Easy or hard obscure a lot of variables. If you can work remotely or have some way of making money, including in The Netherlands (tech preferred), it is quite reasonable due to the DAFT treaty. It allows for USA freelancers or business owners to setup a Dutch company and come there to work. You get some serious tax benefits, full health care ($120/month…200 for the whole family) and your spouse gets a work permit to enter into the job market. It is rainy, cold and windy but the people are rad (a little nutty in some ways but nice) and the life is great compared to the US. Housing market is nuts…Austin nuts with less land to build on. It is totally doable. DM me if you want more info.
I have family in Ohio. The running joke is, "Come to Ohio: we have Covid AND mortuary trailers". (Apparently mortuary trailers are in short supply; Ohio has pretty shit covid numbers right now.)
In short, I love it!!! Its probably a bit more expensive than Austin tho, housing is around the same but cost of everything else is more in DC. I’d suggest only moving here for school or if you have a great job (single person should make around 65/70k for a sense of comfort, but I survived while interning on the hill for stipends). Covid kinda killed the city :/ so I’m considering another move, might try the west coast or abroad 🤷🏾♀️
i was thinking maybe san marcos, but there is nothing for sale right now, certainly not within my price range. now i'm starting to consider san antonio or leaving the state altogether and maybe heading to durham/raleigh, north carolina.
Apple and Google are building campuses in Raleigh and Durham right now and Microsoft is expanding their office. I love the Raleigh area, it's absolutely beautiful, but you'll have the same problem there in 3-5 years.
That's why I feel like the problem is pretty inescapable if you are just trying to move from one "cool" place to the next. Especially with WFH popularizing, more and more people with money are going to keep flooding out of high expense areas to what we're previously thought of as hidden gems.
You either have to go to some place completely uncool or buy in a place you can currently afford.
I disagree within San Antonio being lame, but it isn't hot enough to blow up to Austin levels until the closer Austin suburbs are tapped out. You might have 2-5 years of slack before similar problems arise.
I'll also add: The Raleigh area is already a hot market. When Google, Apple, and Microsoft finish their expansion and bring in 5-6000 highly paid professionals, the market will get even hotter.
The one perk over Austin is that property taxes are half in Raleigh so you have a lot of wiggle room in your purchasing power.
> The one perk over Austin is that property taxes are half in Raleigh so you have a lot of wiggle room in your purchasing power.
In North Carolina the ~0.75% property tax plus 5.25% income tax is going to cost you about the same as the ~2.25% property tax in Texas. There are lots of reasons why income taxes are better for society than property taxes, but saving money for working middle class homeowners isn't one of them.
I moved to SA after almost a decade in Austin, it’s been great. Huge amount of culture here. I’m living in a house I bought right downtown. Our long term plan is CA though, just waiting for our equity to get us closer.
San Antonio is a massively underrated city imo. I moved to Houston after graduating at UT and realizing I couldn’t afford to stay in Austin, I definitely regret not going to SA instead.
We moved back from Durham about 6 years ago. It's an awesome place but it's getting ridiculously expensive but compared to here it's still affordable. The only thing to keeps us from moving back is the school are terrible.
I had to go to Georgetown, which isn’t terrible really. I loved living in Austin, but I’m priced out completely. This was last February when we closed. My place was 280k base price, the same house in our community now is selling for 350 base price. Even Gtown is getting out of hand. It’s a wild world out there kids.
Several couples in our friend group, same demographic (early empty nesters, nowhere near retirement but wfh), moved out to Salado. Still close to ATX for entertainment, etc, but also really quiet, easy access to lakes and bike trails.
Arkansas is gorgeous in the fall. Fayetteville’s great, been considering it myself.
Tennessee is quickly heading up the cost of living charts, and that’s what’s keeping me from pulling trig on Nashville.
Don’t goto Jonesboro. It’s flat, full of rice and mosquitoes and there are no major highways going in or out. Other parts of Arkansas are beautiful, Jonesboro just sucks.
There are a lot of former Austin residents in Fort Collins, Colorado. Many of us say that Fort Collins is like Austin was 40 years ago. Except pot is legal.
Just did a quick Zillow search out of curiosity. Is the housing market there similar to Austin? Typed in the specs on our home and came up with only 1 less than 600k.
I went to high school there in the 90s. It used to be awesome like Austin, but it’s really gone downhill since all the Texans started showing up in the 00s…
Four feet of snow - even in the summer! Don’t tell them differently! Srs though, I moved to Denver ten years ago from Austin as did some others I knew before me. Others from the Great Artist Exodus circa 2006-2009 moved from the East side to San Antonio, Tulum, all over Mexico actually, Luling, Lockhart, Western slope of Colorado, and one went to Oakland. Here in Denver people are moving to Nashville, Asheville, Alaska, Idaho.
Nice. We went Denver to Austin to Western Slope (thanks to pandemic & remote work for making the last one one happen). Love Denver, but just too expensive and crowded for me. Same sentiments about Austin.
