How does South Central Austin differ from South West Austin? (Allen: rentals, HOA)

[CptnRn]

I like data.

South Central Austin (78704) and Far South Central Austin (78745) are two of the 6 highest crime zip codes in the Austin Area. For comparison I have included the numbers for 78749 which is a big part of the OakHill area of SW Austin but does not include Circle C.

78704 South Central Austin Total crimes 10,989 (population 43,249, 25 crimes per 100 people)
78745 Far South Central Austin Total crimes 10,629 (population 53,044, 20 crimes per 100 people)
78749 Southwest Austin Total crimes 2,510 (population 28,497, 8.8 crimes per 100 people)

https://www.city-data.com/forum/austi...available.html

Texas Residents with income below the poverty level 15.8%
Austin Residents with income below the poverty level 17%
78704 Residents with income below the poverty level 18%
78745 Residents with income below the poverty level 11.5%
78749 Residents with income below the poverty level 3.4%

Austin Estimated median household income in 2008: $51,372
78704 Estimated median household income in 2008: $43,001
78745 Estimated median household income in 2008: $52,297
78749 Estimated median household income in 2008: $82,125

78704 % of renters here: 70%
78745 % of renters here: 48%
78749 % of renters here: 27%

78704 Population density: 5739 people per square mile
78745 Population density: 4628 people per square mile
78745 Population density: 3154 people per square mile
Austin Population density: 3012 people per square mile

78704 Percentage of family households: 40.3%
78745 Percentage of family households: 61.1%
78749 Percentage of family households: 70.1%

78704 Estimated median house or condo value in 2008: $247,211
78745 Estimated median house or condo value in 2008: $157,253
78749 Estimated median house or condo value in 2008: $$251,744

70.0% of residents of 78704 zip code speak English at home.
68.4% of residents of 78745 zip code speak English at home.
82.1% of residents of 78749 zip code speak English at home.

For more data see:
https://www.city-data.com/zips/78704.html
https://www.city-data.com/zips/78745.html
https://www.city-data.com/zips/78749.html

[centralaustinite]

Data can mislead too!

I still maintain that part of the reason property crime is so high in 04 is that people call in and report everything! Stolen plants from the porch, decorative items, every car break in etc. In truly dangerous areas (no where in Austin), crime reports can be low because people have little faith in the police or their neighbors and don't report crime!

20 years in Austin, always either south of the river or east of I-35 (or both) and I've never felt unsafe.

Master planned communities however make me feel dizzy and unwell.

[TexasHorseLady]

Ah, yes, data! Very useful, as long as you keep firmly in mind this quote from the Autobiography of Mark Twain:

Figures often beguile me, particularly when I have the arranging of them myself; in which case the remark attributed to Disraeli would often apply with justice and force: "There are three kinds of lies: lies, damned lies and statistics."

[austin-steve]

I like data too, but I disagree with how some data is interpreted.

78704 South Central Austin Total crimes 10,989 (population 43,249, 25 crimes per 100 people)
78745 Far South Central Austin Total crimes 10,629 (population 53,044, 20 crimes per 100 people)
78749 Southwest Austin Total crimes 2,510 (population 28,497, 8.8 crimes per 100 people)

In order to properly assess this, one would have to know what percentage of crime happens to residents of 78704 while engaged in the same type of lifestyle activities as those in 78749.

In other words, 78704 is a destination zipcode flooded with people attending venues, events and activities that tend to invite crime. ACL Fest, SoCo, Restaurant Row, Auditorium Shores, Hike and Bike Trail, Long Center, Barton Creek Greenbelt, Zilker Park, Barton Springs Pool, S. Lamar, etc.

78745 is not a destination zipcode but it is an area in transition and has a lot of older Class C apartments which tend to attract working class non-english speaking residents, who are often targeted for crime.

78749 has very few apartment units, no subsidized housing (except for a small patch near the Oak Hill Post Office, which is actually well maintained), and doesn't host the type of community activities or events that draw large crowds of drinkers and produce crime. Burglaries are probably the highest category of crime in 78749 because that's where the good loot can be found.

78704 % of renters here: 70%
78745 % of renters here: 48%
78749 % of renters here: 27%

I also dispute the 70% rental rate in 78704. There is no way that only 3 of 10 single family homes in 78704 are owner-occupied. 04 has quite a few small multi-family and some larger apartments too, but if we want to compare it to the mostly single-family 78749, we should just look at houses.

I think all areas of Austin have pros and cons depending on what people want. I live in what would be considered a "nice" neighborhood and I was burglarized twice in 2009. Now I have an alarm system. I previously, in 24 years living in Austin, including, in chronological order, 78705, 78723, 78745, 78751, 78756, 78745, 78704, 78745, 78749, 78737 was never burglarized or robbed.

