Austin guide

City guide · Austin area

Moving to Austin

Austin passed 1 million people in 2025, at the center of a metro of about 2.6 million that is still growing fast. After a wave of new apartment buildings, a one-bedroom averages about $1,305 a month, down 10% in a year. Texas has no state income tax, but property taxes are high, most people drive, and light rail is years away. Summers are long and hot.

First time here? Moving to Austin? Start here →

Updated October 21, 2026 · Every number links to its source at the bottom of the page

1-bedroom rent~$1,305Zumper average, Oct 2026
State income taxNoneTexas has no personal income tax
Sales tax8.25%6.25% state + 2% local
Bus fare$1.25CapMetro local, capped at $2.50 a day

What do you want to know about Austin?

What are the key facts about Austin? Who moves to Austin, and why? How is Austin different from the Austin metro? How expensive is it to live in Austin? What should you know before renting? How do you get around Austin? What is the weather like? What is the job market like? Where do newcomers live? Quick answers to common questions All in-depth Austin articles

What are the key facts about Austin?

FactAustin
PopulationAbout 1,002,600 city, 2.62 million metro (Census estimates, 2025)
Average 1-bedroom rent$1,305 (Zumper, October 2026)
State income taxNone
Sales tax8.25%
Minimum wage$7.25/hour (federal)
Living wage, 1 adult$23.69/hour (MIT, Travis County)
CapMetro fares$1.25 local bus, $3.50 MetroRail; rising to $1.50 and $4.00 on January 10, 2027
January average high / lowAbout 63°F / 42°F
August average high / lowAbout 98°F / 75°F
Days at 100°F or hotterAbout 29 a year (1991–2020 average)

Who moves to Austin, and why?

Austin crossed 1 million residents for the first time in 2025. The Census Bureau put the city at 1,002,632 people, which makes it the 12th largest city in the country, according to the City of Austin. The city credits job growth, housing costs that have come down from their pandemic peak, and people moving in from the rest of Texas and the country.

Most newcomers come for one of three things:

  • Tech and other office jobs. Professional and business services is the region’s biggest job sector, with about 291,500 jobs in August 2026 (BLS). Tesla’s Giga Texas factory in southeast Travis County had about 16,500 workers at the end of 2025, down from about 21,200 a year earlier (Austin American-Statesman).
  • The University of Texas at Austin. UT had a record of about 55,000 students in fall 2025, and it got more than 100,000 undergraduate applications for fall 2026 (CBS Austin). Many students stay after they graduate.
  • State government. Austin is the capital of Texas. Government work at all levels adds up to about 201,000 jobs in the metro (BLS, August 2026).

What’s the difference between Austin and the Austin metro?

The city has about 1 million people. The Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos metro area has about 2.62 million, after adding roughly 53,800 people between July 2024 and July 2025 (Census estimates, via CultureMap Austin). A lot of that growth is in the suburbs, not the city.

  • Round Rock, directly north, has more than 141,000 people (KUT, May 2026). Dell’s headquarters is here.
  • Cedar Park and Leander, to the northwest, are part of fast-growing Williamson County. Leander grew from about 59,000 people in 2020 to about 91,000 (KUT) and is the end of the MetroRail line.
  • Pflugerville, northeast of the city, is in Travis and Williamson counties, which together added the most new housing in the metro in 2025 (City of Austin).
  • Kyle and Buda, south along I-35 in Hays County, where housing grew at one of the fastest rates of any U.S. county in 2025 (City of Austin).

Suburbs can mean newer buildings and more space for the money. They usually also mean a longer drive and different utilities. Austin Energy serves the city, but suburbs may have their own utility, so ask which one serves the address before you sign a lease.

How expensive is it to live in Austin?

Cheaper than the coastal cities, and cheaper than it was. MIT estimates a single adult in Travis County needs about $49,300 a year before taxes ($23.69 an hour) to cover a basic budget, compared with about $48,500 in Dallas County, $55,600 in Atlanta’s Fulton County, $52,900 in Chicago and $79,500 in Manhattan. Housing is the biggest cost at about $18,200 a year, and transportation is next at about $8,500, because most people drive.

What taxes will you pay in Austin?

  • No state income tax. Texas doesn’t tax wages, so you pay only federal income tax.
  • Sales tax of 8.25%: 6.25% state, 1% city and 1% for CapMetro.
  • High property taxes. Renters don’t get a bill, but landlords build property taxes into rent.

Cash to move in: about $2,541 for a renter without a car (first month’s rent, a one-month deposit and a month of transit). See how Austin compares on move-in costs with the other cities we cover.

