Reasons to Live in Austin, Texas – The Ultimate List

Are you considering a move to Austin, Texas? Wondering if it’s the right place for you to live? Well, this is a life decision you have to make for yourself. But as long-time Austin residents, we feel there are plenty of reasons to support such a decision. Here’s our list of reasons to live in Austin — enjoy!

1. In 2009, Austin ranked #1 on Forbes magazine’s list of “Best Cities for Recession Recovery.” This is a testament to the city’s affordable housing, growing economy, and well-educated workforce. The authors said that “from now to the end of 2010, the economy of Austin is projected to grow by $5 billion, and unemployment has stayed relatively subdued.”
2. A few months earlier, Forbes also listed Austin as one of the top-ten cities where Americans are relocating. They said it has a lot to do with “the metro area’s thriving music, film and fine arts scenes, but it’s also about the employers, which include University of Texas, Advanced Micro Devices and Dell.”
3. Also in 2009, Austin showed up on Yahoo Finance’s list of best places to live in 2009. According to the author: “If you’re a free spirit, music junkie, or barbecue lover–or if you simply have what it takes to ‘keep Austin weird’–Texas’s state capital is for you. The city’s warm climate offers plenty of sunshine, while the open green spaces don’t provide any excuse for staying indoors.”
4. Again in 2009, Austin appeared on U.S. News & World Report’s list of best places to live. You will soon see a trend with these lists.
5. Yet again in 2009, MSNBC took a stab at the “best places” list by compiling the results of several other publications. Austin ranked #8 on this list.
6. Forbes magazine listed Austin as #1 on its 2009 list of best cities for jobs, in the big cities category. According to the author: “Job growth between 2004 and 2008 was a whopping 14.8%–and even between 2007 and 2008, overall growth remained in the black.”
7. Austin also appeared at the top of Cooking Light magazine’s list of best cities. This particular list focused on healthy living and eating. According to the author: “Austin has an abundance of vegetarian restaurants that make creative use of produce from the city’s 10 farmers’ markets.”
8. In 2008, Austin ranked #6 on Kiplinger’s annual ranking of best cities in the United States. The authors said: “Austin and the surrounding region offer a strong economy, a solid, moderately priced housing market, a growing population and enough natural beauty to justify staying outside even if the weather weren’t great — which, by the way, it is.”
9. Also in 2008, Austin ranked #1 on Forbes magazine’s list of cities that were the “Best Bang for the Buck.” This particular list ranked cities based on affordable housing, job growth, and other economic factors. According to the author: “Residents [of Austin] enjoy affordable housing and promising prospects for job growth in coming years.”
10. Again in 2008, Austin showed up in Smart Money magazine’s list of five best cities for job hunting. The authors stated that: “Overall, this metropolitan area registered the fourth largest job growth — 2.89% — between March 2007 and March 2008 of all the cities Milken surveyed.”
11. In 2006, Austin ranked #2 on Money magazine’s list of best places to live (in the big cities category).
12. Also in 2006, the city tied for 3rd place in a list of the smartest cities, published by BizJournals.com. Actually, this list merely ranked cities with the highest percentage of college graduates. And let’s face it — you don’t have to be a genius to get a bachelor’s degree in this country. So perhaps it’s better to say that is Austin is a well-educated city, relatively speaking.
13. Again in 2006, Austin showed up in the top five cities that Kiplinger’s considered smart places to live. The authors referred to the city as a “sophisticated salsa of culture, history and politics.” Nice.
14. In 2003, Austin ranked #1 on Forbes magazine’s best cities for singles. According to the author: “Picture a place where thousands of young people run along the riverbank to tone their bodies, the days are filled with sunshine, and the supply of high-paying jobs is as endless as Texas itself. That place is Austin, Texas

Our Own Reasons to Live in Austin

Okay. So a lot of people have good things to say about Austin, Texas, as a place to live and work. But that’s just what they say. We have a few of our reasons for living in Austin, and here’s the top ten…

• Climate — Sure, we could have used a little more rainfall last summer, and it does get hot in the summers. But there’s a lot to be said for being active outdoors all year round. The Austin winters are short and relatively mild. Snow and ice are rare occurrences.
• Bats — We have huge bat colonies living under various bridges in the city, most of them beneath the Congress Avenue bridge downtown. Yes, they are a novelty and a tourist attraction. But they’re also the best form of insect control. I grew up in Virginia, where I often became “mosquito fodder” on summer evenings. I do not have that problem here. So I say thank you, Tadarida brasiliensis (i.e., Mexican free-tail  bats)!
• Music — Admittedly, I do not take in the local music scene as much as I should. But it’s still nice to know it’s there, whenever I want to enjoy it. They don’t call it the “Live Music Capital of the World” for nothing. In addition to all of the nightly venues, Austin sponsors several music festivals each year — the world-famous South by Southwest and ACL Festival among them.
• Food — Here’s the Austin food recipe, in a nutshell. Take one part classic Tex-Mex, add a healthy dose of backyard barbecue, and then mix in a variety of international flavors and a rising “foodie” movement. What do you end up with? Something for everyone!
• Health Care — Austin has a lot of great health care options. And if you drive 15 miles north to nearby Round Rock, you’ll find a lot more. This area is fast becoming one of the premier medical regions of the United States.
• Activities — We have lakes. We have rivers. We have rolling hills. We have miles and miles of hike-and-bike trails. We have more open park space than most comparable cities in the U.S. We have festivals, concerts and other events that fill the calendar all year long.
• Housing Costs — As you can see from all of the “Best City” lists featured at the top of this page, Austin has very affordable housing. On top of that, we have avoided the kind of risky speculation that creates real estate bubbles — bubbles that eventually implode. Your housing dollar will go a long way in the Austin area.
• Education — Tim left a comment below to remind me of another great reason to live in Austin, Texas. There are plenty of opportunities for higher education in and around the city. These include the University of Texas, St. Edward’s University, Austin Community College and more.

What Are Your Reasons for Living in Austin, Texas?

We want to hear from you! What do you like about living in Austin? If you have something to add to this list — some quality or characteristic that’s not listed above — let us know. Use the comment box at the bottom of this page. We will add your comments to this section of the list.