Steve

[CptnRn]

The topic of this thread is "How does South Central Austin differ from South West Austin?"

So comparing the data for these neighborhoods tells us some important things about the differences between them.

The 70% rental rate is not only single family homes, it includes the fact that there is a higher number of apartments in area. Which again tells you something important about the neighborhood and how much investment the occupants have in it.

Yes 78749 has a lower number of apartments, but after heavily researching the crime reports it is pretty clear to me that the areas with the apartments and the commercial strip shopping center areas are where most of the crime occured.

[eepstein]

Very simple. South Central Austin is mostly filled with a mix of poorer blue collar people and struggling musicians that will never amount to anything (mainly along south congress). There are also quite a few "low budget" and uninteresting shops and restaurants along that same stretch of road. I think this is the area that they consider "the austin vibe". Trashy, run down businesses that cater to hippies is "the austin vibe"?? Ok whatever.

Southwest Austin is far nicer with more money overall. The people are more white collar and it sits more on the edge of the hillbilly county, so the homes are way more expensive. Very nice business out there as well (especially Westlake and southward)

Originally Posted by gimme it

Does each area have an overall vibe, and are the demographics that much different? Does one area have nicer nabes and more trees? Thanks

[JayBrown80]

Originally Posted by eepstein

Very simple. South Central Austin is mostly filled with a mix of poorer blue collar people and struggling musicians that will never amount to anything (mainly along south congress). There are also quite a few "low budget" and uninteresting shops and restaurants along that same stretch of road. I think this is the area that they consider "the austin vibe". Trashy, run down businesses that cater to hippies is "the austin vibe"?? Ok whatever.

Southwest Austin is far nicer with more money overall. The people are more white collar and it sits more on the edge of the hillbilly county, so the homes are way more expensive. Very nice business out there as well (especially Westlake and southward)

I sense some bias here. LOL

[austin-steve]

I think this is the area that they consider "the austin vibe". Trashy, run down businesses that cater to hippies is "the austin vibe"?? Ok whatever.

Fair enough. There is a grain of truth to that.

Matter of fact, driving through Central with my wife yesterday, I was pondering whether 78749 is where the grown up 78704 people end up once we have kids and make money. We have P-Terry's, Waterloo Ice House, a big nice park (Dick Nichols), Alamo on the way. We have the "grandson who finished college" version of Flips, which is the Satellite Cafe next to Waterloo. Everything I personally need is in 78749. My "office" is the Escarpment Village Starbucks next to my mail drop. We shop at Costco and have memberships for the entire family at the 24hr fitness.

But I still love 78704. I wonder, what is it about grungy people with no money and lots of hardware bolted onto their faces that provide that authentic piece of Austin that we visually want to remain connected with when we need a "vibe" recharge.

Steve

[centralaustinite]

Originally Posted by austin-steve

But I still love 78704. I wonder, what is it about grungy people with no money and lots of hardware bolted onto their faces that provide that authentic piece of Austin that we visually want to remain connected with when we need a "vibe" recharge.

Steve

Me too! Enough that even with three kids and two grown-up jobs we continue to live here. Some days I am not sure why! Other days I know for certain.

I have realized that I feel secure where there is a wider variety of incomes. I have this irrational anxiety in NW Hills and C Circle and other places that I think stems from thinking "if we ever lost our six figure income, we'd get kicked out this place." Where as, I could lose everything (health, family, sanity) and still have a place in 78704!

Some people find living where everyone makes at least a certain level of money reassuring, I do not. I panic. Weird I know.

[atxcio]

I definitely feel what Austin Steve and centralaustinite are saying. I too find myself going there sometimes for no reason at all. I guess it's enjoyable to be around youthful energy, but also as centralaustinite mentioned -- I too feel more comfortable around a variety of incomes. It's easier to be yourself. I'm not sure it's the best word to use, but I think everyone has a little "trashy" in them. It's nice to not worry about hiding that every so often!

78704 just feels kind of organic, and it's vibrancy is a natural one -- maybe not the most aesthetically pleasing, but at least it's authentic. Too much these days is "manufactured" vibrancy/walkability (eg. the Domain, the Woodlands in Houston, or uptown Dallas).

It's just not the same type of area as SW Austin, or NW or W for that matter. It's not a suburban bedroom community, it's a destination (as mentioned earlier). Of course crime will be higher, but it's comparing apples and oranges. If someone asked you to point out the differences in the fruit, you'd probably say color, texture and taste first -- not how many insects one is prone to vs. the other.