Go deeper

Cost of livingHow much does it cost to live in Austin?One adult needs about $49,300 a year to cover basics in Austin. Here's what rent, taxes, utilities, car costs, transit and groceries really cost, and how Austin compares with other big cities.Updated Oct 23, 2026Cost of livingDo you need a car in Austin?Most Austin newcomers need a car, but car-light living works Downtown and near MetroRapid. Here is what traffic, I-35 construction, tolls, ownership costs, Texas registration rules and robotaxis mean for you.Updated Oct 23, 2026

What should you know before renting in Austin?

Renters have the upper hand. Austin added tens of thousands of apartments after the pandemic, and Zumper put the average one-bedroom at $1,305 a month in October 2026, down 10% from a year earlier. In July 2026, 37% of stabilized apartments offered a move-in deal, averaging 15.2% off, according to RealPage data reported by The Close, so ask for one.

Texas law doesn’t cap security deposits, but landlords must refund your deposit, or explain any deductions in writing, within 30 days after you move out and give a forwarding address. Since October 1, 2026, Austin landlords with 50 or more units must give you an itemized list of fees before you apply. Texas leases must also include a flood disclosure, and parts of Austin flood fast, so check the city’s floodplain map.

Go deeper

RentingHow does renting an apartment in Austin work?Renting in Austin in 2026 means falling rents, frequent move-in deals and a few Texas rules to know, from application fees and deposits to flood notices, utilities and avoiding scams.Updated Oct 22, 2026

Browse Austin apartment buildings

Our free sister site, AustinApartmentBuildings.com, lists 197 apartment buildings in Austin, with the year built, size, pet policy and amenities for each. Pick a neighborhood to see its buildings.

Some of the largest buildings in the directory

Oak HillMonterey Ranch1,072 units · 3 floors · built 1995The DomainGallery at The Domain903 units · 4 floors · built 2015East AustinResidences at Saltillo703 units · 5 floors · built 2019MuellerAMLI Park Central650 units · built 2027

See all 16 neighborhoods and 197 buildings on AustinApartmentBuildings.com →

How do you get around Austin?

Most people drive. Living with little or no car is realistic mainly Downtown and in central and East Austin, near the MetroRapid lines.

  • MetroRapid: four frequent bus lines on major corridors. Lines 800 and 837 run every 10 minutes on weekdays.
  • MetroRail Red Line: one commuter train line from Downtown to Leander, Monday through Saturday.
  • Fares: $1.25 a bus ride, capped at $2.50 a day when you pay with the Umo app or a reloadable card. Fares rise to $1.50 on January 10, 2027.
  • Light rail: Project Connect plans a 9.8-mile first line. Construction is expected to start in 2027, with trains targeted for 2033.

Go deeper

Cost of livingDo you need a car in Austin?Most Austin newcomers need a car, but car-light living works Downtown and near MetroRapid. Here is what traffic, I-35 construction, tolls, ownership costs, Texas registration rules and robotaxis mean for you.Updated Oct 23, 2026Getting aroundHow does public transit work in Austin?A plain guide to Austin public transit in 2026: CapMetro buses and Rapid lines, the Red Line train, Pickup, airport bus, fare capping, 2027 fare increases, bikeshare and light rail plans.Updated Oct 21, 2026

What is the weather like in Austin?

Long, hot summers, mild winters with a few hard freezes, and storms that can bring sudden flooding. These are averages from NOAA’s 1991–2020 normals for Camp Mabry:

MonthAverage highAverage low
January63°F42°F
April80°F59°F
July97°F75°F
October83°F61°F

Austin gets about 36 inches of rain a year, often in heavy bursts. The area is known as Flash Flood Alley, so learn which roads near you flood and never drive into water on a road. Camp Mabry averages about 29 days a year at 100°F or hotter, and winter storms such as Uri in 2021 and the February 2023 ice storm caused long power outages. Many people also get cedar fever, an allergy to mountain cedar pollen, from December to February.

Go deeper

WeatherWhat is the weather like in Austin?Austin weather by month from NOAA 1991-2020 normals, plus what newcomers should know about 100-degree summers, flash floods, cedar fever, ice storms and how to sign up for local alerts.Updated Oct 21, 2026

What is the job market like in Austin?

