In recent weeks, we’ve glanced at some of the most popular cities in different regions of the country. We compared each of those cities to the cost of living here in Austin, Texas.
As the final blog post in this series, we’re looking at the Western U.S. The cities in this part of the country make up some of the most popular places to visit in the U.S., and in many ways, they reflect many of the lifestyle features that people cherish about living in Austin.
Don’t forget to read our previous editions, in which we compared Austin’s cost of living to moving to the Northeast, Southeast, and Midwest. Let us know what you think of our findings in the comments below or on social media. To make fair comparisons, we use Best Places to reflect the price differences between cities.
Strap yourself in and get ready because here is how Austin compares to living in the Western U.S.:
The cost of living in Los Angeles, CA vs. Austin, TX
Let’s start in California. Best Places ranked Austin as “29% cheaper than Los Angeles.” And when we looked at some of the specifics, housing and utilities appear the most significant factors in that conclusion. Housing in California is known for being high compared to much of the rest of the United States, so the fact that its prices leave Austin in its wake isn’t a surprise.
The cost of living in San Francisco, CA vs. Austin, TX
San Francisco, our second California city comparison, has a similar conclusion to Los Angeles. The difference: San Francisco is costlier than Austin AND Los Angeles. Housing especially is far outside the affordability of Austin. Best Places said, “Housing is the biggest factor in the cost of living difference.” In fact, San Francisco’s real estate is 73% more expensive than here in Austin, according to Best Places.
The cost of living in Seattle, WA vs Austin, TX
Now let’s go to Washington.
The numbers drop again from what we saw in San Francisco, but Austin is still the less expensive place to live. “Austin is 33% cheaper than Seattle,” Best Places says. An interesting difference between these numbers and those from California is that in every category Seattle is costlier, even if it is only by a small amount. Like the previous two cities, real estate is the biggest factor in Austin’s success as the more economical place to call home.
The cost of living in Portland, OR vs. Austin, TX
Portland shares one of Austin’s most famous slogans. While in Texas we say, “Keep Austin Weird,” Portland folk tweak it to match their own city pride “Keep Portland Weird.” I couldn’t tell you who claimed their weirdness first, but I can tell you that Austin is the cheaper place to stay weird. Like Seattle, Portland is more expensive than Austin in every category of our comparison. Take a look for yourself:
The cost of living in Denver, CO vs. Austin, TX
Denver and Austin are the two closest cost of living prices on our list, with Austin proving 8% cheaper. The biggest difference here is again in the category of housing. Best Places says “Housing is 12% cheaper in Austin.” And just like that, Austin was cheaper than all the major cities on our Western U.S. list.
If you’re looking for a home in Austin, get in touch today with a JB Goodwin real estate agent. We can help you find the rental or purchase that fits your budget and caters to your lifestyle. Based on the data above, it’s no wonder why so many people from the west coast are moving to Central Texas. Let us know how we can help you. We’re excited that you’ve decided to call Austin your home.
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