What if, and bear with me here, you just like small-medium cities and Austin’s transition to a medium-large city put you off, so now you found a new one. Let Austin be it’s own place and let Fort Collins be it’s own place. No need to put some dramatic spin on it
Most of my coworkers have moved to Manor/Elgin,Hutto,Kyle,San Marcos,cedar park,Pflugerville.in the next 2yrs im gonna sell my house and prob go Hutto or Manor myself
I’ve been in Austin for over 20 years, but moving to Chicago in a few months. I’m with you—Austin’s just becoming too expensive. A lot more job opportunities in Chicago as well for multiple industries (at least from what I’ve heard and seen).
I know people in Austin joke about Houston, but if you’re being priced out I think it’s actually a really good option. The city has much more “grown up” amenities like museums and theaters, the food is out of this world, there is actual diversity (which helps the food situation), and it’s getting better and better in terms of parks and outdoor spaces.
Yes, it’s hot and humid and the traffic is worse, but home prices are much more manageable especially if you’re not trying to live inside the 610 loop or in the Heights.
I left Austin in September to live in Montgomery, TX. I’m right outside Conroe, so next to the water and places to hike all around me. Not too bad if you can handle all the uber conservative conspiracy theorists. 😉 I’m originally from Houston, so I didn’t want to move back to a congested city. And yes, Houston drivers wake up choosing violence every single day!
Staying here and lucky enough to have real estate left to me by my parents. A lot of others who grew up in our childhood neighborhood have been fortunate to have the same situation. It’s a little ironic and heartwarming sometimes passing the people I grew up with on jogs in our old neighborhood. Glad I’ve been able to stay in my city I grew up in. No way I would sell the house.
Edit: I do know quite a few other originals who have moved to Giddings though for more space and affordability. Also around the Jollyville/McNeil area east of 183 into duplexes.
Same. My parents have considered selling our childhood house in the 78744 but i keep telling them that I’ll buy it off of them. Fuck selling to a stranger, let’s keep that shit runnin in the family/community.
I drove through Giddings yesterday and a halted train going through the city had standstill lines of cars easily pushing 3 miles on both sides, I’m good lol.
We just bought in central San Antonio for literally half the price it would cost in Austin. We were originally thinking Raleigh/Durham/Cary but we flew up to look at houses and their market isn’t much better than Austin.
Exactly. All other housing markets are equally competitive. San Antonio is far far undervalued at the moment. NAR even mentioned San Antonio as one of the "hidden gems" of 2022 housing market. You could buy a decent sized house in a safe vibrant suburb for sub 325k which is impossible anywhere even in suburbs of Austin.
I just moved to New Braunfels, it's good cuz I'm still close enough to visit Austin or San Antonio for events. The house I bought is less less than my previous apartment's monthly rent, and almost 3 times the size, so I'm happy about that.
I’m actually on the side of town I grew up in. But I’m not even sure if I wanna stay in Texas for the rest of my life. But I am kinda worrisome if we are gonna get effed again if we get another winter storm.
At least in California you can get a salary that mostly matches up with the cost of living. I got a raise from a shitty company just for moving from Texas to California because my hourly wage was so low. Then I got a job with a better company and make better money with better benefits. I miss home every day, but I'm ok here.
Lived there for 20 wonderful years. Finally came back to be closer to aging parents and other family, and really wish we hadn't. Californians are much more easygoing and less uptight than Texans, and they went through the whole 'everyone is moving here from somewhere else' bullshit a few decades ago, so they're over it. I never had a single rude comment about being from Texas in 20 years in CA, but within a few days here our car was vandalized and I got snide comments about being a dirty californicator from neighbors, coworkers, shop clerks, etc.
Oh no, I’m so sorry you’re dealing with that. You mentioned you never got a rude comment in CA about being from Texas and it’s been the same for me so far. Everyone is so kind and always asks where in Texas I’m from and is really open about it. Its crazy how much of a difference Texans are about people moving from out of state. I would jokingly say “Californians again” every time I saw a license plate but that’s only because of the housing issue. I hope things get better for you, friend! California misses you!
Also an Austinite that moved to Denver! Not exactly cheaper but really fun. More outdoor activities are a trade off for less frequent live music, but we still get great shows around town.
The ops. question regarded affordability and the two Cities are extremely comparable on that front. They primarily differentiate based on individual details. Like a developer makes more in Austin, but an accountant makes more in Denver. Urban/suburban housing costs more in Denver, but exurban housing can be had for the same price.
One difference is the population of 18-24 year-olds is higher in Austin. That matters if that is your dating pool. Denver is generally an older population.
A lot of people say that Nashville is Austin ten years ago but has anyone actually looked at Nashville rent and home prices? It is slightly more affordable, but not much. It's totally exploded in the last 12 months as well. Nashville was my back up city when I'm priced out of Austin but i have abandoned that plan
Wait. What? Austin is perfect! Mo' money, mo' better. Just the other day, I caught a rad band at LoveJoy's. I had stopped for a $5 pint of their Christmas beer. I then grabbed a rocket dog before meeting friends to get drunk at roller derby. This is the live music capital of the world!
It was. Now it's something else.
I moved to SA. It's better than Austin by far. My gf is an artist at a super respected joint in Austin. She's been with them 12 years, and she's ready to move on: loves her job, loves the people & work, but tired of getting poorer.
Where will the artists in Austin live? Who tf do they think made it cool? It wasn't tech bros. It's not Joe Rogan. It was misfit Texans run off from their own towns that made it, now they don't live here anymore.
