Why Austin?

When people think Texas, what do they think of? Some say heat. Others, presidents and presidential candidates. Tumbleweeds. Cowboys. The Alamo.

Non-Texans don’t imagine 200-year-old cypress trees towering alongside glittering Lake Austin, or the aquifer-fed greenbelts entangling Lost Creek. They don’t envision rolling hills carved hundreds of thousands of years ago by receding oceans, blanketed by southern oak, pecan, evergreen, and cottonwood trees. No. Oasis is definitely not the first word that comes to mind when people think of Texas. Let alone art, music, culture, technology, or green-living.

While Austin used to be one of the best kept secrets in Texas, the word is out.

• Austin is the #3 big city to live in the U.S. (WalletHub, 2018)
• Austin is the #1 city to live in the U.S. (U.S. News and World Report, 2018)
• Austin is the best state capital to live in (WalletHub, 2018)
• Austin is the #1 city to live in the U.S. (U.S. News and World Report, 2017)
• Texas is the #2 state for U.S. relocation (Texas Association of REALTORS®, 2017)
• Austin is the #2 city in the nation for net migraton (U.S. News and World Report, 2016)
• Austin, Texas is the #1 metro for aspiring millennial home buyers (National Association of Realtors, 2016)
• Austin is one of The 13 Hottest US Cities for 2016 (Business Insider)
• #5 on The Top 25 Future-Ready U.S. Cities list (Professional Convention Management Association’s Convene Magazine, February 2016)
• Next Top Boomtown in America (Forbes, 2016)
• Round Rock, Texas named the #4 Most Affordable City in the U. S. (Livability, 2016)
• #1 Relocation Destination in the U.S. among metro areas with a million residents or more (U.S. Census, 2016)
• #4 Best Performing City (Milken, 2016)
• #2 Top U.S. Market for Overall Real Estate Prospects (Emerging Trends in Real Estate, 2016)
• #1 Best U.S. City to Buy a Home (SelfStorage.com, 2016)
• Austin-Round Rock #1 Best City in the U.S. for Real Estate Investing (Forbes, 2015)
• Austin-Bergstrom International Airport named #16 Most Affordable Airport (cheapflights.com, 2015)
• #1 Economy in the U.S. (The Business Journals’ On Numbers, 2013)
• #1 City to Open a Small Business (InvestmentNews, 2013)
• Austin named America’s Fastest Growing City (Forbes, 2013)
• #1 Top American Boomtowns (Bloomberg News, 2013)
• Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos ranked #5 among Leading Locations of 2013 as economic front-runners from the recession (Area Development Magazine, 2013)
• #7 Best City for Women Entrepreneurs (Forbes, 2013)
• #8 of the Top 20 Metros for Venture Capital Activity (The Atlantic Cities, 2013)
• Policom Corporation named Austin the 5th strongest economy in the U.S. (2012)
• Forbes ranked Austin the #9 Best City in the U.S. for Business and Careers. (2012)

• Austin tied for #1 in Income Growth (WalletHub, 2018)
• Austin Tenth for Young Entrepreneurs (Lending Tree, 2018)
• Austin is #8 Best Large City to Start a Business (WalletHub, 2017)
• Austin is #1 in the Nation for Small Business Vitality (American City Business Journals, 2016)
• Austin ranked #3 Best City to Start a Career (WalletHub, 2016)
• The #1 Top City for Tech Businesses in global ranking by the Wall Street Journal (2015)
• #1 City in the Nation for Startups (Kauffman Index Report, 2015)
• Austin #3 for High-Tech Jobs (Tech-Thirty, 2015)
• #3 Best City for Starting a Career (WalletHub, 2015)
• #8 City for Millennial Entrepreneurs (Thumbtack, 2015)
• #1 Best City for Job Seekers by NerdWallet.com (2013)
• #4 on America’s Thriving Cities list (The Daily Beast, 2013)
• #1 Hot U.S. City that offers both Jobs and Culture (U.S. News, 2013)
• #5 in the Nation for Veterans for Military Skill-related Jobs (USAA, 2013)
• #3 Best City to Start a Business (Nerdwallet.com, 2013)
• #6 Top City for Tech Mergers (Upstart Business Journal, 2013)
• Named one of America’s Top 20 Engineering Hubs: The Cities with the Greatest Capacity for Innovation (NewsGeography.com, 2013)
• Ranked among the 17 Coolest Co-Working Spaces In America (Business Insider, 2013)
• #9 Most Innovative City for American Ingenuity (Business Insider, 2013)
• Forbes ranked Austin #1 on Best Big Cities for Jobs. (2012)
• Payscale.com ranked Austin the #2 Hotspot City for Tech Startups. (2012)
• Rent.com named Austin the 10th Best City for College Grads. (2012)
• Austin has the Healthiest Small Business Climate in the South, according to On Numbers. (2010-2012.)

