Moving to the Austin Metro Area: What You Need to Know

The Real State of Austin Right Now

Austin has spent the last decade or more as one of America’s hottest cities — a poster child for tech migration, culture-meets-nature living, and remote work appeal. But things are shifting. While the job market is still strong (especially in tech, biotech, and creative sectors), the city is coming down from a pandemic-era peak.

The good news for movers? There’s more housing inventory now than in other booming metros, thanks to a wave of construction across the metro area. That’s helping to cool home prices and soften rents — not drastically, but enough to make Austin feel more accessible again. It's not cheap, but it's not as overheated as Miami or San Francisco either. Many local realtors are seeing price corrections and slower bidding wars, particularly in the suburbs.

This is still a city where outdoor patios double as workspaces, where paddleboarding is a viable weekday lunch break, and where your neighbor might work for a Fortune 500 company and run a taco blog on the side. But it’s also a place with real traffic, fast-changing neighborhoods, and growing pains.

This guide helps you understand the Austin Metropolitan Area as a whole — how it’s structured, what its subregions are like, and what kinds of people and lifestyles each area tends to attract.

First, a Lay of the Land
The Austin-Round Rock-Georgetown Metropolitan Area is centered around the city of Austin, but includes a wide arc of suburbs and smaller cities that span Travis, Williamson, Hays, Caldwell, and Bastrop counties.

Here’s what shapes the geography:

The Colorado River runs straight through Austin and feeds into a series of man-made reservoirs known as the Highland Lakes, including Lake Austin, Lake Travis, and Lady Bird Lake (the river itself as it winds through downtown). These lakes create major natural dividers — especially between West Austin and everywhere else.
I-35 cuts right down the middle of the metro and is the main north-south artery. It’s infamous for traffic. Most people orient around it, either as a boundary or a landmark.
MoPac (Loop 1) is the west-side alternative to I-35 and is often the faster choice.
SH-130 is a toll road east of I-35 that helps people bypass central Austin traffic.
US-183 and SH-45 form key cross-connections across the north and east sides of the metro.

The Subregions of the Austin Metro
Each subregion below links to a full page for deeper exploration. These aren’t just neighborhoods — they’re distinct zones of the metro that offer very different lifestyles.

Central Austin
Includes: Downtown, East Austin, Hyde Park, UT Area, Mueller

General vibe: Urban, walkable, creative, expensive. This is the Austin you’ve seen in travel mags: food trucks, music venues, tech start-ups, rooftop bars, and paddleboarders on Lady Bird Lake. Downtown is sleek and dense, with tons of new condos. East Austin is gentrifying fast — still artsy, still diverse, but getting pricey. Hyde Park and Mueller are quieter, tree-lined, and beloved by long-time locals and young families.
Why It Works: It offers walkability, proximity to employers, and constant access to food, fun, and live events.
Watch Out For: High costs, limited parking, and gentrification tensions in some neighborhoods. Expect real traffic if commuting in or out — I-35 is your frenemy here.
Good Fit For: People who want to live where things happen — young professionals, creatives, students, and urbanists.

Check out LookyLOO's Deep Dive into Central Austin to better understand whether this area is right for you.

West Austin
Includes: Westlake, Lakeway, Bee Cave, Rollingwood, Steiner Ranch

General Vibe: Affluent, suburban, hilly, scenic, and calm. This is hill country luxury and the upscale residential counterpoint to downtown energy. High-ranking schools, big homes with views, golf courses, and proximity to Lake Austin and Lake Travis. Westlake (Eanes ISD) is top-tier. Lakeway and Bee Cave offer master-planned communities and country clubs. Steiner Ranch is perched between lakes and parks, with a strong family vibe. If you’ve got a family, a boat, and a desire for top schools, this is your zone.
Why It Works: Stunning natural surroundings and the best public schools in the region, plus large homes and privacy.
Watch Out For: Longer commutes during peak hours and very limited rental or affordable housing. MoPac and 360 make commuting into the city bearable but still crowded at rush hour.
Good Fit For: Affluent families, executives, and anyone prioritizing schools and serenity.