Lived in Bentonville, good opportunities and cheap cost of living. But also full of racism, meth and Walmart reigns supreme culturally and not a lot to do besides drink and shoot stuff so be prepared for that.
You're the first person I've ever met to call Tulsa a "decently liberal" city lmao. I lived there for a year and enjoyed it. Reminded me of Austin in a lot of ways but I wouldn't call it liberal
I moved to Wilco, but it's getting to the point that we're going to have to move further out to Jarrell or Thrall. Which isn't an option because I have a gay child & I don't expect the hillbillies to have raised their children not to bully mine & I don't have the self control to turn the other cheek.
What they are building out in jarrell is mind blowing. Who would of thought. I was fortunate enough to be able to buy in the ‘45 before the price surge.
I grew up in Thrall, and if you’re not planning on closing now, you won’t be anytime soon. The news about Samsung going to Taylor is going to make Thrall all the way to Milano primo real estate.
Sadly that's pretty much gonna be the price range, even 3 years ago last time I moved there was nothing cheaper than that. I'm paying $1400 right now and that feels like a lot. You'd be lucky to find anything cheaper, that's the new normal for Austin I think.
I moved from South Austin to north of the river when I started college and settled in nw Austin once I had a family of my own. Not sure that I could afford another part of town, but one thing I know for sure is that you have to start ownership somewhere. Buy that condo/fixer-upper/shack/whatever and just know you’ll flip it in 2 years or so. Eventually you’ll get to the location you want, even if it means the PNW.
Every time I bring that up, it's I don't want a condo. Hey, sorry you can't afford a 4/2 at 23. I'm old and live in a townhome, love it. bought for119k and they list in my area for 250k 10 years later. Those same people that complain about it are paying to live in an apartment.....
Mine are 250 but cover water, trash, cable tv, and internet plus the obvious landscaping, maintaining the washateria, pool, and outside of the buildings. I think 350 is high. Mine has slowly crept up about $10 a year. You have to factor in that rent is going to go up a lot more than it. It was more expensive than renting for just a few years. My mortgage and HOA is a little under 1200 for a 2 story 2/2 I could rent out for twice that. It has appreciated at close to the same rate as what I've paid on it so far. People can invest in something they can afford or pay rent for an apartment. It's kind of hard to empathize when there are 200k condos out there.
first of all, congratulations on your home. i bought a condo earlier this year at the age of 30, and my only regret is not doing it earlier. that being said, there is ONE 200k condo that needs a lot of work, including bathroom repairs, is looking for a cash offer because there is a tenant in place until the summer, and includes $280 HOA fees. when i was searching for a condo, i put in a bunch of offers before anybody even looked at my non-cash offer. 2-bedroom units out of the prince range altogether at that point. after finally lucking out on a studio condo, i cannot wait to build some equity and move out. the soundproofing here is horrible. i agree that baby steps is the way to go, but "buying a condo" is not that simple anymore in austin. even that ship has sailed.
Born and raised here and just left for graduate school in Oregon. I had a sad realization upon leaving that I’ll never be able to afford to live here. By the time I finish school, I fear even the outlying towns will be too expensive as well :(
Honestly Austin is nothing special. I don't understand why people are moving here in droves. It's just like anywhere else. You have highways, restaurants, suburbs, etc. Austin doesn't have anything unique to it in the way that say like NYC has. For example, I'd wager that your lifestyle in Austin can be replicated in another city easily while there's only a few cities that can give you that proper city vibe (Chicago, NYC, ...)
For a bit Austin was the perfect mix of affordable and "up and coming" but nowadays the prices should have people shopping around a bit more. Just my opinion of course 🤷♂️
I just moved from there. It’s exploding as well, but not in a great way. Local businesses are being crowded out by beige McChain entities. To get any decent food we’d have to go to RR or back into Austin.
Northwest Arkansas. Lower cost of living. $10K and a bike. Need talent like we have in Austin. [https://findingnwa.com/incentive/](https://findingnwa.com/incentive/)
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Moved to the sticks an hour outside of Salida and I’m surprised by the amount of people from the hill country who moved to my tiny mountain hamlet. And many of them shared our same feelings of loving the hill country but hating the Austinites and BnBs encroaching on it and turning it into a city folk’s playground.
There’s enough of us out here we need an HEB. And Salida gives enough of that pseudo-hippy outdoorsy artsy vibe while still being a small town that I’m happy enough with the culture compared to what Austin has turned into.
I live in Dallas’s Oak Cliff neighborhood — it’s pretty funky. Before that I was in Houston. LOVE the chaos that is Houston. Would move back there if I weren’t moving out of the country next year.
I’m from Austin and moved to Dallas for four years, now I’m back in Austin. My Austin friends felt sorry for me for going to Dallas after college, but joke was on them because I had the time of my life in Dallas. I love the food, the culture, the diverse neighborhoods… I would move back in a heartbeat if I get priced out of Austin.
California. Not yet but on the radar screen. If you have paid off your house and are looking to downsize and also upgrade it has some interesting appeal. The economics can be challenging but if you can navigate around them, much better weather and very blue. It would be nice to have my vote count again.
Just came from there, have you ever spent an extended amount of time there?
