Moving to Austin, Texas comes with many new opportunities. Austin has many different attractions, cultural aspects, and most importantly, diverse neighborhoods. Whether you’re looking for a bustling neighborhood in town or a quieter neighborhood on the outskirts, Austin has it all. We’re breaking down the best neighborhoods in Austin, Texas.
Table of Contents
Best Neighborhood for Families in Austin
Hyde Park Neighborhood
Hyde Park is the best neighborhood in Austin for families. This was the first planned suburb created in the city. It’s around 18 minutes from downtown, making it a quieter area of Austin.
This neighborhood is full of parks and small local businesses. There are also multiple private and public schools near Hyde Park. Raising your family in Hyde Park will allow both you and your children many new opportunities.
Demographics
The Hyde Park neighborhood is very diverse. Over 6,000 people are living in the neighborhood. The male-to-female ratio is 55 to 45. The main age brackets in Hyde Park are 24-35 years old and 18-24 years old. This makes the neighborhood full of younger adults. This is perfect if you’re a younger family looking to make friends in your new neighborhood.
Over half of the community has a bachelor’s degree or a higher level of education. In addition to this, 35% of those people have a master’s or doctorate. The neighborhood also has a fairly high median household income of $73,821. This is right near the national average.
Housing Options
Hyde Park is a well-known suburb in Austin. It has a mixture of older historic homes and newer complexes and apartments. The average price of a single-family home is just under $500,000. Rental homes, condos, and apartment rates start around $900 and go up depending on the number of bedrooms in the home.
Having a mix of older and new housing options allows families of all incomes to live in Hyde Park. New families can find their starter homes and bigger families can find larger homes to fit their growing families.
Activities
Hyde Park is known for two things: history and its parks. You and your family can explore the historic places and the outdoor opportunities in your neighborhood.
A key historic place to visit is the Elisabet Ney Museum. This museum is the old art studio of Elisabet Ney and showcases her portrait collection. Another historic building is Fire Station #9. This building was built in 1929 and has been saved and restored multiple times. A fire station festival is held every year in Hyde Park to celebrate this historic building. There is also Avenue B Grocery and Market, which was built in 1909. This is Austin’s oldest continuously run grocery store, still open today.
For outdoor activities, the Shipe Park and Pool is perfect for families. This area includes a neighborhood pool and outdoor activities. Every year there are pool parties, sports games, and neighborhood events held at this park. These events are perfect for both parents and kids.
Best Neighborhood for College Students in Austin
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North University Neighborhood
North University is the best neighborhood in Austin for college students. This neighborhood is just a few minutes north of the University of Texas at Austin. It’s perfect for students who want to walk or only have a short drive to campus.
This neighborhood is also only about 15 minutes from downtown Austin. This makes it the best area of Austin for college students to live in if they want to be studious while still having opportunities for fun in town.
Demographics
With a population of over 4,000, this neighborhood is full of college students. The main age bracket that lives there is ages 18 to 24. 70% of the people living there are gaining a bachelor’s degree or earning their master’s.
Since this is primarily a neighborhood for college kids, most residents make less than $25,000 per year. This neighborhood is also home to professors since it’s so near campus. This raises the median salary of the residents to a little over $49,000 per year.
Housing Options
North University is also known as North Campus. Both undergraduate and graduate students call this neighborhood home. They have a wide variety of different apartments, condos, and houses for students to rent out. They have housing options with a wide variety of different bedrooms, giving you options on how many roommates you want.
The rental housing rates tend to start at around $900 per month. Most landlords charge an additional fee for double-occupancy rooms. This means if you have more than one person per bedroom you must pay a fee of around $100. However, most of the apartment complexes don’t require you to pay for a parking permit.
Activities
Besides its proximity to campus, North University is known for being a quieter college neighborhood with many local places to hang out. There are many indoor and outdoor options for students to study and chill.
The North University neighborhood is full of local restaurants, coffee shops, and more making it a great area in Austin for students. Here are some of the most popular indoor restaurants and shops for college students.
Best Neighborhood for Senior Citizens in Austin
Old West Austin Neighborhood
Old West Austin is the best neighborhood in Austin for senior citizens. This neighborhood is known for its history and quiet community. The neighborhood is just a few miles from downtown. This makes it perfect for running errands in town but still allows you to get away from the hustle and bustle of city life.
