Austin is a place where the best of both worlds collide – trends meet rich culture, political passion embraces open-minded views and big business thrives in a laid-back atmosphere. There are many great reasons to make Austin your home, but don’t take our word for it. Judge the following facts for yourself about what makes Austin such a great place to live.
#1 - Quality of life
For its cost of living, attractions and business scene, Austin was ranked sixth among the "Best Cities to Live, Work and Play" by Kiplinger's Personal Finance in July 2008. In addition, the Austin-Round Rock area was ranked seventh among the "10 Best Places to Live" based on financial, educational and quality of life criteria by Money Magazine in August 2008. Austin is also environmentally friendly and was named among “America’s Top 10 Greenest Cities” based on electricity, transportation, green living and recycling by Popular Science in March 2008.
#2 - Great jobs
You can earn a great living in Austin and find comfort in knowing the city is poised for continued job growth. According to the Texas Workforce Commission, Central Texas gained 1.3 percent more jobs, or 10,919, from 2007 to 2008. In fact, the Austin-area unemployment rate has been below the Texas and national rate consecutively each month for the last three years.
In January 2008, Austin topped Forbes' list of "America's Fastest Growing Metros" and was the winner among the country's most economically healthy large metros. Forbes Magazine also ranked Austin third among “Best Cities for Jobs” in 2008, first for income growth and second for employment growth.
Historically, Austin wages have also grown faster than anywhere else in Texas. In fact, from 2002 to 2007, Austin had the largest median family income of all Texas cities, according to the Real Estate Center at Texas A&M University.
#3 - Smart people
Not only is the greater Austin area home to five successful universities, it was named the 24th "Smartest City in America" by Forbes Magazine in February 2008. Among Austinites ages 25 and older, 85 percent have graduated high school and more than 35 percent have a bachelor’s degree or higher.
Austin is also a town of innovators and entrepreneurs. According to the Austin Chamber of Commerce, more than 2,100 patents were assigned to Austin innovators in 2007. In addition, Entrepreneur Magazine recognized Austin as the third "Most Innovative City" in the United States in December 2008.
#4 – Friendly neighbors
Good neighbors are the backbone of the Austin community, making it a great place to raise a family and get involved. Accolades that attest to this include a ranking of third place among the "Best Cities for Relocating Families" in 2008 by the association for workforce mobility, Primacy Relocation and Worldwide ERC, and inclusion among the "Top 20 Best Places to Raise a Family" by Best Life Magazine in May 2008. Throughout these reports, the city’s safety, diversity, pedestrian and bike friendliness as well as the presence of parks and public spaces (more than 14,000 acres) were noted as key qualities.
Also, Travel + Leisure Magazine recently took notice of Austin’s residents in its study on "America's Favorite Cities" in 2008. The city came in second place for friendliness and athleticism and third place for intelligence and attractiveness.
#5 – Entertainment
Austin is has been coined "The Live Music Capital of the World" and is home to two of America's largest music festivals, South by Southwest and the Austin City Limits Music Festival. In addition to its renown music scene, Austin was also was named one of the "Best Cities for Singles" by Forbes in 2008. For those seeking excitement outside the city, Austin is also within 20 minutes of Lake Travis and surrounded by the beautiful hill country, offering terrain and activities for outdoor enthusiasts of every type.
Need to see it to believe it? Choose from a variety of short videos offering an inside look at Austin living, art, business, entertainment, history, outdoor recreation, music and more.