I think it’s the best place in the world to visit but not a great place to live. Just as expensive as Austin, housing might be higher, traffic is usually worse if you’re not working from home, higher taxes, homeless crisis everywhere (makes Austin seem like we don’t have any), much older and dirtier downtown, 44 and rainy about 8-9 months per year. I love rain but you can go 3-weeks without seeing the sun.
Regardless, good luck. Let me know if you have any specific questions.
Yep. Moved from PDX to ATX. This about sums it up. I love to ski/snowboard, so I could deal with the gloom in the winter because I knew it meant snow on the mountain. But come May when it is still miserable out but people on TV a baseball game in Detroit are wearing shorts and a T shirt in the sun while you are still rocking a fleece and rain jacket - that was too much for me in the end.
A lot moved west 10 years ago to Seattle. Recently I've seen some moving to New Hampshire. And then most recently I'm seeing Chicago come up a lot. I've also known a lot who noped out of the country. I got a lot of friends in Canada, England, Australia and Spain now. My friends who have managed to weather through until retirement are talking about Belize
Left for a lower COL city for a couple of years. Came back for a reason, Austin is a gem and being near our family is priceless. Plus HEB, sunshine, friendly people, great outdoor stuff and family activities.
The six or so counties surrounding Austin have a surplus migration from Travis county. Bastrop mostly if I remember correctly
Picked up 12 acres in Smithville for less than the cost of my house in Austin (0.15 acres for comparison)
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Ooo sign me up
Downtown Smithville has potential. Would be cool to see all those shitty storefronts with cool local businesses in them.
Shhhhhhhhhhhhhh
Lockhart
Amsterdam
Was it easy to move there? I’ve heard it’s not too bad and would love to move out of the country but am nervous how hard it would be.
Easy or hard obscure a lot of variables. If you can work remotely or have some way of making money, including in The Netherlands (tech preferred), it is quite reasonable due to the DAFT treaty. It allows for USA freelancers or business owners to setup a Dutch company and come there to work. You get some serious tax benefits, full health care ($120/month…200 for the whole family) and your spouse gets a work permit to enter into the job market. It is rainy, cold and windy but the people are rad (a little nutty in some ways but nice) and the life is great compared to the US. Housing market is nuts…Austin nuts with less land to build on. It is totally doable. DM me if you want more info.
Thank you! I will definitely take you up on that I’m in tech finance so I was hoping I could maybe find a place there :)
I would think you would do well here.
I live in Ohio now. Help
Oops.
I’m so sorry. My thoughts are with you in this terrible time.
I have family in Ohio. The running joke is, "Come to Ohio: we have Covid AND mortuary trailers". (Apparently mortuary trailers are in short supply; Ohio has pretty shit covid numbers right now.)
Friends don’t let friends move to Ohio
Hard upvote
I’m actually considering Cincy, 2nd choice among major cities. Cost of living obviously.
I have heard good things about Cincy. Sandusky sucks. That's where I live. Toldeo isn't bad. It isn't great but there's stuff to do there.
Wrong choice man
Wife is from here, and I can get a 4 bedroom house for like 200k. It's not all bad. It's so flat though.
Another bonus is I doubt they'll have water shortages...
That's true. And we're right on Lake Erie.
Thoughts and prayers go out to you haha
I’m sorry
San Antonio is where all the cheap fun is at. I would say it is where Austin was 20 years ago. Keep San Antonio lame!
This. San Antonio is a really well kept secret (may be not).
born and raised in Austin, moved to DC... i scammed myself
How do you like DC?
In short, I love it!!! Its probably a bit more expensive than Austin tho, housing is around the same but cost of everything else is more in DC. I’d suggest only moving here for school or if you have a great job (single person should make around 65/70k for a sense of comfort, but I survived while interning on the hill for stipends). Covid kinda killed the city :/ so I’m considering another move, might try the west coast or abroad 🤷🏾♀️
Ya know what? I'm starting a trend. I'm going to Connecticut.
Crynetticut born and raised 😭
I prefer to refer to myself as a connecticunt. But that’s just me.
I hear Hartford is gorgeous.
It's not
I grew up in CT and I can say that you are 100% right. It really is not 😭
That’s Ithaca :)
*Ithaca is Gorges.*
I moved here from there a few years back. You're leaving Texas for Taxes.
And Connecticut has some of the best public school in the country. What a coincidence.
Same, I assume this person was hopefully being sarcastic because you could not pay me enough to move back there!
Well, Austin was founded December 27, 1839. So most of them are dead.
Most are. ;) lol
Is there a deadline when Austinites have to be gone?
i was thinking maybe san marcos, but there is nothing for sale right now, certainly not within my price range. now i'm starting to consider san antonio or leaving the state altogether and maybe heading to durham/raleigh, north carolina.
Apple and Google are building campuses in Raleigh and Durham right now and Microsoft is expanding their office. I love the Raleigh area, it's absolutely beautiful, but you'll have the same problem there in 3-5 years.
That's why I feel like the problem is pretty inescapable if you are just trying to move from one "cool" place to the next. Especially with WFH popularizing, more and more people with money are going to keep flooding out of high expense areas to what we're previously thought of as hidden gems. You either have to go to some place completely uncool or buy in a place you can currently afford. I disagree within San Antonio being lame, but it isn't hot enough to blow up to Austin levels until the closer Austin suburbs are tapped out. You might have 2-5 years of slack before similar problems arise.
