The 11 Best Neighborhoods to Live in Austin

Austin is growing faster than any other city in America. Tech giants like Apple, Google, Facebook, and Tesla are planting roots in the "City of the Violet Crown." Famed for its sunsets, humungous natural swimming pool, and love of live music, Austin's job market, and cultural scene are now among the hottest in the country.

Although, all this buzz is bringing some issues along for the ride, and many of them affect renters. A hot job market means a hotter rental market—with pricing and competition fiercer than ever. Housing developments are popping up in Austin weekly, and neighborhoods are transforming faster than most locals ever thought possible.

Now, more than ever, new movers and seasoned 'Austinites' need to understand the city's neighborhoods before deciding where to live.

To help you do just that, we've ranked Austin's most popular neighborhoods into a comprehensive list— helping you make the right decision when planning where to live in Austin. We've built a ranking system that takes into account:

• Atmosphere: nightlife & entertainment, shopping & restaurants, and beauty & parks

• Amenities: schools, public transit, and points of interest

• Experience: safety, affordability, and walkability

The end result is a prioritized list of Austin's best places to move to.

Why should you listen to us? At Bungalow, we've been building great homes and their rental experiences across the country for a while now. It's safe to say we've learned a thing or two.

Perfect for families with young children. Make the most of the baseball fields, parks, and the shores of Lake Austin.

Tarrytown scores a cool 28/50 on our Austin neighborhood rankings. It's a prestigious and pretty pricey area to nest up. What it lacks in shopping malls and restaurants, it more than makes up for with green space and picturesque waterfront spots.

Spend your weekends walking the Mayfield Park and National Preserve, with its 21-acres of natural habitat. It's a great spot for outdoorsy couples and families looking to tire out their kids for a full night's sleep. It's understandable that, for many, Tarrytown is a well-deserved break from the hustle and bustle of big city life.

Want more? Fore! Tarrytown is a great shout for keen golfers. It's home to Lions Municipal Golf course, boasting an 18-hole public course that's bound to keep you busy 'clubbing' with the locals.

Tarrytown's a pretty historic-looking neighborhood that's managed to keep its motto's (almost) 100-year-old promise: "where oak trees charm the eye."

The neighborhood scored low for public transit, shopping & restaurants, and nightlife & entertainment. It's better-suited for nature-loving families, scoring high for its beauty & parks, schools, and safety. However, all of that beauty comes at a cost—it's one of the most expensive places to live in Austin.

Tarrytown's Rankings:

Rankings: Weighted rankings were determined by scoring neighborhoods on a scale of 1-5 in the following categories with 5 being the best. Here's how Tarrytown scored:

• Affordability: 💸

• Beauty & Parks: 🌳 🌳 🌳 🌳 🌳

• Nightlife & Entertainment: 🎉

• Points of Interest: 📍📍📍

• Public Transit: 🚃 🚃

• Safety: ✅ ✅ ✅ ✅ ✅

• Schools: 🍎 🍎 🍎 🍎

• Shopping & Restaurants: 🛍 🛍

• Walkability:🚶🏽‍♀️ 🚶🏽‍♀️ 🚶🏽‍♀️

Perfect for professionals in their 30's. Franklin Park is affordable, packed with parks, and tops it off with an eco-friendly attitude.

Franklin Park is a solid option for students, young professionals, or families with teenage kids. Scoring 31/50, the area is affordable, quiet, and gorgeously green. Although it isn't the safest on our list, scoring a 2/5 in our research, it isn't too bad compared to other areas in the south of Austin.

This largely residential neighborhood in Austin has a few shops, restaurants, and bars available, primarily its housing. The area has excellent access to Downtown, the University of Texas, and main highways.

Franklin Park is flooded with, you guessed it, parks. The McKinney Falls State Park is ideal for keen hikers, bikers, or campers. Plus, Onion Creek might lure you in if you're a fishing fanatic.

Not hooked yet? Battle Bend, Garrison, and Franklin Park are great family-friendly options with playgrounds and picnic spaces to your heart's content.

The neighborhood's eco-attitude has also attracted a relatively young crowd. You'll see plenty of students and young professionals out-and-about in the area. It's a good mix of homeowners and renters that has created a vibrant, exciting, and close-knit community you'll soon feel a part of.