• #8 Best City to Retire (WalletHub, 2018)
• #3 Best City for New College Grads (Realtor.com, 2017)
  
• #1 on Texas’ Top Ten Bookish Destinations (Lonestar Literary Life, 2016)
• #2 in the Nation for Tourist Satisfaction (J.D. Power Report, 2016)
• Ninth on The Best Burgers in America: Top 15 Cities (Conde Nast Traveler, 2016)
• Austin is the Seventh Best City for Coffee Fanatics (Smart Asset, 2016)
• #3 City to Live and Work (Moviemaker Magazine, 2016)
• Austin-Round Rock ranked the 6th Most Educated Metro in the U.S. in 2016 (ValuePenguin)
• #2 Best City to Live (U.S. News & World Report, 2016)
• #1 of America’s 12 Greatest Music Cities (Thrillist, 2015)
• South Congress Avenue named one of America’s 50 Greatest Hits (Conde Nast Traveler, 2015)
• Third largest LGBT population among top 50 U.S. metropolitan areas (Gallup Poll, March 2015)
• One of America’s Best Bike Cities (Bicycling Magazine, 2014)
• Best Place for Young Adults (The Business Journals’ On Numbers, 2013)
• Enchanted Rock State Park named as one of the 7 Best Hikes in the U.S. (Fodor’s, 2013)
• MovieMaker Magazine ranked Austin #2 on “Top Cities to be an Independent Moviemaker.” (2012)
• In 1992, Austin was knighted Live Music Capital of the World because it has more live music venues per capita than anywhere else in the nation. (Austin Visitors Bureau, 2011)
• Conde Nast Traveler readers rank Barton Creek and Hyatt Regency Lost Pines among the Top 2 Southern U.S. Golf Resorts (2012)
• Travel+Leisure named Austin among America’s Best Burger Cities. (2012)
• Shermans Travel ranked Austin #1 in Top 10 Cities for BBQ. (2012)
• #11 Fittest City in America and #1 Fittest City in Texas (The American College of Sport Medicine, 2013)
• Named one of the South’s Tastiest Towns (Southern Living, 2013)
• #1 Most Vegan Friendly city (PETA online, 2013)
• #2 Best Beer Town in America (Matador Network, 2013)
• #1 City in America to Be Young, Broke & Single (Moneyunder30.com, 2013)
• GrubHub Inc. ranked Austin #6 on the 10 Most Vegetarian-Friendly Cities. (2012)
• Austin is #13 on Travel + Leisure Magazine’s list of America’s Best Burger Cities 2012.
• U.S. News named Austin #5 on “America’s Best BBQ Cities.” (2012)
• Hotels.com, with renowned chef Richard Sandoval, named Austin a Top Foodie City. (2012)
• Daily Beast ranked Austin #4 on “Best Cities to Find a Date in 2012.”
• CBS Moneywatch included Austin on its list of 10 Best Places to Retire. (2012)
• ABC News ranked Austin as the #1 Retirement Hot Spot in the Nation. (2011)
• Austin ranked #2 Most Energetic Cities (Sperling’s, 2011)
• Lucky Magazine named Austin #12 on its list of the 25 Best Cities for Shopping. (2012)
• CNN and Golf Magazine called Austin The Best Golf City in America in 2010.
• Forbes ranks Austin 12th best city for Shopping. (2010)
• In 2010, The Greenguide ranked Austin #2 Green City in US.
• According to The Mother Nature Network, Austin is among the Top 10 Greenest Cities in the U.S. (2010)
• Austin named Best City for the Outdoors (Forbes, 2009)

• #1 City in America for Young Families (ValuePenguin, 2016)
• Eanes Named #1 Best School District in Texas, #2 in U.S. (Niche, 2016)
• #4 Best Place to Raise a Family (Parenting Magazine, 2013)
• Five of the Best Elementary Schools in the U.S. are in Austin (Great schools.org, 2011)
• It is the 4th Safest City in America, according to Travel and Leisure (2010)
• The U.S. Census Bureau named Austin the 5th Most Educated City in the U.S. with 45.1% of the population having a college degree or higher.
• Austin has Seven of the Best High Schools in the U.S. (Newsweek Magazine, 2011)
• Austin is the Best College Town (Travel Channel, 2010)
• Austin is the #1 Best City for a Fresh Start (Relocation.com, 2009)