Demographics
This neighborhood is home to a little over 4,000 residents. 87% of community members have a bachelor’s degree or higher. The neighborhood is also a very even mixture of different ages. There are homes for families, young adults, and older couples.
The average salary for people in the community is a little over $86,000. This is higher than the national average. Being a higher-end neighborhood makes it a common place for upper-class and older people to live.
Housing Options
The Old West Austin neighborhood is one of the oldest neighborhoods in Austin. It was also named one of the top greatest neighborhoods in America. The neighborhood is primarily larger houses and most are older restored homes. It’s part of the National Register of Historic Places due to the well-kept historic homes.
While there are a lot of larger homes in this neighborhood, there are also smaller townhomes. The prices of these homes greatly vary from just under a million dollars to five million dollars. These homes are well sought after, keeping the prices high.
Activities
Old West Austin is full of local places to get you out of the house. This is also the best area in Austin for its accessibility to both city life and nature.
This area of Austin is known for having a lot of small local businesses and restaurants. You can go to garden cafes such as Tiny Boxwoods and grab a delicious homemade dessert. Or you can visit the Otherside Deli food truck or restaurant to sit down for a nice meal.
Take a break from city life and enjoy what nature Old West Austin has to offer. Visit the Thompson + Hanson Garden House to enjoy some beautiful flowers. You and your family could also enjoy Hartfield Triangle. This is a fenced-in park with multiple playgrounds and areas to sit and relax. If you want to really get out into nature, take a trip to the Pease Park Conservancy. It’s 84 acres of hiking trails, observation areas, and beautiful limestone bluffs.
Best Neighborhood for the Young Professionals in Austin
Downtown Austin Neighborhood
Downtown Austin is the best neighborhood in Austin for young professionals who are starting their careers. This is the best area in Austin for people who want to be close to work and right in the heart of the city. You would be within walking distance of all the shops and very close to the business district.
Demographics
This neighborhood is one of the most populated in Austin. Over 14,000 people call the Downtown Austin neighborhood home. The residents tend to be between the ages of 25 to 34. Additionally, 82% of residents have a bachelor’s degree or higher.
The Downtown Austin neighborhood is home to people of all incomes and backgrounds. The median annual household income for residents is $151,719. This is significantly higher than the national average household income.
Housing Options
Living in the Downtown Austin neighborhood typically means living in an apartment. There are multiple apartment complexes to fit the needs of everyone. The West End of Downtown is known for its luxurious modern-style apartments. These tend to be on the pricier side, starting at prices over $2,500 per month. However, they often come with many amenities such as pools and fitness areas.
Downtown also has many smaller apartment buildings which are more moderately priced. These apartments are scattered throughout the downtown area. While these are normally standard apartments, they still allow you to live in the heart of Austin. This is perfect for young professionals who are just starting their careers in town.
Activities
Downtown is the best area in Austin for young professionals trying to balance work and their social lives. This area is the busiest in the city. It has a lot of offices and companies within its business district. This makes it perfect for people who want to live near work for easy commute times.
The Downtown area is also full of restaurants, bars, shops, and other local businesses. As a young adult, this is perfect for your social life. There are multiple places to hang out with friends and coworkers and many family-friendly options. Here are some of the top places to visit in downtown.
- 2nd Street- Perfect for those who want to shop at a bunch of different local stores and boutiques.
- Red River District- This area is full of nightclubs and bars for you to enjoy on your nights off.
- 6th Street- Home to all the music lovers and concert-goers. This street has it all, from restaurants and bars to almost constant live music events.
Moving to Austin, Texas
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Conclusion
Austin, Texas is full of so many amazing neighborhoods and communities. There truly is a place to fit everyone’s needs.
For our younger generations, North University and Downtown are the places to be. The North University neighborhood is the ideal place for college students as a calm area full of plenty of local charm. Downtown is a great choice for young professionals who want a good balance in life. It’s an ideal location for working in town but still offers great nightlife.
The older generations will enjoy calling Hyde Park and Old West Austin home. Hyde Park provides a relaxing and safe place to raise your family. Similarly, Old West Austin is a calm area to enjoy the perks of being retired.
No matter what part of life you’re currently in, there is a neighborhood in Austin for you.
Jessica is a students at the University of Northern Iowa. She is majoring in English Education with a creative writing minor. In her free time she loves to read books of every genre, write short stories, and spend time with friends. In the future she hopes to share her love for reading and writing with her future students.