Franklin Park's Rankings:

Rankings: Weighted rankings were determined by scoring neighborhoods on a scale of 1-5 in the following categories with 5 being the best. Here's how Franklin Park scored:

• Affordability: 💸 💸 💸 💸

• Beauty & Parks: 🌳 🌳 🌳 🌳

• Nightlife & Entertainment: 🎉 🎉🎉

• Points of Interest: 📍📍📍

• Public Transit: 🚃 🚃

• Safety: ✅ ✅

• Schools: 🍎 🍎 🍎

• Shopping & Restaurants: 🛍 🛍 🛍 🛍

• Walkability:🚶🏽‍♀️ 🚶🏽‍♀️

Perfect for young families or college students —a stone's throw from the buzz of Downtown & South Congress.

A low-key, working-class neighborhood, South Manchaca scores a 34/50 with affordable housing and easy access to shopping, Downtown, and major local highways.

The family-friendly neighborhood is home to parks and good schools. Plus, it's affordable while ranking as one of Austin's safest neighborhoods we looked at.

The St David South Austin Hospital is in this part of the city, making it an ideal place for professionals in healthcare and health-sensitive seniors looking to live nearby.

Fun fact: 53% of the population of South Manchaca are families, and there's a median age between 25—44-years-old. The Austin Community College campus is also at your doorstep, making this neighborhood a great option for college students.

Home to the famous Gold's Gym Austin South, it makes the neighborhood a good shout for those health-conscious heads that want to cut back on their gym commute. South Manchaca also scored a four on for shopping and restaurants, so you can pick to burn or collect calories on your weekends.

South Manchaca's Rankings:

Rankings: Weighted rankings were determined by scoring neighborhoods on a scale of 1-5 in the following categories with 5 being the best. Here's how South Manchaca scored:

• Affordability: 💸 💸 💸 💸

• Beauty & Parks: 🌳 🌳 🌳

• Nightlife & Entertainment: 🎉 🎉🎉

• Points of Interest: 📍📍📍

• Public Transit: 🚃 🚃

• Safety: ✅ ✅ ✅ ✅ ✅

• Schools: 🍎 🍎 🍎

• Shopping & Restaurants: 🛍 🛍 🛍 🛍

• Walkability:🚶🏽‍♀️ 🚶🏽‍♀️

Perfect for students. A thriving hub for busy undergrads making the most of their budgets.

Riverside scored 35 on our list, with top marks (or close to it) for walkability, nightlife & entertainment, and affordability. The area is typically low-cost and provides easy access to Downtown.

Riverside is a great base for students or young professionals on a budget. Plus, the sheer diversity of the neighborhood has led to a hub of worldly restaurants to choose from.

The University of Texas and Downtown are neighbors to Riverside, making it perfect for students looking to venture off-campus and live on the river. Despite Riverside being well-connected and walkable, it's one of our lowest scoring neighborhoods for safety—definitely, something to note.

On East Riverside Drive—the main highway cutting through the middle of the neighborhood you'll find some great bars, cafés, restaurants, and stores. Looking to get your sweat on without the gym fee? The running paths next to the Colorado River provide easy access to the Lady Bird Lake boardwalk. The Roy G. Plus, the Guerrero Colorado River Metro Park, makes it the perfect place for a 'naturally' air-conditioned gym.

Riverside's Rankings:

Rankings: Weighted rankings were determined by scoring neighborhoods on a scale of 1-5 in the following categories with 5 being the best. Here's how Riverside scored:

• Affordability: 💸💸 💸 💸

• Beauty & Parks: 🌳 🌳 🌳

• Nightlife & Entertainment: 🎉 🎉 🎉 🎉 🎉

• Points of Interest: 📍📍📍

• Public Transit: 🚃 🚃 🚃 🚃

• Safety: ✅

• Schools: 🍎 🍎 🍎

• Shopping & Restaurants: 🛍 🛍 🛍

• Walkability:🚶🏽‍♀️ 🚶🏽‍♀️ 🚶🏽‍♀️ 🚶🏽‍♀️ 🚶🏽‍♀️

Perfect for go-getters. South Lamar is the neighborhood for those seeking diversity, nightlife, and the Texas two-step.

South Lamar—also known as SoLa—has recently become an area booming with restaurants, bars, shops, apartments, businesses, food trailers, and so much more. A neighborhood once filled with used car lots, it's now a diverse, progressive, and iconic part of Austin.

The neighborhood is teeming with artists, musicians, and inspiring entrepreneurs, making it ideal for young people and forward-thinking families.

In the past five to seven years, South Lamar has seen an increase in its multi-family living units, with 2,500 already built and 1,000 more in the works. Although the traffic jams at peak hours can be a bit of a nightmare, there are plenty of restaurants and shops in the area that will tempt you to leave the car at home and take a stroll instead.

South Lamar is ideal for families, thanks to the area's new houses. The various top-rated schools, recreation centers, and nearby parks are fantastic perks, too.

