Households are on the lookout for affordability and, as of this 12 months, Austin just isn’t the place they’re going to discover it.
Austin is not among the many prime 10 greatest locations to reside within the nation, in accordance with an annual nationwide rating of cities by U.S. Information and World Report.
When you’re questioning whether or not rising dwelling costs within the space have something to do with it, the reply is sure.
Austin was ranked No. 13 out of the 150 largest metropolitan areas within the 2022-23 “Finest Locations to Stay in the US” listing.
In earlier years, Austin constantly made its prime 10 of greatest locations to reside. The Texas capital was ranked No. 1 from 2017 to 2019, after which No. 3 in 2020 earlier than slipping to No. 5 in 2021.
This 12 months, Austin fell behind such cities as Naples, Fla., Ann Arbor, Mich., and San Francisco.
No worries, although. We’re nonetheless successful as the most effective place to reside in Texas.
The information from the report was categorized into key elements together with job availability, housing availability, high quality of life and desirability, in accordance with the report.
Metro areas within the rankings have been additionally evaluated utilizing information from sources together with the U.S. Census Bureau, the FBI and the U.S. Division of Labor.
“A lot of the shakeup we see on the prime of this 12 months’s rating is a results of altering preferences,” Devon Thorsby, actual property editor at U.S. Information, mentioned in a press release. “Folks transferring throughout the nation immediately are placing extra emphasis on affordability and high quality of life than on the job market, which in some ways takes a again seat as distant work choices have turn out to be extra commonplace.”
In line with the report, Austin attracts transplants from different states, “partially as a result of Texas doesn’t have a private or company revenue tax.”
However dwelling costs have risen sharply.
“Austin affords a decrease worth than equally sized metro areas when evaluating housing prices with median family revenue,” the report states.
The typical nationwide housing price in 2021 was $365,616. In Austin that very same 12 months, the typical was $504,273.
In January, the median dwelling gross sales worth was $550,000 inside the Austin metropolis limits.
The typical median month-to-month hire is $1,326, and the median wage in Austin is $57,830, in accordance with the report.
The Dallas-Fort Price space was the second-best place to reside in Texas, but it surely ranked No. 32 within the nation. Houston landed at No. 58, and San Antonio ended up at No. 83 nationally. Different Texas cities within the nationwide listing embrace Killeen (108), Beaumont (109), El Paso (124), Corpus Christi (133), Brownsville (134) and McAllen (138).
Desirability 6.9/10
Worth 6.3/10
Job Market 6.7/10
High quality of Life 6.6/10
Internet Migration 7.4/10
Austin American-Statesman reporter Natalia Contreras might be reached at 512-626-4036 or ncontreras@statesman.com. Observe her on Twitter and Fb, @NataliaECG.
This story is part of the KXAN Data Hub, where numbers help tell the whole story.
We’ve created several data-driven stories and databases on topics including weather and climate, politics, education, sports and growth in Texas. Each story in the KXAN Data Hub is updated as new data becomes available.
AUSTIN (KXAN) — KXAN is keeping track of the number of homicides in Austin.
As of Jan. 9, two homicides have been reported thus far in 2025.
Last year, 70 homicides were reported, down from 75 in 2023 and 71 in 2022. A record 88 homicides were reported in 2021.
The charts below will be updated as we learn new information. Scroll down for a map of where each homicide occurred.
The chart below shows how the number of homicides reported in recent years changed through the year.
Below is a map showing where homicides occurred in 2025. The map is interactive, so clicking on or hovering over a dot will reveal information about that incident. You can also click on a month in the top left to show only homicides that occurred during that month.
The chart below shows the number of homicides reported each month in 2025.
AUSTIN, Texas — The University of Texas at Austin has appointed Andrew (Andy) Maas as the new assistant vice president for technology transfer on the Discovery to Impact team, which works with world-class inventors, investors, creators and entrepreneurs to launch startups and collaborates with established businesses to accelerate new products, services, solutions and cures.
In this role, Maas will lead the University’s research commercialization and innovation initiatives and oversee the protection and commercialization of UT’s intellectual property. Reporting to Mark Arnold, associate vice president of Discovery to Impact and managing director of Texas Startups, Maas will ensure that the University’s innovations transition effectively from academic research to market applications that benefit society.
“Andy is nationally recognized for his expertise in technology licensing and commercialization, and we are pleased to welcome a leader of his caliber to the team,” Arnold said. “We have an ambitious agenda for Discovery to Impact this year — to invest early and strategically in faculty ideas and inventions that will change the world — and there is no doubt that Andy is the right person to help lead the charge.”
Maas joins UT from Louisiana State University, where he most recently served as associate vice president for research, overseeing the office of Innovation and Ecosystem Development.
Maas holds a B.S. from Brigham Young University, an M.S. from UT Austin, and a J.D. and LLM from The University of Akron.
During his career, Maas has built an engineering startup, led within the university and research foundation settings, and currently serves as the board chair of the Association of University Technology Managers (AUTM) – the non-profit leader in supporting professionals in the technology commercialization and research innovation space. In addition, he was the principal investigator on a $160 million National Science Foundation Engine award focused on the Future Use of Energy in Louisiana (FUEL). Maas has lectured all over the world about intellectual property valuation, economic impact, technology licensing and technology commercialization.
“This is a homecoming for me in many ways, and it’s a privilege and pleasure to be back on the Forty Acres,” Maas remarked. “Discovery to Impact is one of the premier research commercializing programs in the country, and I look forward to working alongside Mark and the team to propel our groundbreaking faculty ideas forward.”
TxDOT is working around the clock treating roadways as temperatures plummet in the Austin area.
AUSTIN, Texas – The Texas Department of Transportation is working around the clock treating roadways as temperatures plummet in the Austin area.
The agency is also offering assistance at no cost to stranded drivers through its “HERO program.”
“Our crews have been out there laying saltwater mixture, which is known as brine, and also a granular substance. That’s a magnesium chloride,” says TxDOT spokesperson Antonio Lujan.
TxDOT says employees are placing the brine on major highways in Austin and in surrounding areas.
“This includes I-35, SH 71, U.S. 183, 290 East going towards Manor and then towards Dripping Springs. Some of those smaller rural roads may not have brine or that granular substance in them,” says Lujan.
Central Texans have been busy preparing for Thursday’s cold weather and possible ice, especially in the Hill Country.
Temperatures reached below 40 degrees in Central Texas on Wednesday. Austin Mayor Kirk Watson addressed the public in a press conference on weather conditions and how the city is working to keep residents safe in their homes and on the streets.
“Keeping roads safe, keeping them as safe as possible, and continuing and continuing to deliver the critical services that our community depends on,” said Mayor Watson.
TxDOT says this means staying off the roads.
“Just because they’re drivable and treated does not mean passable. Because remember that depending on how low the temperatures do get, there might be some instances where you might have some ice accumulation,” says Lujan.
In the case a driver needs assistance on the roadways, TxDOT’S HERO program does offer several services in the Austin area.
“If you are broken down on the side of the road, we can help you out by changing your tire, jump-starting your car, pushing you off the road, getting you some gas. Our emergency first responders cover for them so they can do their job,” said a HERO PM Lead Operator.
“They’re out there monitoring our roads as we speak. They’re going to be out there working longer hours during the next couple of days to ensure that we are helping anyone who’s out there stranded. And the good thing about hero is that it’s at no cost,” Lujan
TxDOT says they plan to work around the clock until weather conditions return to normal.
For the HERO program or assistance, you can dial 512-974-HERO.
The Source: Information from interviews conducted by FOX 7 Austin’s Tan Radford
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