Austin

The cultural and tech heart of Central Texas.

View Active Homes → Talk to a Local Expert →

About Austin

Live music, the lake, and a city that keeps writing the next chapter.

Austin is the state capital, the live music capital of the world, the second-largest tech hub in the country, and a city that has defined Central Texas growth for the better part of two decades. From the historic State Capitol building to the Domain to South Congress to the East Side, Austin contains more distinct neighborhoods than most cities twice its size.

Lady Bird Lake runs through the heart of downtown, with the Ann and Roy Butler Hike-and-Bike Trail circling its 10-mile loop. South Congress (SoCo) is the boutique and brunch district. The East Side mixes coffee shops, breweries, and cottage homes. North Loop and Hyde Park retain mid-century character. West Austin holds the wooded ravines and the Eanes ISD enclaves. South Austin still defends its weirdness.

Buyers come to Austin for the job market, the lifestyle, the music, the food, the lake, and the kind of city that you can never quite finish exploring even after you have lived there for years.

Lifestyle

What life looks like in Austin.

Dining & Shopping

South Congress boutiques, Second Street District, the Domain in North Austin, East Cesar Chavez restaurants, and a food scene that ranges from food trucks to nationally awarded fine dining.

Parks & Outdoors

Lady Bird Lake, Zilker Park, Barton Springs Pool, the Greenbelt, McKinney Falls State Park, and miles of trails through the city's central districts.

Schools

Austin ISD serves most of the city, with charter and private school options. Eanes ISD, Lake Travis ISD, Leander ISD, and other districts serve various edges of the metro.

Things to Do

ACL Music Festival, SXSW, Formula 1 at the Circuit of the Americas, the Congress Bridge bats, UT Longhorns football, and a calendar that never really takes a week off.

Local Favorites

Places worth knowing.

Outdoors

Zilker Park & Barton Springs

The 350-acre park, the 68-degree spring-fed pool, and the front yard for ACL Music Festival every fall.

Outdoors

Lady Bird Lake & the Hike-and-Bike Trail

A 10-mile loop around the lake, with paddleboards, kayaks, and the Congress Bridge bats flying out at sunset.

Culture

South Congress (SoCo)

Vintage shops, brunch spots, the I Love You So Much mural, the Continental Club, and the postcard view of downtown to the north.

Dining

Franklin Barbecue

One of the most awarded barbecue joints in the country. Brisket worth standing in line for.

Culture

The University of Texas at Austin

40 acres in the heart of the city. The Blanton Museum, the LBJ Library, the football stadium, and the cultural anchor of the metro.

Outdoors

Barton Creek Greenbelt

Twelve miles of hiking, swimming holes, and Hill Country wilderness inside the city limits.

Education

Austin Independent School District (and others)

Austin ISD is the largest district in the area and serves most of the central city. The district includes well-known high schools like LBJ, McCallum, Anderson, Bowie, and Austin High, each with distinct reputations and specialty academies (Liberal Arts and Science Academy, Fine Arts, Early College).

Other districts serving sections of the city include Eanes ISD (west), Lake Travis ISD (southwest), Leander ISD (northwest), Round Rock ISD (north), Pflugerville ISD (northeast), Manor ISD (east), and Del Valle ISD (southeast). For families relocating to Austin, the school district choice often shapes the neighborhood search.

Your Next Move