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Austin has been regarded as one of the most expensive cities in the country recently. (Canva)
Living in a growing city is expensive—the average Austinite pays $2,447 per month to live here, which is more than any other major city in the state. However, you may be surprised to learn 25 other Texas cities are even more expensive to live in.
According to a study done by doxo, which broke down the 10 most common household bills, Texas is the 20th most expensive state in the country. More than 4,000 cities nationwide were included in the study, with Austin ranking 964th and within the top 25% most expensive.
Austinites pay 22.2% more in monthly bills than the national average, which is $2,033. However, Austin isn’t the most expensive by a long shot with 25 suburbs coming in ahead, and upscale Dallas suburb Southlake taking first place in Texas at $3,655.
Southlake is an outlier, at $600 more expensive than Houston-adjacent Bellaire in second place, though three Austin suburbs came in higher than the capital city: Buda in 10th place, Dripping Springs in 19th place and Hutto in 21st. Round Rock was one place behind Austin.
Housing payments
Luxury house in Travis Heights. (Austonia file photo)
Moving to the suburbs is bound to get you a cheaper price on a house, but you’re likely to pay almost the same price in rent. Dripping Springs had the highest Austin-area mortgage price—Austin came in $200 cheaper at $2,173 per month—but the average price in Buda, Hutto and Round Rock was around $1,500.
When it comes to rental prices, you’re going to find similar rates from the city center to suburbs. Doxo’s average rent for Austin falls at $1,316, which turned out to be cheaper than Buda, Hutto and Round Rock, though Dripping Springs clocked in $100 cheaper.
Car costs
(Pexels)
When it comes to owning a car in Austin, it tends to be cheaper than its suburban counterparts except when it comes to insurance. While Austinites tend to pay about $50 more than the average American car payment, which is $433, buying a car in neighboring suburbs is actually more expensive. In Hutto, the average was nearly $800 per month in car payments.
The average American pays $196 per month on car insurance, though the average Austinite pays $228, which capped out all the nearby suburbs.
Essentials
(Pexels)
Utilities in Austin are on the cheaper end—the average resident pays $203 per month compared to the American average of $328 monthly. Austin was cheaper than all the other suburbs except Hutto but Buda soared high above the rest of the cities at $460 per month in utility payments.
As for health insurance, Austin was most expensive but only by around $20 per month. The average resident here pays $116 for medical insurance, $97 in Hutto and Dripping Springs, and $50 in Round Rock.
Thankfully, Central Texans pay about the same on cable and internet as the rest of the country. Austin was only $10 above the national average of $114, while Hutto paid $127 per month.
All that info will have you thinking twice before choosing which suburb to move to!
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Historic preservationists, for their part, overwhelmingly support historic zoning, which would preserve the buildings in perpetuity. The Historic Landmark Commission unanimously voted to initiate historic zoning in July, citing architectural significance, landscape features and association to historic figures. City staffers recommend historic zoning, calling both structures one-of-a-kind examples of vernacular architecture.
Tarrytown neighbors have also banded together to stop the demolition. Many have written letters, and a few spoke at the meeting. “How could anyone buy this property with the intent of destroying it?” Ila Falvey said. “I think it’s an architectural treasure.”
Michael Whellan, an attorney representing the property owner, said that the claims made by preservationists are shaky. The buildings are run down, he said, and have had substantial renovations. A structural engineer hired by the owner said any attempt at preservation would involve tearing down and rebuilding – an undertaking Whellan said would likely cost millions.
Whellan also argued that any historical significance derived from the property’s association with Delisle and longtime owner C.H. Slator is dubious. “These men are not noted for any civic, philanthropic or historic impact,” he said.
What’s more, according to Whellan, Slator likely participated in segregation as the owner of the Tavern on North Lamar Boulevard between 1953 and 1960.
A city staffer, however, said she found no evidence to support the claim. “We would never landmark a property where a segregationist lived, or there was a racist person,” Kimberly Collins with the Historic Preservation Office said.
Commissioner Awais Azhar couldn’t support historic zoning in part due to lingering uncertainty about Slator. “Focusing on that factor is not here to disparage an individual or family. It is not about playing the race card. This is an important assertion for us to consider as Planning commissioners,” Azhar said.
Commissioner Carmen Llanes Pulido said that allegations of racism should come as no surprise. “We’re talking about white male property owners in the 1950s, in Austin, on the west side – and of course they were racist,” she said. But she argued that allowing the house to be demolished based on these grounds does nothing to help people of color who have been harmed by racism and segregation.
The question of tax breaks was also controversial. Michael Gaudini, representing the property owner, said that the tax breaks associated with historic zoning would exacerbate inequality by shifting property tax burdens to less affluent communities. City staffers estimate that the property, appraised at $3.5 million, would get either a $8,500 or $16,107 property tax break annually, depending on whether a homestead exemption is applied.
Commissioner Grayson Cox preferred the commission focus not on tax breaks but on whether the structures merit preservation. “To me, nothing in the historic preservation criteria lists, is this person deserving of a tax break or not?”
Azhar, on the other hand, said he plans to propose a code amendment getting rid of city property tax breaks for historic properties.
The commission fell one vote short of recommending historic zoning, with six commissioners in support and three opposed. Azhar and commissioners Claire Hempel and Greg Anderson voted against.
The odds of City Council zoning over an owner’s wishes are slim. Nine out of 11 members must vote in favor, and there have only been a handful of such cases over the past several decades.
