In a slow economy, Austin is growing fast, fueled by our talented workforce, low cost of doing business, and exceptional quality of life. And the word is out. Here are just a few of the rankings that have recognized Austin recently:
#1 Best City for the Next Decade, Kiplinger’s, May 2010
#1 U.S. City for Young Adults, Business Journals, June 2011
America’s No. 1 “Boom Town,” Forbes, July 2011
#1 Hottest Spot to Start a Small Business, Business Journals, July 2011
#1 Most Popular City for College Graduates, Brookings Institute, January 2011
Best Cities to Relocate to in America, December 2010
Best American Cities to Live and Work, Business Review USA, January 2011
Top U.S. City in the Global Innovation Economy, Innovation-cities.com, 2010
Top 10 Most Affordable Cities, Forbes, November 2010
#3 Biggest Brain Magnet City, Forbes, February 2011
Top 10 Greenest Cities in America, Mother Nature
Approximately 38,000 private business establishments have chosen Austin to grow their businesses. Austin is a city with boundless energy and creative ideas. The region houses one of the fastest growing major job markets in the United States with a youthful, well-educated workforce. College graduates make up over 40% of the adult population and nearly half the region’s population is between 18 and 44 years old. We are home to over 138,700 students attending 23 local colleges and universities. The region’s population has grown by almost 40% in the last decade.
Austin is recognized across the globe for its great quality of life and dynamic high-tech economy with over 3,300 technology companies and 100,000 technology workers calling it home. The median home price is 23% below the national average and Austin has the highest per capita income of Texas cities. Austin is a hotbed of commercialization with university programs such as IC2 at the University of Texas and community efforts such as the Clean Energy Park and Advanced Technology Development Facility.
These conditions combine to create the strongest business climate in the United States, an ideal location for foreign companies looking to enter the U.S. market. Companies such as Freescale Semiconductor, Dell, Whole Foods and National Instruments are just some of the businesses with global operations located in the Austin area.
