What I tell people moving to Austin in 2026
April 8, 2026 · 7 min read
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."
They mean it geographically, but they also mean it in every other way. Austin is bigger in the ways that matter.
The no-state-tax math is real but it's not the whole story
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.
The neighborhoods that make Austin feel like a different city
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.
What's actually happening in the market right now
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.
Give it the year. It's worth it.
