Last Thursday, Kristina and I headed down to the great state of Texas to visit the city of Austin.
I really like Austin. A lot.
So, without anything further, I present Austin vs. Boston:
Population:
So, Austin is a bigger city, and it is growing, whereas Boston is shrinking. While we were in Austin, it actually felt smaller than Boston in a way. I can now see why: Boston fits it’s 500,00 + people in about 50 square miles, compared to Austin’s 250 square miles. So Austin fits about the same amount of people into five times as much land.
Austin is growing, and you can tell. New housing is popping up everywhere, and it seems like real estate agents are begging people to move in. Some places offer free wireless internet. Others have free cable. I even saw an apartment complex that gave away free DVD players to new residents.
Income and Housing:
Every time I talk about Austin to a Bostonite, they’ll say: “Sure, it’s cheap to live down there, but that means jobs pay less.” I thought that would be true. It isn’t.
The median income in Austin is over $3,000 per year more than in Boston. I thought it would be just the opposite.
With that said, if you use economic logic, you’d think that housing would be more expensive in Austin, right? Nope. A house in Boston, on average, costs about $66,000 more than one in Austin. Amazing.
Employment:
The unemployment rate in Boston is about 39% higher than it is in Austin.
So, in short, if you live in Boston, you make less money, pay more for housing, and have a much higher chance of not finding a job.
{ 8 comments… read them below or add one }
So you think you guys are going to move to Austin? What about San Diego, CA?? Jason and I would love to move there some day. On the coast, 75 degree weather all year around, perfect.
Possibly.
San Diego is incredible, and it’s the number one place I’d like to move eventually. But it is expensive there….almost Boston prices. So it kind of defeats the purpose for us right now…….
That, and the job market there isn’t great….at least for the stuff I do.
But remember, Texas has 5 of the top 10 fattest cities in the US! That’s not a good statistic…..
Yes, but also remember that Massachusetts has the worst drivers in the nation. I think Austin still comes up on top.
And, I just looked at the list. Though you’re right, the cities on the list from texas are:
2. Houston 1
3. Dallas 9
4. San Antonio 13
6. Fort Worth 16
8. Arlington NR
Austin is actually in the top Fittest cities in the countrie, though Boston is higher on the list than Austin (8 compared to 19).
Do your Boston statistics include the surrounding areas, i.e. Cambridge, Somerville, Newton, Brookline, et al? Because if not they should in order to more fairly compare. That said, I know you loved it down there and I wouldn’t blame you for leaving, though I’d miss you.
Why, thank you.
Nope, the Boston statistics are Boston-only. And apparently I can’t spell the word “country.”
If I included those cities, though, it would throw off the size comparison (population based).
I live in Austin and I can say that it is truly the best city I have ever lived, to include San Diego. Some folks come here for a few do the tourist thing without really seeing all this city has to offer.
My vote is for Boston minus the B.
I too am weighing the options of Austin vs Boston. Are you sure about the median house value for Boston though? I know this is 2 yrs ago, but a home under 300 thousand is hard to find in Boston, much less one for 190!!