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    Best Neighborhoods in Austin, TX

    4 neighborhoods ranked by safety, walkability, affordability, and quality of life — powered by real data from the US Census, FBI, EPA, and Walk Score.

    Population: 978,9082026 Data

    Best Neighborhoods in Austin, TX — Key Takeaways

    The best neighborhood in Austin is South Congress with a Kurby Score of 74/100. Austin has 4 neighborhoods ranked by quality of life data. The safest neighborhood is South Congress with a violent crime rate of 4.5 per 1,000 residents. The most affordable is East Austin with a median home value of $450,000. The most walkable is Downtown Austin with a Walk Score of 99/100.

    Austin has a population of 978,908, a median household income of $75,752, an unemployment rate of 3.2%. The median home value citywide is $475,000, which is 68% above the national average of $281,900.

    Data sourced from the US Census Bureau, FBI Crime Data Explorer, EPA AirNow, Walk Score, and FEMA. Last updated: March 2026.

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    Top 3 Neighborhoods

    South Congress

    74/100

    Kurby Score

    $620,000
    Walk: 95
    Crime: 4.5

    Downtown Austin

    74/100

    Kurby Score

    $550,000
    Walk: 99
    Crime: 4.5

    East Austin

    72/100

    Kurby Score

    $450,000
    Walk: 93
    Crime: 4.5
    Complete Rankings — 4 Neighborhoods
    Best neighborhoods in Austin ranked by Kurby Score, with median home value, walk score, crime rate, poverty rate, and unemployment rate.
    #NeighborhoodKurby Score
    		South Congress74
    		Downtown Austin74
    		East Austin72
    4
    		Hyde Park Austin65

    Rankings by Category

    Top 5 neighborhoods in Austin for each quality-of-life metric.

    Safest

    Lowest violent crime rate

    1. 1
      South Congress
      4.5 per 1K
    2. 2
      Downtown Austin
      4.5 per 1K
    3. 3
      East Austin
      4.5 per 1K
    4. 4
      Hyde Park Austin
      4.5 per 1K
    Most Walkable

    Highest Walk Score

    1. 1
      Downtown Austin
      99/100
    2. 2
      South Congress
      95/100
    3. 3
      East Austin
      93/100
    4. 4
      Hyde Park Austin
      85/100
    Most Affordable

    Lowest median home value

    1. 1
      East Austin
      $450,000
    2. 2
      Downtown Austin
      $550,000
    3. 3
      Hyde Park Austin
      $580,000
    4. 4
      South Congress
      $620,000
    Lowest Unemployment

    Lowest unemployment rate

    1. 1
      South Congress
      3.2%
    2. 2
      Downtown Austin
      3.2%
    3. 3
      East Austin
      3.2%
    4. 4
      Hyde Park Austin
      3.2%
    Highest Income

    Highest median household income

    1. 1
      Downtown Austin
      $161,576
    2. 2
      East Austin
      $108,377
    3. 3
      South Congress
      $102,600
    4. 4
      Hyde Park Austin
      $58,235
    Best Air Quality

    Lowest Air Quality Index

    1. 1
      South Congress
      AQI 41
    2. 2
      Downtown Austin
      AQI 41
    3. 3
      East Austin
      AQI 41
    4. 4
      Hyde Park Austin
      AQI 41
    How We Rank Neighborhoods in Austin

    Neighborhoods are ranked using the Kurby Score, a composite quality-of-life index that evaluates seven weighted categories based on publicly available data:

    Affordability
    20% weight
    Walkability & Transit
    15% weight
    Safety
    15% weight
    Environment
    15% weight
    Housing Market
    15% weight
    Education
    10% weight
    Economy
    10% weight

    Each category incorporates multiple data points. For example, Safety uses both violent and property crime rates; Environment considers air quality (AQI), noise levels, climate risk, and flood zone status; Housing Market factors in vacancy rates, homeownership rates, and effective tax rates.

    Data Sources: US Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year Estimates, FBI Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR), EPA AirNow, Walk Score, DOT National Transportation Noise Map, FEMA National Flood Hazard Layer, Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), and EIA Electricity Data. All data is updated on a rolling basis as new government releases become available.

    Frequently Asked Questions

    What are the best neighborhoods in Austin?
    The top neighborhoods in Austin based on the Kurby Score are: South Congress, Downtown Austin, East Austin, Hyde Park Austin. These rankings consider safety, walkability, affordability, air quality, and schools.
    What is the safest neighborhood in Austin?
    The safest neighborhood in Austin is South Congress with a violent crime rate of 4.5 per 1,000 residents. The national average is 3.7 per 1,000.
    What is the most affordable neighborhood in Austin?
    The most affordable neighborhood in Austin is East Austin with a median home value of $450,000. The national median is $281,900.
    What is the most walkable neighborhood in Austin?
    The most walkable neighborhood in Austin is Downtown Austin with a Walk Score of 99/100. The national average Walk Score is 48/100.
    What is the unemployment rate in Austin?
    The unemployment rate in Austin, TX is 3.2%. The national average is 3.7%.
    What is the median household income in Austin?
    The median household income in Austin, TX is $75,752. The national median is $74,580.

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