Austin vs. Houston what are the differences? (Dallas, Spring: home, job market)

[eprecho]

I'm hearing that Houston is better for jobs than Austin, but that the two cities are very different. What are the differences?

[LizzySWW]

Austin is a mid-sized college town. Houston is the 4th largest city in the U.S. with many large colleges and an international population. They are just very different cities. Not much to compare in my opinion.

[AK123]

This question has been asked several times before

Should I relocate to Houston or Austin?
Houston or Austin
Austin vs Houston

But to sum it up:

Austin is a mid-sized college town with a young population. It's now larger than average for a college town, yet most of the culture/arts and sports still are associated with the university. The west side of town is hilly (and expensive for Texas), lots of oak and cedar trees, a little drier than Houston, and the Colorado River has been made into a large lake that is very popular.

Houston is a major metro, the 4th largest US city and you'll most of the expected culture/arts and other big-city amenities you'd expect for that: wonderful museums, all the types of performing arts, great restaurants, shopping and pro sports. The terrain is flat but there are lots of different trees from tall pines to large oaks to palms, little creeks & bayous, and the beach is about an hour's drive.

As far as the jobs - I don't know if there's a huge difference right now. I know Houston is generally better as far as having a large variety of jobs in all kinds of fields. There are a few industries that are better in each city: Houston definitely for the medical field, oil/gas (as well as Dallas), and Austin possibly for high-tech/semiconductors, and state government.

[lhafer]

Originally Posted by AK123

This question has been asked several times before

Should I relocate to Houston or Austin?
Houston or Austin
Austin vs Houston

But to sum it up:

Austin is a mid-sized college town with a young population. It's now larger than average for a college town, yet most of the culture/arts and sports still are associated with the university. The west side of town is hilly (and expensive for Texas), lots of oak and cedar trees, a little drier than Houston, and the Colorado River has been made into a large lake that is very popular.

Houston is a major metro, the 4th largest US city and you'll most of the expected culture/arts and other big-city amenities you'd expect for that: wonderful museums, all the types of performing arts, great restaurants, shopping and pro sports. The terrain is flat but there are lots of different trees from tall pines to large oaks to palms, little creeks & bayous, and the beach is about an hour's drive.

As far as the jobs - I don't know if there's a huge difference right now. I know Houston is generally better as far as having a large variety of jobs in all kinds of fields. There are a few industries that are better in each city: Houston definitely for the medical field, oil/gas (as well as Dallas), and Austin possibly for high-tech/semiconductors, and state government.

As having lived in both cities...this is quite a nice sum up! I find Austin a lot more "granola" (i.e. tree-hugger, everything organic, etc). But they have wonderful parks, etc. When I moved from Austin to Houston, Austenites that we were nuts!! But we love Houston! It's very diverse and you can pretty much find anything and everything here. And if you long for the hill country...it's a 3 hour drive away!

[AK123]

Originally Posted by lhafer

When I moved from Austin to Houston, Austenites that we were nuts!!

Same thing happened to me!

Urban Dictionary: Austitude

[jfre81]

Originally Posted by AK123

Same thing happened to me!

Urban Dictionary: Austitude

They're just aggravated that their restaurants suck.

[nature's message]

Well let's see.....

Houston
Better nightlife
Better arts/culture
Better restaurants
Better shopping
Better public transportation
More diverse economy
Diverse population
Close to the beach
Less arrogant

Austin
Younger population
Better parks
Not as humid



That's all I can think of. Houston pretty much farts on Austin at everything.

[jfre81]

To me the humidity difference is not all that great, and their air temperatures can be higher in the summer.

[Topaz]

This should be in the City vs. City section of the Forum.

[JustTheTemp]

I've lived in both Houston and Austin, and my family is from Houston.

Houston:

More job availability, and about as half as expensive as Austin. Houston is all about "sprawl." If you live outside the Inner Loop, you'll be in 'burbia, USA. If that's something that you can handle, well ... personally, it drove me insane. The job market is better, though, and because of the oil & gas presence, the economy is more protected than other big cities. One thing in Houston is that you have to realize that you're going to spend a lot of time in your car driving. Think in terms of more than two hours.

Nothing to do on weekends -- I mean, Houston is totally DEAD. For all of those people, you'd think that some of them would be out and about. It's just weird. Sure, there's a lot to "do," but unless you can afford expensive opera tickets or tickets to the latest "arena" event, you're somewhat screwed out of a nightlife.

The heat and humidity is UNBEARABLE in Houston. So is the rain. I've never been able to get used to it, and I'm from Texas. Fifteen minutes, and I am wiped out.

Austin is very different -- lots of green spaces. Lots of parks, gardens, museums, etc., that are free. Not to mention Town Lake, Barton Springs, Lake Travis ... it's a place where people spend a lot of time outdoors, and the lifestyle is generally healthier in that respect. When I moved to Houston, I'd meet people who were floored that I actually went out and ran or did outdoorsy things -- not par for the course there. Austin is also more liberal, and therefore, tolerant of alternative lifestyles. It can be annoyingly politically correct at times, which is the only beef that I have about it.

The biggest difference seems to be in the people. Austin has the highest percentage of people with post-grad degrees, and 49% of its population has is college-educated. It's a very erudite group of people, and it shows whenever you start meeting people. In Houston, not so much. I had a hard time finding a group of people to spend time with who shared my eclectic interests, except those living Downtown, Montrose, Museum District.

Depends on your lifestyle, your age, and your personality:

Austin: Best for well-educated single or young couples without children who are career-driven, have a healthy lifestyle, like to do things outdoors or go out in the evenings, and who are liberal/tolerant.

Houston: Married couples with children who stay in a lot, like the 'burbs, are conservative, religious (go to church), and put their main focus on bringing home a paycheck.