Austin, Texas
A Region on the Move
Presented By
Welcome Letter from ARC's Chairman, Kerry Armstrong and ARC's Executive Director, Anna Roach
Download Letter (PDF - 110kb)
Austin, Texas may conjure images of cowboy boots, big hats, and barbecue. But don’t let the “Deep in the Heart of Texas” mythology fool you.
Austin has quickly become one of the nation’s most dynamic and innovative regions – a tech and cultural hub that’s a magnet for young people and families in search of a vibrant economy, warm weather, and welcoming vibe.
It’s a place where deals are struck over lunch at hip taco trucks. It’s home to the South by Southwest music, tech, and film festival, which draws influencers from across the globe each March. And if you blink, you just might miss the next high-rise tower going up in the booming downtown business district.
The region’s growth has been stunning. In 1990, the entire five-county Austin metro area had about 850,000 people, smaller than Gwinnett County is today. By 2020, the Austin region had mushroomed to 2.3 million, with nearly half the population in the City of Austin proper.
Atlanta and Austin have quite a few things in common – but some striking differences. As Atlanta has been growing and booming for so many years now, our region has bigger, more developed suburban communities.
Austin, though rapidly growing in size for decades, has only recently become regional in nature. For instance, just 20 years ago, Austin’s urbanized area was limited to the city itself. In 2007, their Capital Area Metropolitan Planning Organization (CAMPO) expanded to encompass three counties: Travis, Hays, and Williamson. In 2010, boundaries of CAMP grew to include five counties and quickly became six by 2020.
Of course, this growth brings many challenges. Housing prices are soaring. Rapidly gentrifying neighborhoods are displacing long-time residents. Traffic congestion threatens to diminish the high quality of life that drew so many to the area.
This year’s LINK trip will explore the Austin region from many angles:
- You’ll get to know how the area became a hot bed for hi-tech and venture capital investment.
- You’ll meet the leaders working to accommodate the region’s growth and, as they say in Austin, Keep Austin Weird.
- You’ll learn what local leaders are doing to address the region’s burgeoning housing crisis and how they are working together to be sure there is enough local talent to fill the tens of thousands of new jobs coming online.
We want to thank our content sponsor:
Getting Oriented: Austin’s Geography
The Austin metro area is located on the Colorado River in the Central Texas Hill Country and includes six counties: Travis, Williamson, Hays, Burnett, Bastrop, and Caldwell.
The City of Austin is roughly divided from east to west by I-35, the only interstate highway serving the region, and form north to south by the Colorado River, known as Lady Bird Lake in the downtown area.
Austin is about 150 miles northeast of Houston, 180 miles south of Dallas, and 75 miles northeast of San Antonio.
Getting Oriented: Population & Demographics
With a population of 2.3 million, Austin is the nation’s 28th largest metro area, just ahead of Las Vegas and one spot behind Pittsburgh.
The Austin region is experiencing a major growth spurt, adding almost 600,000 people in the past decade, a 34% increase. Austin is, by far, the fastest-growing large metro area in the nation over that period.
Race and Ethnicity
Metro Austin is growing increasingly diverse. The region is about 52% white, 35% Hispanic, 8% black, and 6% Asian. Austin’s Asian population is growing at the fastest rate, rising about 76% between 2010 and 2020.
Age
Austin also is a relatively young region, with just 11.5% of the population age 65 or older.
LINK Theme: Transportation & Mobility
In many ways, the Austin region is racing against the clock. The region is struggling to keep up with its booming population in a way that reduces congestion and provides a range of mobility options to meet the needs of residents and businesses.
A few big projects and initiatives are on the horizon or under consideration:
- Project Connect: A $7.1 billion transit plan, approved by City of Austin voters in 2020, that over the next 13 years will build a mass transit network that includes light rail, commuter rail, and rapid bus service, including direct connection to the Austin airport.
- I-35 Capital Express Central: Texas DOT has proposed adding two non-tolled “managed” lanes in each direction (four total new lanes) along eight miles of I-35 through central Austin.
- Austin Strategic Mobility Plan: The City of Austin’s first comprehensive, multimodal transportation plan, which includes driving, walking, bicycling, rolling, and taking public transportation.
LINK Theme: Housing Crunch
Austin housing faces new strains as the population is exploding and job markets are expanding in the region. Like metro Atlanta, access to affordable housing confronts the Austin region despite rising incomes, as the cost of housing continues to outpace salaries.
How is Austin combatting the housing crisis?
- Building more affordable housing units
- Revamping city code to create more density
- Funding anti-displacement efforts
LINK Theme: Technology, Economy, & Innovation
Austin’s tech scene is bringing tens of thousands of new jobs to the metro area. But the rush of tech companies to the area isn’t as new as you might think. Austin has a long history of tech and recent years have only reaffirmed the region as a major tech hub to be reckoned with.
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ARC Annual Partners
ARC’s Strategic Partners are committed to fostering collaborative regional approaches that improve quality of life in metro Atlanta. Their support elevates ARC leadership programs, research and events throughout the year. Learn more
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