Best place to live? Austin’s No. 1 in Texas but falls in national rankings

Posted: Jul 14, 2021 / 09:09 AM CDT

Updated: Jul 15, 2021 / 06:47 PM CDT

AUSTIN (KXAN) — While it took a little hit in the national rankings, Austin is still the best place to live in Texas, according to U.S. News and World Report.

Austin still held on to the top spot in the Lone Star State, ahead of Dallas-Fort Worth, but tumbled two spots from No. 3 to No. 5 in the publication’s latest Best Places To Live national rankings. U.S. News said Austin’s rising housing costs contributed to the drop.

Read more on this topic from Austin Business Journal

“Housing affordability is always of great concern, but as people solidify their plans to work remotely, struggle to find a house in a hot housing market or consider a cross-country move, a low cost of living is even more important,” said Devon Thorsby, real estate editor for U.S. News.

Median home sales prices in Austin hit an all-time in May at $465,000, and the Austin Board of Realtors said the Austin market has become one of the most competitive markets in the nation in its May report.

Colorado Springs, Colo., and Denver were also victims of housing costs and fell in the rankings.

Austin received its highest mark in net migration, which measures if people are moving to or away from a city. Austin’s score of 8.5 out of 10 means, according to US Census data, more people are moving to Austin than a lot of other cities around the country. However, it’s the smallest part of U.S. News and World Report’s scoring formula.

Austin scored a 7.8 in desirability, 7.5 in job market, 7 in quality of life, and took its worst score in value — the metric that includes housing affordability — at 6.5. Overall, Austin’s score came in at 7.3 to stay in the top five.

The publication explains its methodology and ranking system on its website.

Top 10 places to live in the U.S., according to U.S. News and World Report

1. Boulder, Colo., 7.6 out of 10
2. Raleigh & Durham, N.C., 7.5
3. Huntsville, Ala., 7.4
4. Fayetteville, Ark., 7.3
5. Austin, 7.3
6. Colorado Springs, Colo., 7.3
7. Naples, Fla., 7.2
8. Portland, Maine, 7.2
9. Sarasota, Fla., 7.2
10. Portland, Ore., 7.2

In the Texas rankings, Austin’s score topped Dallas-Fort Worth’s score of 6.9. Houston came in third with a score of 6.8, San Antonio was fourth with 6.6 and Killeen rounded out the top five with a 6.2.