Austin’s economy is built on tech, state government, the University of Texas, health care and manufacturing. Three Fortune 500 companies are based in the metro: Dell, Tesla and Oracle. Metro unemployment was 3.9% in August 2026. Average pay by job group in the Austin metro, from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (May 2025 data; yearly figures assume full-time work):

Job groupAverage hourly wageAbout per year
Management$71.09$147,900
Computer and math$58.73$122,200
Healthcare practitioners$48.95$101,800
Business and finance$44.76$93,100
All jobs$35.85$74,600
Teaching and library$31.36$65,200
Sales$28.31$58,900
Office and admin support$25.20$52,400
Food prep and serving$16.50$34,300

Go deeper

JobsWhat is the Austin job market like?Austin unemployment was 3.9% in August 2026 and the average job paid $35.85 an hour, but tech hiring has cooled; here are wages, top employers, commutes and how to job hunt.Updated Oct 21, 2026

Where do newcomers live in Austin?

  • Downtown and Rainey Street: high-rises near Lady Bird Lake, the most walkable part of the city and among the priciest.
  • East Austin: older homes, new apartments, restaurants and bars just east of I-35.
  • Mueller: a planned neighborhood on the old airport site, with parks and newer apartments.
  • Hyde Park and North Loop: older, quieter streets north of UT, on MetroRapid.
  • South Congress and South Lamar: shops, restaurants and a mix of older and newer buildings close to downtown.
  • The Domain and North Austin: big apartment complexes near tech offices and shopping.
  • East Riverside: large complexes with lower rents, close to downtown and the airport.
  • Suburbs: Round Rock, Cedar Park and Pflugerville, for more space and lower rents, with longer drives.

Go deeper

NeighborhoodsWhat are the best Austin neighborhoods for newcomers?Compare 10 Austin neighborhoods and suburbs newcomers actually choose, with 2026 rent averages, MetroRapid and MetroRail access, and tips on commutes, school districts and flood maps before you sign a lease.Updated Oct 21, 2026

Frequently asked questions about moving to Austin

How much is rent in Austin?

The average one-bedroom was about $1,305 a month in October 2026, according to Zumper, down 10% from a year earlier.

Does Texas have a state income tax?

No. Texas has no personal state income tax. Austin’s sales tax is 8.25%, and property taxes are high.

Do you need a car in Austin?

Most people do. Living car-light is realistic mainly Downtown and in central and East Austin, near MetroRapid.

How long do you have to switch your car and license to Texas?

30 days to register your car, after a passing emissions inspection in Travis County, and 90 days to get a Texas driver license.

What is cedar fever?

An allergy to mountain cedar pollen that peaks from December to February. Even people who never had allergies elsewhere can get it.

What have we written about Austin so far?

Cost of livingHow much does it cost to live in Austin?One adult needs about $49,300 a year to cover basics in Austin. Here's what rent, taxes, utilities, car costs, transit and groceries really cost, and how Austin compares with other big cities.Updated Oct 23, 2026Cost of livingDo you need a car in Austin?Most Austin newcomers need a car, but car-light living works Downtown and near MetroRapid. Here is what traffic, I-35 construction, tolls, ownership costs, Texas registration rules and robotaxis mean for you.Updated Oct 23, 2026Moving logisticsHow do you move to Austin? A step-by-step checklistA step-by-step Austin moving checklist from eight weeks out to your first month, covering budget, apartments, Austin Energy and utility deposits, summer heat, car registration, DPS license and voting.Updated Oct 22, 2026RentingHow does renting an apartment in Austin work?Renting in Austin in 2026 means falling rents, frequent move-in deals and a few Texas rules to know, from application fees and deposits to flood notices, utilities and avoiding scams.Updated Oct 22, 2026Getting aroundHow does public transit work in Austin?A plain guide to Austin public transit in 2026: CapMetro buses and Rapid lines, the Red Line train, Pickup, airport bus, fare capping, 2027 fare increases, bikeshare and light rail plans.Updated Oct 21, 2026NeighborhoodsWhat are the best Austin neighborhoods for newcomers?Compare 10 Austin neighborhoods and suburbs newcomers actually choose, with 2026 rent averages, MetroRapid and MetroRail access, and tips on commutes, school districts and flood maps before you sign a lease.Updated Oct 21, 2026WeatherWhat is the weather like in Austin?Austin weather by month from NOAA 1991-2020 normals, plus what newcomers should know about 100-degree summers, flash floods, cedar fever, ice storms and how to sign up for local alerts.Updated Oct 21, 2026JobsWhat is the Austin job market like?Austin unemployment was 3.9% in August 2026 and the average job paid $35.85 an hour, but tech hiring has cooled; here are wages, top employers, commutes and how to job hunt.Updated Oct 21, 2026Moving logisticsWhat should you do in your first 30 days in Austin?A week-by-week plan for new Austin residents: car registration and license deadlines, utilities and alerts, CapMetro and the Butler Trail, fall 2026 events, a library card and voter registration.Updated Oct 21, 2026

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