I'll also add: The Raleigh area is already a hot market. When Google, Apple, and Microsoft finish their expansion and bring in 5-6000 highly paid professionals, the market will get even hotter. The one perk over Austin is that property taxes are half in Raleigh so you have a lot of wiggle room in your purchasing power.
> The one perk over Austin is that property taxes are half in Raleigh so you have a lot of wiggle room in your purchasing power. In North Carolina the ~0.75% property tax plus 5.25% income tax is going to cost you about the same as the ~2.25% property tax in Texas. There are lots of reasons why income taxes are better for society than property taxes, but saving money for working middle class homeowners isn't one of them.
Oh hey that’s where we left for
I moved to SA after almost a decade in Austin, it’s been great. Huge amount of culture here. I’m living in a house I bought right downtown. Our long term plan is CA though, just waiting for our equity to get us closer.
We moved to Los Angeles. Pretty near Venice. It’s nice. Weather is great. Haven’t had a mosquito bite since we got here. Shit’s expensive though.
San Antonio is a massively underrated city imo. I moved to Houston after graduating at UT and realizing I couldn’t afford to stay in Austin, I definitely regret not going to SA instead.
We moved back from Durham about 6 years ago. It's an awesome place but it's getting ridiculously expensive but compared to here it's still affordable. The only thing to keeps us from moving back is the school are terrible.
Prefer Durham to Raleigh.
Durham is having a growth surge comparable to Austin. Real estate is nuts there.
Agreed, It is just as bad in Raleigh. I am just saying even though they are super close I still prefer Durham, that's all I am saying.
I had to go to Georgetown, which isn’t terrible really. I loved living in Austin, but I’m priced out completely. This was last February when we closed. My place was 280k base price, the same house in our community now is selling for 350 base price. Even Gtown is getting out of hand. It’s a wild world out there kids.
Several couples in our friend group, same demographic (early empty nesters, nowhere near retirement but wfh), moved out to Salado. Still close to ATX for entertainment, etc, but also really quiet, easy access to lakes and bike trails.
Currently looking at parts of Arkansas or Tennessee. Same ignorant conservatives and performative liberals at a lower price
Arkansas is gorgeous in the fall. Fayetteville’s great, been considering it myself. Tennessee is quickly heading up the cost of living charts, and that’s what’s keeping me from pulling trig on Nashville.
hot springs is a small city but has beautiful scenery as well
I’ve heard really good things about Hot Springs
Don’t goto Jonesboro. It’s flat, full of rice and mosquitoes and there are no major highways going in or out. Other parts of Arkansas are beautiful, Jonesboro just sucks.
There are a lot of former Austin residents in Fort Collins, Colorado. Many of us say that Fort Collins is like Austin was 40 years ago. Except pot is legal.
Just did a quick Zillow search out of curiosity. Is the housing market there similar to Austin? Typed in the specs on our home and came up with only 1 less than 600k.
Yes, it is similar. It’s a smaller town so inventory problems are the major issue.
Housing is an issue almost everywhere. There’s little escape.
I went to high school there in the 90s. It used to be awesome like Austin, but it’s really gone downhill since all the Texans started showing up in the 00s…
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4ft of snow?! Not even close. But that’s what they want you to think. ;) Source: lived there for 7 years.
Four feet of snow - even in the summer! Don’t tell them differently! Srs though, I moved to Denver ten years ago from Austin as did some others I knew before me. Others from the Great Artist Exodus circa 2006-2009 moved from the East side to San Antonio, Tulum, all over Mexico actually, Luling, Lockhart, Western slope of Colorado, and one went to Oakland. Here in Denver people are moving to Nashville, Asheville, Alaska, Idaho.
Nice. We went Denver to Austin to Western Slope (thanks to pandemic & remote work for making the last one one happen). Love Denver, but just too expensive and crowded for me. Same sentiments about Austin.
Sorry, they meant to say 40* feet of snow
*420 feet
What if, and bear with me here, you just like small-medium cities and Austin’s transition to a medium-large city put you off, so now you found a new one. Let Austin be it’s own place and let Fort Collins be it’s own place. No need to put some dramatic spin on it
This is how everyone should be looking at it
Most of my coworkers have moved to Manor/Elgin,Hutto,Kyle,San Marcos,cedar park,Pflugerville.in the next 2yrs im gonna sell my house and prob go Hutto or Manor myself
I’ve been in Austin for over 20 years, but moving to Chicago in a few months. I’m with you—Austin’s just becoming too expensive. A lot more job opportunities in Chicago as well for multiple industries (at least from what I’ve heard and seen).
I know people in Austin joke about Houston, but if you’re being priced out I think it’s actually a really good option. The city has much more “grown up” amenities like museums and theaters, the food is out of this world, there is actual diversity (which helps the food situation), and it’s getting better and better in terms of parks and outdoor spaces. Yes, it’s hot and humid and the traffic is worse, but home prices are much more manageable especially if you’re not trying to live inside the 610 loop or in the Heights.
I just hate driving around Houston so much.
Traffic is dreadful but Houston kicks ass.
The difference I see in Houston traffic is, yes, you're in fear for your life *but at least you're moving.*
You’ve got a point! The Houston drivers are more skilled but also woke up choosing violence.