More!? This neighborhood is one for the music-lovers, home to the Broken Spoke dance hall, where Willie Nelson, George Strait, and Dolly Parton performed! It's named the best country dance hall in the US by Entertainment magazine.

If you're not bothered by traffic and are looking for a reasonably priced, fun, and vibrant neighborhood to live in with friends or your partner, then South Lamar—sorry, SoLa, is a great bet!

South Lamar's Rankings:

Rankings: Weighted rankings were determined by scoring neighborhoods on a scale of 1-5 in the following categories with 5 being the best. Here's how South Lamar scored:

• Affordability: 💸 💸 💸

• Beauty & Parks: 🌳 🌳 🌳 🌳

• Nightlife & Entertainment: 🎉 🎉 🎉 🎉 🎉

• Points of Interest: 📍📍📍

• Public Transit: 🚃 🚃 🚃

• Safety: ✅ ✅ ✅

• Schools: 🍎 🍎 🍎 🍎

• Shopping & Restaurants: 🛍 🛍 🛍 🛍 🛍

• Walkability:🚶🏽‍♀️ 🚶🏽‍♀️ 🚶🏽‍♀️

Perfect for independent movers. A trendy neighborhood for the solo movers looking for something new.

East Austin is the perfect neighborhood for people looking to get the best out of Downtown, minus the costs. It used to have a reputation for being a pretty rough area or was cast aside as unsafe. However, that's all changed, and today it's a true city gem, scoring a respectable 37/50 on our Austin neighborhood list.

East Austin is vibrant and quirky. It's flooded with home-grown restaurants, quaint cocktail bars, and independent stores. The general vibe of the neighborhood is ideal for people that like to try new things and move away from the mainstream bars and restaurants many are tired of.

East Austin is an authentic mix of historic homes and new developments, making this neighborhood a fantastic mesh of the old and the new.

East Austin scored fives across the board for shopping & restaurants, nightlife & entertainment, and points of interest—giving you the pleasures of Downtown at a fraction of the cost. Plus, there's parking!

East Austin's Rankings:

Rankings: Weighted rankings were determined by scoring neighborhoods on a scale of 1-5 in the following categories with 5 being the best. Here's how East Austin scored:

• Affordability: 💸

• Beauty & Parks: 🌳 🌳 🌳

• Nightlife & Entertainment: 🎉 🎉 🎉 🎉 🎉

• Points of Interest: 📍📍📍📍📍

• Public Transit: 🚃 🚃 🚃 🚃 🚃

• Safety: ✅ ✅

• Schools: 🍎 🍎 🍎 🍎 🍎

• Shopping & Restaurants: 🛍 🛍 🛍 🛍 🛍

• Walkability:🚶🏽‍♀️ 🚶🏽‍♀️ 🚶🏽‍♀️ 🚶🏽‍♀️ 🚶🏽‍♀️

Perfect for the adventure-seekers. 78704 is packed with untapped culture for on-the-go people.

Now we're getting into those top contending Austin neighborhoods! 78704 combines Zilker, Bouldin Creek, South Congress, and Travis Heights. It's south of the river and the perfect spot for young professionals to settle down, scoring another respectable 37/50.

You'll get views of the Colorado River from certain spots, can peruse through the parks, and discover a new music festival or art exhibition on your weekends.

Let's get into the specifics. Travis Heights is a residential area with towering old mansions and the great greenery that Austin is known for. One of the things it has that makes it different from other areas of the city is its hilly streets that let you enjoy postcard views of Austin on clear days.

Zilker is mainly known for Zilker Park—considered Austin's favorite park and where Austin City Limits and South by Southwest music festivals are held, as well as the Holiday Trail of Lights.

Bouldin Creek is ideal for young singles–with a higher than average percentage of single people in the area–thanks to the variety of restaurants, shops, parks, and vibrant nightlife. There are mostly students, artists, and young professionals in the area. Although it isn't bad for families, other neighborhoods on this list are definitely better suited.

South Congress is possibly the best-known neighborhood in Austin—they call it SoCo. It's filled with locally-founded boutique stores, shops, diners, coffeehouses, and bars. California-style food trucks started in this area of town and spread all over Austin quickly after. Overall, SoCo is a hip, trendy part of the city that has become a hub and landmark thanks to its unique character and chic vibe. If you're an on-the-go person that enjoys discovering new things on your weekends, then 78704 is the neighborhood—or collection of them—for you.

