Best Life Index › States › Texas › Cities › Austin

Texas city profile

What Is It Like to Live in Austin?

What it costs to live in Austin, and how it compares with other Texas cities, in plain numbers.

Value score

26

186th best value in Texas

How much you get for what you pay, versus other Texas cities.

Overall livability

48

104th overall in Texas

Cost, safety, schools, jobs and quality of life combined.

Austin is home to about 944,658 people. A typical home runs $381,400 and a household earns around $79,000, a price-to-income ratio of 4.8. Among Texas's largest cities, it ranks 186th for value and 104th overall.

Austin at a glance

Median home price

$381,400

195th in TX of 198

Median rent

$1,415/mo

Median household income

$79,000

Home price to income

4.8x

Unemployment

4.5%

75th in TX of 198

School rating

7/10

59th in TX of 198

Air quality (AQI)

45

0th in TX of 198

Walk score

100/100

See your real take-home pay in Texas

Enter your salary and see your paycheck after Texas taxes.

Calculate my take-home pay ›

‹ See all top Texas cities ranked  ยท  Texas state profile ›

Sources: Home prices and rent from Zillow; income, unemployment and commute from the U.S. Census; school ratings from state education data; crime from the FBI; air quality from the EPA. City rankings are within Texas only. Updated 2026.