Austin is a city located in Hays County, Travis County, and Williamson County Texas. Austin has a 2023 population of 966,292. It is also the county seat of Travis County.Austin is currently growing at a rate of 0.11% annually and its population has increased by 0.33% since the most recent census, which recorded a population of 963,121 in 2020.
The average household income in Austin is $111,233 with a poverty rate of 12.52%. The median rental costs in recent years comes to - per month, and the median house value is -. The median age in Austin is 33.9 years, 33.8 years for males, and 34.1 years for females.
While Austin has a sizable Hispanic population, the city has struggled to attract more African Americans, the only ethnic group in Austin that is shrinking. Two critical factors are causing a decline in the African-American community: moving away from the city center and higher mortality rates.
Austin is currently the fastest growing city in the United States and, from 2011 to 2016; it's expected to have an economic growth rate of over 6%, with a population growth rate approaching 3%. This means it's following a trend common across many major cities in Texas. Eight of the 15 fastest growing cities are in Texas, including San Antonio, Houston, and Dallas.
Young, recent college graduates and retiring baby boomers are now making up the majority of new Austinites, all being drawn in for the city's shopping, museums, and entertainment, along with affordable housing. Over the past few years, however, construction has not kept up with the population growth, creating a shortage of housing and jumps in home sales and prices.
Demographers believe Austin will continue its excellent growth in the short term, but the pace will eventually slow. Austin is already buckling under its population, with roadways packed and the third worst traffic congestion in any urban area in the US.
A forecast of population growth shows that Austin's metropolitan area's population may hit 3.2 million by 2030.
Austin was settled in the 1830s by pioneers, although the area has been inhabited since at least 9200 BC, or more than 11,000 years. For many years, Spanish colonists traveled through the area, but very few permanent settlements were created until 1730 when three missions from East Texas were reestablished at the site.
Texas won independence from Mexico in 1836 and became its own independent country. A year later, Republic of Texas Vice President Mirabeau Lamar visited the area while hunting buffalo and proposed moving the republic's capital (then in Houston) to the area. The city was incorporated in 1839 as Waterloo, but was quickly renamed Austin in honor of Stephen Austin, the "Father of Texas."
By the 1880s, Austin gained prominence with its state capital building, then the 7th most significant building in the world. The city slowly grew, launching several beautification projects in the 1920s and 1930s, further boosting its appeal and population.
Through half of the 20th century, Austin had a three-way social segregation system with Anglos, Mexicans and African Americans separated by law in most areas of life. This was eventually abolished, and Austin's Hispanic population proliferated. In 1970, its population was 15% Hispanic, 12% black and 73% non-Hispanic white; by 2010, the city was 35% Hispanic, 48% white and only 8% black.
According to the most recent ACS, the racial composition of Austin was:
3.04
Average Family Size
2.28
Average Household Size
44.7%
Rate of Home Ownership
Married
Male
Female
NonFamily
owner
renter
Only English
Spanish
Other Indo-European Languages
Asian and Pacific Island Languages
Other Languages
69.45% of Austin residents speak only English, while 30.55% speak other languages. The non-English language spoken by the largest group is Spanish, which is spoken by 21.21% of the population.
12.52%
Overall Poverty Rate
11.37%
Male Poverty Rate
13.72%
Female Poverty Rate
The race most likely to be in poverty in Austin is Black, with 25.3% below the poverty level.
The race least likely to be in poverty in Austin is White, with 8.61% below the poverty level.
The poverty rate among those that worked full-time for the past 12 months was 2.43%. Among those working part-time, it was 20.2%, and for those that did not work, the poverty rate was 26.07%.
Married
Widowed
Divorced
Separated
NeverMarried
41.9%
Overall Marriage Rate
42.5%
Male Marriage Rate
41.3%
Female Marriage Rate
male
female
The age group where males are most likely to be married is Over 65, while the female age group most likely to be married is 35-44.
Married
Widowed
Divorced
Separated
NeverMarried
Less Than 9th Grade
High School Graduate
Some College
Bachelors or Greater
9.14%
Veteran Poverty Rate
22.79%
Veteran Disability Rate
LaborForceParticipation
74.7%
Labor Force Participation
71.3%
Employment Rate
4.5%
Unemployment Rate
LaborForceParticipation
LaborForceParticipation
Europe
Asia
Africa
Oceania
Latin America
North America
Non citizens include legal permanent residents (green card holders), international students, temporary workers, humanitarian migrants, and illegal immigrants.
Europe
Asia
Africa
Oceania
Latin America
North America
51.47%
Born in Austin
83.41%
Native Born
18.91%
Foreign Born
12.19%
Non Citizen
6.72%
Naturalized
83.41% of Austin residents were born in the United States, with 51.47% having been born in Texas. 12.19% of residents are not US citizens. Of those not born in the United States, the largest percentage are from Latin America.