78704's Rankings:

Rankings: Weighted rankings were determined by scoring neighborhoods on a scale of 1-5 in the following categories with 5 being the best. Here's how 78704 scored:

• Affordability: 💸

• Beauty & Parks: 🌳 🌳 🌳 🌳 🌳

• Nightlife & Entertainment: 🎉 🎉 🎉 🎉 🎉

• Points of Interest: 📍📍📍📍📍

• Public Transit: 🚃 🚃 🚃 🚃 🚃

• Safety: ✅ ✅ ✅

• Schools: 🍎 🍎 🍎 🍎

• Shopping & Restaurants: 🛍 🛍 🛍 🛍 🛍

• Walkability:🚶🏽‍♀️ 🚶🏽‍♀️ 🚶🏽‍♀️

Perfect for families with young children—enjoy the never-ending green spaces.

Mueller is Austin's latest development and greenest neighborhood by far–20% of its area is parks and open spaces, scoring it a well-deserved 5/5 for beauty and parks.

Located in a former airport zone, the area is now one of Austin's most sustainable and beautiful neighborhoods. The neighborhood was purposefully designed to be a walkable part of the city but is still well-connected to the rest of the city via public transport and bike trails.

Mueller is definitely a top neighborhood to consider for those looking to seize the outdoorsy life with children—or for sports fanatics. Almost every street has a walking path or bike trail, making this neighborhood one of Austin's most walkable places and scoring it a 5/5 for walkability on our books. Plus, the neighborhood's lake makes your walks as pretty as they are productive.

Although Mueller isn't packed with restaurants or shops like other areas of Austin, some say Austin's best burger is in Mueller. Downtown is always easy to reach if you're looking for something more.

Lastly, there's the Alamo Drafthouse in the area, which has a cinema upstairs and the Barrel O'Fun downstairs with kids' activities going on every day! Close out your weekends by grabbing your greens at the Sunday Farmer's Market, and you've got yourself a prime neighborhood up for consideration.

Mueller's Rankings:

Rankings: Weighted rankings were determined by scoring neighborhoods on a scale of 1-5 in the following categories with 5 being the best. Here's how Mueller scored:

• Affordability: 💸 💸 💸

• Beauty & Parks: 🌳 🌳 🌳 🌳 🌳

• Nightlife & Entertainment: 🎉 🎉 🎉 🎉

• Points of Interest: 📍📍📍📍

• Public Transit: 🚃 🚃 🚃

• Safety: ✅ ✅ ✅

• Schools: 🍎 🍎 🍎 🍎 🍎

• Shopping & Restaurants: 🛍 🛍 🛍 🛍 🛍

• Walkability:🚶🏽‍♀️ 🚶🏽‍♀️ 🚶🏽‍♀️ 🚶🏽‍♀️ 🚶🏽‍♀️

Perfect for the outdoorsy folk. A hot spot for sporty students and coffee lovers.

Hyde Park was the first official true suburb in Austin–it's registered on the National Register of Historic Places–and North Loop was also one of the first suburbs in the city.

Thanks to this, these neighborhoods are a stunning example of late 19th-century architecture–including Queen Anne style for all you architecture buffs out there. Today, it's a patchwork mix of new-build bungalows and multi-family residences packed with students, young professionals, and young families. It scored almost all fours and above on our neighborhood rating, falling short only in public transit options.

Its historical architecture, combined with a new up-and-coming vibe, has made it ideal for students and academics since the University of Texas is not far away–a 7-min drive or a 35-min walk.

The area is packed with cool coffeehouses–there's even one open 24 hours–vintage stores, and relaxed nightlife, making it the perfect place to be productive but also unwind at the end of the day too. If you're ever looking for a little more action, Downtown Austin is a short ride away.

You'll also find a few museums and art galleries like the Elizabeth Ney Museum. If you're looking for outdoor things to do in this highly walkable neighborhood (4/5), you can find the nine-hole Hancock Golf Course and the Shipe Park with a swimming pool, playscape, and tennis courts. All of this makes Hyde Park and North Loop a great–and affordable–place to live. It lands the neighborhood in our top three neighborhoods to live in Austin for 2022.

Hyde Park & North Loop's Rankings:

Rankings: Weighted rankings were determined by scoring neighborhoods on a scale of 1-5 in the following categories with 5 being the best. Here's how Hyde Park & North Loop scored:

• Affordability: 💸 💸 💸 💸

• Beauty & Parks: 🌳 🌳 🌳 🌳 🌳

• Nightlife & Entertainment: 🎉 🎉 🎉 🎉

• Points of Interest: 📍📍📍📍

• Public Transit: 🚃 🚃 🚃

• Safety: ✅ ✅ ✅ ✅

• Schools: 🍎 🍎 🍎 🍎

• Shopping & Restaurants: 🛍 🛍 🛍 🛍

• Walkability:🚶🏽‍♀️ 🚶🏽‍♀️ 🚶🏽‍♀️ 🚶🏽‍♀️

Perfect for the older generations among us—or those that prefer the quieter lifestyle.

