Columnist, Austin American-Statesman

what's the cost of living like in Austin compared to other cities in Texas?

 

From what I've heard, the SE there is a bit of an ass.

 

Cost of living in Austin is probably highest in Texas and getting higher. Definitely higher than Houstona and Dallas.

 

That's not even close to being true. Actually, it's quite the opposite.

 

very expensive, by texas standards.
if you get this job and have a family, plan on living outside austin proper.
and the gridlock/traffic situation is brutal.

i hear the salary for the position tops out at around $65k. again, just a rumor i heard.

 

I don't know much about the cost of living, but I'll vouch for the traffic. It's awful. I wouldn't have guessed before experiencing it, but other than Boston and L.A., Austin might have the worst traffic situation of any place I've been. I-35 can come to a dead stop at certain times of day.

 

I'll vouch for the I-35 thing. I was in Austin a coupla months ago and the access road was moving at a much faster pace than the freeway.

On the cost of living thing, I know my sister just paid $200,000 for a two-bedroom house in a neighborhood undergoing revitalization, so deals can be had, but it's much more expensive than Houston where my brother lives.

 

Good burnt-orange platform here. Town is fun. Traffic sucks. Costly compared with Texas, much less so compared with the rest of flyover country.

 

For gigs in the state, this one should be pretty sweet.

Cost of living is high compared to most of Texas, but it ain't exactly New York.
What you're getting in return is a great nightlife downtown, tons of parks and ample story opportunities.

However, I-35 runs down the middle of town, and is a nightmare any weekday from about 4 to 7pm. Best bet for cheap housing is in Pflugerville or Round Rock, but that also means navigating I-35 everyday.

Having worked for their SE, i'll also vouch that he's a good boss.

 

thanks for the tidbits on cost of living. Now's the part where I stare at these posts and massage my goutee in deep thought. Ah, yes, online cost of living calculators! They all say that based on my salary where I'm at now, I can get by in Austin on $7,000 less. But do I wanna deal with the Texas weather? But wait, there's bars and clubs every other window. But do I want to deal with I-35? But wait, Austin is the tech center of the southwest. But do I want to learn all that lazy Texas slang? But wait, I'll get to eat all the Texas BBQ I want. Oh, the dilemma.

 

Maybe you should wait to answer those things when/if you're offered the job.

 

Seems cost of living in Austin is cheap, compared to what I pay now for a house/etc. Taxes are high in Austin but are still lower than what I pay now. Combine that with lack of state income tax in Texas, and I wanna live in Texas. lol