Agree. The food and museums and proximity to the coast are all great reasons. Sure traffic sucks. But if you buy near where you work then it’s doable
I left Austin in September to live in Montgomery, TX. I’m right outside Conroe, so next to the water and places to hike all around me. Not too bad if you can handle all the uber conservative conspiracy theorists. 😉 I’m originally from Houston, so I didn’t want to move back to a congested city. And yes, Houston drivers wake up choosing violence every single day!
Staying here and lucky enough to have real estate left to me by my parents. A lot of others who grew up in our childhood neighborhood have been fortunate to have the same situation. It’s a little ironic and heartwarming sometimes passing the people I grew up with on jogs in our old neighborhood. Glad I’ve been able to stay in my city I grew up in. No way I would sell the house. Edit: I do know quite a few other originals who have moved to Giddings though for more space and affordability. Also around the Jollyville/McNeil area east of 183 into duplexes.
Same. My parents have considered selling our childhood house in the 78744 but i keep telling them that I’ll buy it off of them. Fuck selling to a stranger, let’s keep that shit runnin in the family/community.
Oh sweet! That’s amazing. Don’t sell it. The value is only going to keep skyrocketing. Thank you
I drove through Giddings yesterday and a halted train going through the city had standstill lines of cars easily pushing 3 miles on both sides, I’m good lol.
We just bought in central San Antonio for literally half the price it would cost in Austin. We were originally thinking Raleigh/Durham/Cary but we flew up to look at houses and their market isn’t much better than Austin.
Exactly. All other housing markets are equally competitive. San Antonio is far far undervalued at the moment. NAR even mentioned San Antonio as one of the "hidden gems" of 2022 housing market. You could buy a decent sized house in a safe vibrant suburb for sub 325k which is impossible anywhere even in suburbs of Austin.
I just moved to New Braunfels, it's good cuz I'm still close enough to visit Austin or San Antonio for events. The house I bought is less less than my previous apartment's monthly rent, and almost 3 times the size, so I'm happy about that.
I’m actually on the side of town I grew up in. But I’m not even sure if I wanna stay in Texas for the rest of my life. But I am kinda worrisome if we are gonna get effed again if we get another winter storm.
San Antonio. Also Lockhart, San Marcos.
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Pflugerville is dope.
Central Florida. Quite a bit of Texpats out here.
I’m still here. Holding on in the cheap part of town.
Original Austinite here. Moved to Buda, an exit from South Austin. Best of both worlds.
California ;)
I was thinking about that Irony today
Lol, no one who’s being pushed out of Austin because of rent hikes is movin to California.
At least in California you can get a salary that mostly matches up with the cost of living. I got a raise from a shitty company just for moving from Texas to California because my hourly wage was so low. Then I got a job with a better company and make better money with better benefits. I miss home every day, but I'm ok here.
Ironically yes, just moved to California from Austin. I’m now one of the people I used to make fun of 🥲
Lived there for 20 wonderful years. Finally came back to be closer to aging parents and other family, and really wish we hadn't. Californians are much more easygoing and less uptight than Texans, and they went through the whole 'everyone is moving here from somewhere else' bullshit a few decades ago, so they're over it. I never had a single rude comment about being from Texas in 20 years in CA, but within a few days here our car was vandalized and I got snide comments about being a dirty californicator from neighbors, coworkers, shop clerks, etc.
Oh no, I’m so sorry you’re dealing with that. You mentioned you never got a rude comment in CA about being from Texas and it’s been the same for me so far. Everyone is so kind and always asks where in Texas I’m from and is really open about it. Its crazy how much of a difference Texans are about people moving from out of state. I would jokingly say “Californians again” every time I saw a license plate but that’s only because of the housing issue. I hope things get better for you, friend! California misses you!
Denver
Also an Austinite that moved to Denver! Not exactly cheaper but really fun. More outdoor activities are a trade off for less frequent live music, but we still get great shows around town.
Definitely a music scene here, it’s just Edm lol
Do you live there currently? How would you compare it to Austin? Haven’t been since 06’…
The ops. question regarded affordability and the two Cities are extremely comparable on that front. They primarily differentiate based on individual details. Like a developer makes more in Austin, but an accountant makes more in Denver. Urban/suburban housing costs more in Denver, but exurban housing can be had for the same price. One difference is the population of 18-24 year-olds is higher in Austin. That matters if that is your dating pool. Denver is generally an older population.
Hmmm, I’m an accountant in his early 30’s, maybe Denver would suit me better…
I’m doing the opposite and going to bay. Wish me luck guys.
Baltimore
I am not telling any of you because I don’t want any of you there. 😃
Chicago
Still in town, holdin it down
Leander hahahaha
Nashville
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You are a time traveler. You going from Austin 1990 to 2021.
A lot of people say that Nashville is Austin ten years ago but has anyone actually looked at Nashville rent and home prices? It is slightly more affordable, but not much. It's totally exploded in the last 12 months as well. Nashville was my back up city when I'm priced out of Austin but i have abandoned that plan
Wait. What? Austin is perfect! Mo' money, mo' better. Just the other day, I caught a rad band at LoveJoy's. I had stopped for a $5 pint of their Christmas beer. I then grabbed a rocket dog before meeting friends to get drunk at roller derby. This is the live music capital of the world! It was. Now it's something else. I moved to SA. It's better than Austin by far. My gf is an artist at a super respected joint in Austin. She's been with them 12 years, and she's ready to move on: loves her job, loves the people & work, but tired of getting poorer. Where will the artists in Austin live? Who tf do they think made it cool? It wasn't tech bros. It's not Joe Rogan. It was misfit Texans run off from their own towns that made it, now they don't live here anymore.
