Round Rock Fourth in Nation for Affordability

Round Rock, Texas has been named the fourth most affordable city in the United States on Livability’s 2016 Top Ten Affordable Places to Live report. The fourth place ranking is a drop from last year’s first place finish but still puts an attractive spin on this suburban community just north of Austin. In fact, the report begins with the statement, “No, this isn’t heaven, it’s Round Rock, Texas.”

Livability cited Round Rock’s median income of $69,533 as going “a very long way” and attributes the drop from first to fourth because “residents do spend slightly more than those in other cities on housing costs,” although the report listed the median home price at only $168,800, a large step down from neighboring Austin. Considering the quality of life Round Rock residents experience, the report states the city’s “income equality, consumer spending, average home prices and household income levels are still hard to beat.”

Livability cited The Council for Community and Economic Research for the statistics that most Round Rock residents spend less than 28 percent of their salaries on housing and that they spend about seven percent less on groceries and utilities than the average American. Combined with other living expenses around or below the national average, as well as “legendary music venues, innovative restaurants, pristine parks and excellent athletic facilities along with great schools and shopping centers,” the report asks the question, “How does this dream get better?”

The report also mentions Round Rock’s unemployment rate of under four percent, as well as crediting the computer company Dell, plus Sears Teleserv, Emerson Process Management, and “a variety of retail, health-care and manufacturing facilities” for broadening the business scene. The population of Round Rock is listed as 104,070.

How much do everyday items cost in Round Rock? Here are the highlights from the 2016 Top Ten Affordable Place to Live report:

• Dozen Eggs: $2.58
• Loaf of Bread: $1.23
• Gallon of Gas (3Q 2015): $2.46
• Pizza: $8.99
• Haircut: $11.98