What I tell people moving to Austin in 2026

April 8, 2026 · 7 min read

<p>There's a moment that happens in almost every relocation call, usually about twenty minutes in, where the person on the other end of the Zoom pauses and says some version of: "I just didn't realize how spread out Austin actually is."</p><p>They mean it geographically, but they also mean it in every other way. Austin is bigger in the ways that matter.</p><h2>The no-state-tax math is real but it's not the whole story</h2><p>Yes, you save on income taxes. Yes, property taxes are significant — typically 2 to 2.5 percent of assessed value annually — and they will offset that savings. What people don't factor in: the cost of lifestyle. Austin has a genuinely great restaurant and live music scene, access to the Hill Country within thirty minutes of downtown, and a quality of life at a given price point that is meaningfully better than in the cities most of my clients are leaving.</p><h2>The neighborhoods that make Austin feel like a different city</h2><p>Most people moving here have heard of South Congress. Fewer have heard of Tarrytown. Almost none have heard of Clarksville or Old West Austin before I describe it. Austin has pockets that feel genuinely urban, genuinely walkable, and genuinely not-suburban.</p><h2>What's actually happening in the market right now</h2><p>As of spring 2026, the market for well-located central Austin properties is active. Days on market have normalized. Inventory is healthier than it was at the height of the frenzy. The buyers who win are pre-approved, decisive, and working with someone who can read and move at market speed.</p><p>Give it the year. It's worth it.</p>