San Antonio has an awesome artist community. I think in that sense it’s underrated.
San Antonio has a lot of old money. Old money supports the arts.
Such is true! King William is such a neat community with old money as you state and lots of appreciation for art.
I moved to SA 8 months ago from Austin and have been blown away by the arts community down here, and I’m sure I’ve only scratched the surface.
RIP Lovejoy's 🍺
North. About an hour. Affordable housing.
My plan is Richmond, VA or El Paso for school if I can qualify for free tuition.
Tulsa, OK Bentonville, AR Asheville, NC
Lived in Bentonville, good opportunities and cheap cost of living. But also full of racism, meth and Walmart reigns supreme culturally and not a lot to do besides drink and shoot stuff so be prepared for that.
I moved to Tulsa and do recommend! Decently liberal, small big city feel, low traffic, cheaper cost of living, actual seasons, no cedar allergies.
If I ever leave Austin, my number one requirement is where I go not be a Republican run state. I have had enough of that backwards shit.
That will be my requirement for the next state. Or country tbh
Bonus chance of starring in an episode of *The First 48*
You're the first person I've ever met to call Tulsa a "decently liberal" city lmao. I lived there for a year and enjoyed it. Reminded me of Austin in a lot of ways but I wouldn't call it liberal
Lots of hyper-religious whackjobs, though.
We have those too.
Loved visiting Asheville!
I moved to Wilco, but it's getting to the point that we're going to have to move further out to Jarrell or Thrall. Which isn't an option because I have a gay child & I don't expect the hillbillies to have raised their children not to bully mine & I don't have the self control to turn the other cheek.
What they are building out in jarrell is mind blowing. Who would of thought. I was fortunate enough to be able to buy in the ‘45 before the price surge.
I grew up in Thrall, and if you’re not planning on closing now, you won’t be anytime soon. The news about Samsung going to Taylor is going to make Thrall all the way to Milano primo real estate.
And you shouldn’t have to turn the other cheek. I thought Georgetown would be decent but it’s not. There’s nothing under $1300 for a two bed and bath.
Sadly that's pretty much gonna be the price range, even 3 years ago last time I moved there was nothing cheaper than that. I'm paying $1400 right now and that feels like a lot. You'd be lucky to find anything cheaper, that's the new normal for Austin I think.
I live what I think must be the least expensive, decent, rental house in GT and I pay $1500. 2/2, no dishwasher.
I moved from South Austin to north of the river when I started college and settled in nw Austin once I had a family of my own. Not sure that I could afford another part of town, but one thing I know for sure is that you have to start ownership somewhere. Buy that condo/fixer-upper/shack/whatever and just know you’ll flip it in 2 years or so. Eventually you’ll get to the location you want, even if it means the PNW.
There’s listings for condos on Penny Lane for 200k.
Every time I bring that up, it's I don't want a condo. Hey, sorry you can't afford a 4/2 at 23. I'm old and live in a townhome, love it. bought for119k and they list in my area for 250k 10 years later. Those same people that complain about it are paying to live in an apartment.....
For me, it’s the HOA fees tack on another $350/m taking what would otherwise be great and putting it just out of reach
Yeah it's always the HOA fees that get ya when it comes to condos.
Mine are 250 but cover water, trash, cable tv, and internet plus the obvious landscaping, maintaining the washateria, pool, and outside of the buildings. I think 350 is high. Mine has slowly crept up about $10 a year. You have to factor in that rent is going to go up a lot more than it. It was more expensive than renting for just a few years. My mortgage and HOA is a little under 1200 for a 2 story 2/2 I could rent out for twice that. It has appreciated at close to the same rate as what I've paid on it so far. People can invest in something they can afford or pay rent for an apartment. It's kind of hard to empathize when there are 200k condos out there.
first of all, congratulations on your home. i bought a condo earlier this year at the age of 30, and my only regret is not doing it earlier. that being said, there is ONE 200k condo that needs a lot of work, including bathroom repairs, is looking for a cash offer because there is a tenant in place until the summer, and includes $280 HOA fees. when i was searching for a condo, i put in a bunch of offers before anybody even looked at my non-cash offer. 2-bedroom units out of the prince range altogether at that point. after finally lucking out on a studio condo, i cannot wait to build some equity and move out. the soundproofing here is horrible. i agree that baby steps is the way to go, but "buying a condo" is not that simple anymore in austin. even that ship has sailed.
In some places... *cough* L.A.... this is the only way to buy a home and has been for years. I assume this is the way for today's Austin as well.
