‘Best Places to Live’ List Got Weird

Austin landed second on the list, beat out of the top spot by Denver. The next highest-ranked Texas city was Houston at 17th. DFW came in 21st, San Antonio 23rd, El Paso 71st and McAllen 89th.

Ten years ago, Austin ranked second on Money magazine’s list of best places to live.

​U.S. News gave the "Live Music Capital of the World" a thumbs up for its cost of living, saying "Austin offers a better value than similarly sized cities when you compare housing costs to median household income."

The median price for a home there is higher than the national median, but that’s offset by the lack of a personal and corporate income tax, as well as a low state and local tax rate.

The city got dinged on a couple of items but not too badly. The 25.9-minute average commute time was only 0.4 minutes above the national average. And of course there’s the heat, but that’s par for the course in Texas.

​Nevermind that, though. Austin has been home to Willie Nelson, Richard Linklater, LBJ and Lady Bird, SXSW, the Dixie Chicks, and the guy who created Beavis & Butthead. Oh, and it has arguably the best tacos in the state.​​​​​

As an Aggie, it pains me to heap too much praise on Austin, but I have to give credit where it’s due.

To learn more about Austin, check out our market research for that area. Here, you’ll find links to a wealth of data on housing, industrial, office, retail, employment, education, demographics, and much more.

Our website also has the latest MLS, building permit, employment and population data for Austin and other Texas MSAs.