MOVING FROM DALLAS TO AUSTIN (LIFE IN DALLAS VS AUSTIN)
The Lone Star State is home to a number of vibrant and exciting cities, including (but not limited to) Dallas and Austin. In general, Dallas and Austin are cities that have been growing steadily over the past few years, though Dallas remains a larger city in terms of population.
Though people like to compare these two cities to one another, they are rather different and appeal to distinct crowds. There are a number of things you should know if you are considering moving from Dallas to Austin.
8 THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT MOVING FROM DALLAS TO AUSTIN
To preface, the two cities are known for their different atmospheres. Dallas is considered to be the more luxurious and business-focused of the two, while Austin is seen as a more laid-back, creative and hip place. Though the two Texas metropolises are only around 195 miles from one another, these cities stand out greatly from one another in a number of other ways. Here is a list of differences between Dallas and Austin:
Austin is more expensive than Dallas!
The cost of living in Austin and Texas are both higher than the Texas average. However, Austin is the more unaffordable city of the two. Despite being located within 3 hours of one another, the cost of living in Austin is around 22% higher than in Dallas.
The good news is that not all aspects of life are more expensive in Austin. For example, the prices for groceries, transportation utilities, and restaurants are around the same in both cities. However, when it comes to rent and real estate, Austin is significantly pricier. The median home price in Austin is around $577,000, while in Dallas, $295,000. Moreover, the median rent for a one-bedroom in Austin is around $2,335, while in Dallas, only $1878.
Austin is home to the fastest growing city in America.
There is a huge buzz surrounding Austin right now! In fact, Georgetown, a popular suburb within the Austin metro-area is considered the fastest growing city in America. Georgetown, alone, has experienced 14.4% population growth within the past year.
The Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington area is also experiencing a significant boom in population too. While Dallas beats Austin in terms of the number of new arrivals, Austin wins in growth percentage.
While this is excellent for Austin’s economy and for future opportunities in the area, there are some drawbacks. The downside of this growth phenomenon the Austin metropolitan area has experienced a surge in traffic, and increase in home prices.
The job market in Austin is booming!
While Dallas is considered one of the best job markets in the U.S.A, Austin is catching up. In the last year alone, the city of Austin added 71,000 jobs and the job market in Austin is estimated to grow by 26% between 2020 and 2030.
Despite the proximity of Austin and Dallas, the industries based in these two cities could not be more different. In Dallas, you can expect to find a range of Fortune 500 companies like Exxon Mobil, AT&T and American Airlines. However, Austin is a city that is quickly becoming a tech hub as the headquarters of companies like Tesla, Facebook, Google, Dell and Oracle.
Austin is a cultural capital with incredible music, food and nightlife
To many, Dallas is seen as an ‘old-money’ style city with luxurious shopping, fine art museums and classical music symphonies. Though Dallas is home to vibrant neighborhoods like Deep Vellum and Bishop Arts District, Austin remains the go-to destination in Texas for hip hangabouts and live music venues.
Austin has a giant live music scene and an incredible culinary sphere. There are tons of nightlife venues, art galleries, breweries, cocktail bars to explore. The areas in Austin that have the most exciting cultural atmospheres include:
West Sixth Street
Red River
Warehouse District
South Congress
Rainey Street
Austin is famous for its BBQ, Tex-Mex, tacos, chili and food trucks. Though Dallas has similar cuisines, Austin consistently ranks as a must-visit city for all kinds of foodies. Moreover, Austin has multiple James Beard award winning restaurants.
Moreover, Austin is home to the annual SXSW (South by SouthWest) festival. SXSW is a festival that specializes in a range of creative industries, including film, tech, music and more. In fact, SXSW is the largest music festival in the world!
Austin is a city for nature lovers!
Austin has an abundance of lakes including Lake Austin and Lake Travis. Moreover, just outside is Hill Country where you can find tons of natural wonders like waterfalls, hiking trails and canyons. This area is perfect for bird-watching, camping and mountain-biking.
The lifestyle in this city breeds a love for the outdoors. People in Austin love to spend days at the lake, swimming, diving, kayaking and boating. One of the most popular places to hang out in the summer is the Barton Springs Pool, a freshwater pool in Zilker that is open year round.
Traffic & Commuting
The time you will spend in traffic in the two cities will be about the same! However, many argue that the traffic in Austin has worsened in recent years. When compared to the nationwide commute time of 27 minutes, the traffic in both cities is not too bad. The average commute in Austin is around 24 minutes, while in Dallas, the average commute is 27 minutes.
Crime, Safety & Population
Austin is a city of almost 1 million people, while Dallas has almost 1.3 million. Officially, Dallas has more reported crimes than Austin, however, this may not be a meaningful statistic because most cities with larger populations have more reported crimes. Both Austin and Dallas are safe cities that experience a violent and property crime rate within the nationwide average. For more information about the crime rates in these two cities, check here.
Better Weather (at least if you don’t mind humidity)
Though the weather in these two cities are fairly similar, Dallas has colder winters than Austin with less humidity. Moreover, the summers in Dallas are slightly hotter than in Austin which means that Austin has the better weather of the two (that is, if you don’t mind a bit of humidity!)
How much does it cost to move from Dallas to Austin?
Though the two cities are only a 3 hour drive away, this is not considered a local move by most Texas movers. While you may not be paying long distance moving fees, you can expect to pay anywhere between $1500-4500 on this move, depending on how many boxes you are planning to move. You can also consider a storage unit, if you are moving on short notice and do not have enough time to schedule an official move.
Moving from Dallas to Austin?
If you are considering a move from Dallas to Austin (or from Austin to Dallas) in the near future, be sure to request a free quote from USA Preferred Movers, a Texas based moving company with over 40 years of moving experience.