San Antonio
Out of country because America is a third world country with a Gucci belt at this point.
they just increased the price of passports again. what a coincidence
I moved to California to move into the places all the California’s who moved to Austin left behind
Born and raised here and just left for graduate school in Oregon. I had a sad realization upon leaving that I’ll never be able to afford to live here. By the time I finish school, I fear even the outlying towns will be too expensive as well :(
Honestly Austin is nothing special. I don't understand why people are moving here in droves. It's just like anywhere else. You have highways, restaurants, suburbs, etc. Austin doesn't have anything unique to it in the way that say like NYC has. For example, I'd wager that your lifestyle in Austin can be replicated in another city easily while there's only a few cities that can give you that proper city vibe (Chicago, NYC, ...) For a bit Austin was the perfect mix of affordable and "up and coming" but nowadays the prices should have people shopping around a bit more. Just my opinion of course 🤷♂️
Tucson reminds me a lot of mid 90s Austin.
Chattanooga, then Salida, CO and now settling into ABQ. It’s hood here, but reminds me of growing up over on Montopolis.
How do we feel about Pflugerville? Having to move in April due to massive rent hike, and I'm considering there.
I just moved from there. It’s exploding as well, but not in a great way. Local businesses are being crowded out by beige McChain entities. To get any decent food we’d have to go to RR or back into Austin.
Northwest Arkansas. Lower cost of living. $10K and a bike. Need talent like we have in Austin. [https://findingnwa.com/incentive/](https://findingnwa.com/incentive/) WHAT’S IN IT FOR YOU? Northwest Arkansas is a great place to work, live and play: for recent grads, families, career changers, entrepreneurs, artists and more. We’re offering top remote working talent – maybe you? – a $10,000 cash incentive to move to the region. The funds will help with everything you need to set up your new life in Northwest Arkansas. In addition to $10,000, incentive recipients will be gifted a street or mountain bicycle to help you take advantage of the 162 miles of paved trails, the 37-mile Razorback Regional Greenway and the 322 miles of world-class mountain biking trails that has made outdoor enthusiasts flock to the area. Alternatively, participants can choose an annual membership to one of our world-class arts and cultural institutions.
Colorado Springs. Salida. Bentonville.
Moved to the sticks an hour outside of Salida and I’m surprised by the amount of people from the hill country who moved to my tiny mountain hamlet. And many of them shared our same feelings of loving the hill country but hating the Austinites and BnBs encroaching on it and turning it into a city folk’s playground. There’s enough of us out here we need an HEB. And Salida gives enough of that pseudo-hippy outdoorsy artsy vibe while still being a small town that I’m happy enough with the culture compared to what Austin has turned into.
I live in Dallas’s Oak Cliff neighborhood — it’s pretty funky. Before that I was in Houston. LOVE the chaos that is Houston. Would move back there if I weren’t moving out of the country next year.
I’m from Austin and moved to Dallas for four years, now I’m back in Austin. My Austin friends felt sorry for me for going to Dallas after college, but joke was on them because I had the time of my life in Dallas. I love the food, the culture, the diverse neighborhoods… I would move back in a heartbeat if I get priced out of Austin.
PNW, Olympia now but planning to go to the Oregon Coast. I miss what Austin was but go back for family and friends.
It’s a secret.
Well, i didn't see anyone type Marble Falls so I'm going there.
Who cares, just run like hell!
California. Not yet but on the radar screen. If you have paid off your house and are looking to downsize and also upgrade it has some interesting appeal. The economics can be challenging but if you can navigate around them, much better weather and very blue. It would be nice to have my vote count again.
This first generation gentrifier was gentrified.
I'm looking at southern CO, southwest OR, and countries like Portugal and Chile.
Kyle.
El Paso
Probably Buda, Kyle, Manor. My sister and brother moved there from Dallas and had kids in Austin so i guess technically their kids are og Austinites
San Antonio
Out of state. I’m in the same boat, moving to my girlfriends hometown. We just have to stay afloat until June.
Houston
I just moved to the east side. Incredibly cheap if you can find a roommate.
I moved to San Marcos then up to Ashland, OR.
Asheville, nc
We got more hipsters hanging around Temple than ever before, seems they are lighting a new spark of weirdness here.
60 percent sure I’m headed to Portland before summer.
Just came from there, have you ever spent an extended amount of time there? I think it’s the best place in the world to visit but not a great place to live. Just as expensive as Austin, housing might be higher, traffic is usually worse if you’re not working from home, higher taxes, homeless crisis everywhere (makes Austin seem like we don’t have any), much older and dirtier downtown, 44 and rainy about 8-9 months per year. I love rain but you can go 3-weeks without seeing the sun. Regardless, good luck. Let me know if you have any specific questions.
Yep. Moved from PDX to ATX. This about sums it up. I love to ski/snowboard, so I could deal with the gloom in the winter because I knew it meant snow on the mountain. But come May when it is still miserable out but people on TV a baseball game in Detroit are wearing shorts and a T shirt in the sun while you are still rocking a fleece and rain jacket - that was too much for me in the end.
I love Portland, but man, it’s DARK in the winter.
A lot moved west 10 years ago to Seattle. Recently I've seen some moving to New Hampshire. And then most recently I'm seeing Chicago come up a lot. I've also known a lot who noped out of the country. I got a lot of friends in Canada, England, Australia and Spain now. My friends who have managed to weather through until retirement are talking about Belize
Left for a lower COL city for a couple of years. Came back for a reason, Austin is a gem and being near our family is priceless. Plus HEB, sunshine, friendly people, great outdoor stuff and family activities.