Living in Austin
Austin is home to many residents, over a million residents, and counting! The city has many names, including “Silicon Hills,” “The Live Music Capital of the World,” and the state capital of the Lone Star State. Austin is home to many people ranging from creatives and musicians to entrepreneurs, start-ups, and tech companies.
About
The city got its start in the 1830s from the first Anglo-American settlers. In 1837, it was called Waterloo and adopted the name Austin in 1839 after Stephen F. Austin, the “Father of Texas.”
Residents
In the summer of 2020, Austin reached a population of over one million people. And it keeps growing! According to the Austin Chamber of Commerce, Austin has a population of 2.2 million in the greater metro area. The average population median age is 35.
Climate and Activities
Austin has a mild climate with 300 days of sunshine a year that lets you experience outdoor activities year-round. Austin is surrounded by greenery and several state parks, plus Lake Travis and Lake Austin less than an hour’s drive. Besides the climate, Austin is well-known for its entertainment, nabbing the moniker, “Live Music Capital of the World.” South by Southwest and Austin City Limits are popular local festivals celebrating live music originating from all over the world.
Austin is a very youthful and outdoorsy city. No matter the temperature or time, you’re bound to see people outside, whether it’s running, paddleboarding, biking, or kayaking; Austin has it all! The most well-known places for outdoor activities are Zilker Park, Lady Bird Lake, Lake Travis, Barton Springs, Balcones Canyonlands, Lost Pines, and the Guadalupe River.
Sporting Events
Professional sports in Austin are on the rise, while college athletics has always had a strong presence. Popular sporting events include:
- Austin FC – Major League Soccer
- Austin Spurs – NBA D-League Basketball Team
- Texas Stars – AHL Ice Hockey Team
- Austin Herd – Major League Rugby
- Round Rock Express – AAA Baseball Team
- Austin Bold – United Soccer League
- University of Texas Longhorns – Big 12 Conference College Sports
Recognition
Austin is repeatedly recognized as the best city to move to and the best place to retire.
- U.S. News & World Report “Best Place to Live in the U.S.” for the third year in a row
- SafeWise “8th Safest Large City in America”
- SmartAsset “2nd Best City for Young Professionals”
- CityLab “5th Highest Concentration of College-Educated Adults”
- 6th Best-Educated Major Metro
- 5th Youngest Among Major Metros
- 11% of all jobs are in STEM occupations
- #1 Fastest-Growing Major Metro
With a low cost of living, high-quality living, and favorable employment opportunities, it’s no mystery why Austin appeals to so many.
Businesses
Austin is considered excellent for businesses because of the low tax burden, no state income tax, home to an educated workforce, and the collaborative spirit between the government and private industry. There’s a reason many cities are moving out of Silicon Valley and to Austin, the “Silicon Hills.”
Typical industries in Austin are financial and professional services with over 400,000 jobs, general and advanced manufacturing with 64,000 jobs, life sciences and health tech with over 260 companies and 16,300+ employees, software and IT with over 160,000+ jobs, defense, cybersecurity, and space tech, and clean tech. The innovative and collaborative environment makes Austin the perfect location for entrepreneurs. In just 2021 alone and five months into the year, there have been over 50 companies that are expanding or moving to Austin.
Major employers in the area include:
- 3M Corporation
- Accenture
- Advanced Micro Devices
- Amazon
- Apple Computer, Inc.
- Applied Materials
- AT&T
- BAE Systems
- Charles Schwab
- Cirrus Logic
- Dell Technologies
- eBay
- Flextronics
- Flex
- General Motors
- Hewlett-Packard Enterprise
- IBM Corp.
- ICU Medical
- Ikea
- Intel Corp.
- Indeed
- Keller Williams
- Oracle Corp.
- Samsung
- Spectrum
- Visa
- VRBO
- Whole Foods