Rated the second-best neighborhood to live in for 2022. Rosedale is one of the older neighborhoods in Austin, but certainly not to be overlooked.

Both Rosedale and Allendale are traditional residential neighborhoods. There are plenty of local businesses, restaurants, parks, and things to do outdoors in the area. Rosedale & Allendale is perfect for families and retirees for its peaceful nature and safety rating—5/5.

The Ramsey Park & Playground has a swimming pool, ball field, picnic tables, BBQ grills, and bike trails, perfect for families to explore, and scoring the neighborhood a 5/5 for walkability and beauty & parks. Affordability is a good average, and there's plenty of shops and nightlife to keep you occupied—both scoring 5/5 as well.

Rosedale & Allendale are great options for the older Bungalow community or, the younger community that are old before their time. It's a peaceful way of life that's earned this area second place on our list.

Rosedale & Allendale's Rankings:

Rankings: Weighted rankings were determined by scoring neighborhoods on a scale of 1-5 in the following categories with 5 being the best. Here's how Rosedale & Allendale scored:

• Affordability: 💸 💸 💸

• Beauty & Parks: 🌳 🌳 🌳 🌳 🌳

• Nightlife & Entertainment: 🎉 🎉 🎉 🎉 🎉

• Points of Interest: 📍📍📍

• Public Transit: 🚃 🚃 🚃

• Safety: ✅ ✅ ✅ ✅ ✅

• Schools: 🍎 🍎 🍎 🍎 🍎

• Shopping & Restaurants: 🛍 🛍 🛍 🛍 🛍

• Walkability:🚶🏽‍♀️ 🚶🏽‍♀️ 🚶🏽‍♀️ 🚶🏽‍♀️ 🚶🏽‍♀️

Perfect. Clarksville, the number one neighborhood to live in Austin for 2022

Clarksville is a historic part of the city that borders Downtown. It's filled with landmarks, beautiful historic homes, and postcard-worthy parks. Rich in history, it's becoming an eclectic urban hub in Austin's heart. The area suits families, young professionals, and even students—although it can be pricey.

Clarksville's rich history has made it one of Austin's most important urban areas. The area is filled with unique restaurants, shops, and bars to suit the growing quirkiness of Austin. This helps make the neighborhood ideal for strolling around while finding your next gastronomic gem. Plus, you're only minutes from Downtown if you need a little extra spice.

The neighborhood is great for retirees who want to live in a safe, quiet, and beautiful area. Got those parents-in-law that want to move in? Settle for neighbors, and this area is a win-win.

Clarksville is also ideal for affluent couples and singles that enjoy long walks, longer dinner dates, and slightly longer pours of good wine.

Fives across the board for Clarksville for everything apart from affordability. If budget isn't an issue for you, then this neighborhood is an absolute must. Clarksville wins the number one neighborhood to live in Austin for 2022.

Clarksville's Rankings:

Rankings: Weighted rankings were determined by scoring neighborhoods on a scale of 1-5 in the following categories with 5 being the best. Here's how Clarksville scored:

• Affordability: 💸 💸

• Beauty & Parks: 🌳 🌳 🌳 🌳 🌳

• Nightlife & Entertainment: 🎉 🎉 🎉 🎉 🎉

• Points of Interest: 📍📍📍📍📍

• Public Transit: 🚃 🚃 🚃 🚃 🚃

• Safety: ✅ ✅ ✅ ✅ ✅

• Schools: 🍎 🍎 🍎 🍎 🍎

• Shopping & Restaurants: 🛍 🛍 🛍 🛍 🛍

• Walkability:🚶🏽‍♀️ 🚶🏽‍♀️ 🚶🏽‍♀️ 🚶🏽‍♀️ 🚶🏽‍♀️

Wrapping up our research, there are a few things you need to consider, before moving to Austin.

Statistically speaking, Austin is a relatively safe place to live. There are a few neighborhoods that didn't score so highly on our list, however, most neighborhoods you'll feel secure in.

Public Transit is decent, despite Austin not being considered a major US city, it's certainly on its way and its public transportation is living up to that goal. Austin makes a few top ten lists for its public transit options and boasts 3,000 bus stops!

On average, Austin neighborhoods scored a 4.2 for beauty & parks, a 4.0 for schools, and a 3.4 for safety. It makes it a solid place to live for young families. All things considered: Austin scored a 37/50 on our list of US cities to live for 2022.