“Silicon Hills,” a “California-like city,” a boomtown: all terms once used interchangeably for none other than Austin, Texas. It’s a metropolitan area that finds itself in almost every conversation concerning housing, and this one is no exception because, according to Realtor.com, Austin is the best place for renters.
Affordability is a big part of this, with Austin’s rent-to-income ratio at about 20%. That means renters aren’t paying more than 20% of their earnings on housing, well under the 30% cutoff that marks someone as rent-burdened. Realtor.com also accounted for a metro’s rental vacancy rate, a forecasted unemployment rate, a measure of job opportunities, among other things, too.