Check out LookyLOO's Deep Dive into West Austin to better understand whether this area is right for you.

North Austin & The Tech Corridor:
Includes: The Domain, North Burnet, Wells Branch, Pflugerville, Round Rock, Cedar Park, Leander

General Vibe: This is Austin’s tech powerhouse. Big employers like Apple, Dell, IBM, and Samsung are up here, along with The Domain — a live-work-shop mini-city of its own. It's filled with corporate campuses and master-planned suburbs and is family-friendly and increasingly dense.
North Austin near The Domain is rapidly urbanizing. Pflugerville and Wells Branch are great middle-ground options. Round Rock (home of Dell) is larger, affordable, and has great schools.
Cedar Park and Leander are further out but growing fast with more affordable options.
Why It Works: You’re close to major employers, in good school zones, and have lots of housing options.
Watch Out For: Traffic on major freeways and limited charm in some newer developments. I-35 and US-183 are the main routes. SH-45 toll roads help, but traffic’s still a factor.
Good Fit For: Tech professionals, young families, and anyone wanting to stay close to the action without paying downtown prices.

Check out LookyLOO's Deep Dive into North Austin & The Tech Corridor to better understand whether this area is right for you.

South Austin & Driftwood
Includes: South Lamar, Bouldin, Sunset Valley, Manchaca, Driftwood, Buda, Kyle

General Vibe: Relaxed, mixed-income, creative to country. Funky and rooted in Old Austin charm, with a blend of artsy city neighborhoods and mellow Hill Country. South Austin is the heart of “Keep Austin Weird” — cool coffee shops, food trailers, backyard chickens, and neighborhood bars with live music. As you go farther south, it gets greener and more rural. South Lamar and Bouldin Creek are central, cool, and pricey. Manchaca (pronounced “MAN-shack”) and Sunset Valley are quieter, suburban pockets. Driftwood, Buda, and Kyle offer small-town vibes, Hill Country views, and more space for your buck.
Why It Works: You get affordability, character, and a slower pace — with room to grow.
Watch Out For: Increasing congestion on I-35, but SH-45 gives you a tollway shortcut. Fewer amenities the farther south you go.
Good Fit For: Artists, musicians, remote workers, and families looking for flexibility and flair.

Check out LookyLOO's Deep Dive into South Austin & Driftwood to better understand whether this area is right for you.

East Austin Suburbs
Includes: Del Valle, Elgin, Manor, Bastrop

General Vibe: Affordable, rural-meets-suburban, fast-growing. A mix of small-town Texas and massive new housing developments. East of I-35, things get more spacious and affordable. These areas are blowing up thanks to Tesla’s Gigafactory and other industrial growth near Del Valle.
Manor and Elgin are seeing big new subdivisions pop up. Bastrop is historic, woodsy, and right along the Colorado River. Del Valle is close to the airport and jobs but still feels rural.
Why It Works: It’s the most affordable region in the metro and is attracting new infrastructure and attention fast.
Watch Out For: Commutes can be long and amenities still lag behind demand in some places. You’ll rely on SH-130 or US-290 to get in and out. Fewer amenities for now, but changing fast.
Good Fit For: First-time homebuyers, remote workers, and those seeking space and value.

Check out LookyLOO's Deep Dive into the East Austin Suburbs to better understand whether this area is right for you.

TL;DR Good Places to Consider in Austin Based on Your Priorities

Priority--------------------------------------------------------Good Places to Consider

Want nightlife, walkability, and access to downtown? --------------Central Austin or East Austin

Prioritizing schools and suburban comfort? -----------------------West Austin or Cedar Park/Leander

Tech job nearby and want a short commute? ----------------------North Austin, The Domain, Round Rock

Want affordability and some space to spread out? -----------------Bastrop, Elgin, Kyle

Looking for artsy or offbeat culture? ------------------------------South Austin or East Austin

Need to be near the airport or Tesla? ------------------------------Del Valle or Southeast Austin