Quality of Life: How Austin Measures Up to Other Cities

In the past decade Austin has made the transition from an oversized college town to one of the nation's largest cities. In fact, Austin is now one of the nation's fastest growing cities, with an average of 150 people moving here each day. If you're curious about why so many people are choosing to live in Austin, take a look at what Sperling's Best Places has to say about the livability of our city:

Cost of Living

Certainly one of the most attractive aspects of living in Austin is the cost of living. Sperling’s Best Places gives Austin a rating of 107, which is slightly higher than the national average of 100. However, when taking into account the rating of necessary expenditures in Austin such as groceries (84.8 ), utilities (94), and transportation (95), you'll see that this city is actually more affordable than the national average.

Economy

It makes sense why so many young people are attracted to Austin given its thriving economy. The unemployment rate in Austin is 3.5 percent compared to the national average of 6.3 percent. The future job growth over the next 10 years is expected to be 42.1 percent, which makes Austin very appealing to job seekers.

Education

The University of Texas also offers a major boost to Austin and its economy, as the population of Austin residents with a four-year college education is 28.18 percent—much higher than the national average of 17.88 percent. Austin also offers a number of strong elementary, middle, and high schools in public, charter, and private school categories.

The scores offered by Sperling’s Best Places show that Austin a very livable and affordable city with one of the strongest economies in the nation. Our teams at Springs at Lakeline and Springs at Round Rock value being part of the Austin community, and we encourage you to learn more about what our city has to offer.

What other factors have you found that contribute to Austin’s livability? Share them with us in the comments.