, I want to share my experiences with you so that you can benefit from them and avoid common mistakes in this regard.

In my articles, you will find everything you need to find the best location for a happy and successful life.