Austin Texas Ranking and Accolades

We are continually being named one of the best real estate markets in America and it seems as if someone is always talking about how Austin is the best place in the U.S. to live. The Austin Real Estate Market continues to thrive while other markets seem to go on a roller coaster ride. Those other markets aren’t receiving all of the attention like we are! Take a look at just a few of the highlights from the past few years.

List of Austin Texas Rankings & Accolades

2013

On Numbers names Austin Best in US for Small Business. (January 2013)
Forbes ranks Austin, Texas as America’s Fastest Growing City (January 2013)
According to NerdWallet, Austin is the Best City for Job Seekers. (January 2013)
Research conducted by the Milken Institute labels AUstin No. 2 on Best Cities List. (January 2013)
Business insider says Austin has the Top 17 Coolest Co-Working Spaces. (January 2013)
Princeton Review lists UT Austin as one of Best Value Colleges in the U.S. (February 2013)
OnlineMBAPage.com says UT Austin’s McCombs Named a Top Social Media Friendly MBA School.(January 2013)
According to Bloomberg Business Week, UT Austin’s McCombs Named a Top School for Entrepreneurship. (January 2013)
Southern living lists Austin, Texas as One of the Tastiest Towns in the South (January 2013)
Amazon.com lists Round Rock, Texas as Texas’ Most Romantic City (February 2013)

2012

Austin has moved up a few spots on a list of top U.S. cities favored by foreign real estate investors, according to a survey released Tuesday by the Association of Foreign Investors in Real Estate. (January 2012)
TripAdvisor Inc. has ranked Austin among the top 15 U.S. vacation destinations on the rise for 2012. (January 2012)
Orbitz has named Austin a top travel hotspot to watch for in 2012. (January 2012)
With over half of the city’s men and women single, Austin has been ranked among the top five U.S. cities to find a date for 2012. (January 2012)
Austin has been ranked the ninth-fittest large city in the U.S., based on data compiled by MapMyFitness Inc. (Januery 2012)
Austin is a great place to be this year, according to The Street, which named the Capital City among the top 10 cities “poised for greatness” in 2012. (January 2012)
The city of Round Rock has been ranked one of the safest cities in the nation. (January 2012)
Austin’s unemployment rate for December has dropped to its lowest level in more than two years, according to figures from the Texas Workforce Commission. (January 2012)
Austin among top 50 U.S. cities for manufacturing jobs. (January 2012)
Austin is the eighth-largest green power purchaser overall among 50 organizations ranked by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Green Power Partnership. (February 2012)
Austin is among 13 of the nation’s 100 biggest labor markets to have regained all of the jobs that were lost during the recession. (February 2012)
Four Austin area master-planned communities have been ranked on John Burns Real Estate Consulting’s list of 50 Top-Selling U.S. Master Planned Communities for 2011. (February 2012)
Austin is one of 11 metropolitan areas in the Sunbelt to post job gains in the past decade, according to an analysis of preliminary data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. (February 2012)
A recent survey shows that Austin employees are more satisfied with their jobs than any other U.S. city. (February 2012)
Austin added 2,700 retail jobs between 2010 and 2011, the sixth-highest retail job increase in the U.S. (February 2012)
Austin is among the 25 best cities for shopping, according to Lucky magazine. (February 2012)
U.S. News recently named ‘America’s Best BBQ Cities’ and Austin took the No. 5 spot. (March 2012)
Austin is one of four cities recognized as an electric vehicle community by the Electric Drive Transportation Association. (March 2012)
The No. 2 hotspot in the United States for technology startups is Austin, according to a list compiled by Payscale.com. (March 2012)
A report released Tuesday from a job search engine website suggests that job openings have increased in 30 of the 50 top United States metro areas — including Austin. (March 2012)
Austin has been named a great place to retire by CBS Moneywatch. (March 2012)
Austin is the second-best investment market in the United States, according to Realtor.com. (March 2012)
Revised unemployment data shows that Austin leads the nation for job growth over the past eight years. (March 2012)
Austin is the No. 6 U.S. destination city to relocate, a report from U-Haul International Inc. shows. (March 2012)
Austin experienced the second largest urban population growth over the last 10 years when compared to its peers, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. (March 2012)
A new study ranks Travis County as one of the healthiest counties in Texas, KXAN-TV reports. (April 2012)
Austin is one of the fastest-growing metropolitan areas in the United States, ranked second only behind a metro area in Washington state, KUT News reports. (April 2012)
Austin’s gaming industry saw 155 percent growth between 2005 and 2010, making it the third largest gaming sector in the nation, according to a report presented to the city of Austin, KXAN-TV reported.
The Austin Independent School District has been endorsed as a high performing U.S. school district based on a review by the Broad Foundation, the Community Impact Newspaper reports. (April 2012)
Austin has retained the South’s small-business crown for the third straight year. (April 2012)
Austin is the No. 2 city in the U.S. for adding 29,500 private-sector jobs since early 2008, according to an On Numbers analysis of U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data. (April 2012)
The flow of office investment sales in Austin is expected to increase this year due to an improving economy and a tightening supply of office space, according to the 2012 Annual Report published by Marcus & Millichap. (April 2012)
Forbes picks Austin as the fastest growing city in its annual America’s Fastest Growing Cities list. (May 2012)
Forbes has ranked the Austin metropolitan statistical area No. 1 on its list of the best big cities for jobs. (May 2012)
Small businesses have ranked Austin and the state of Texas as two of the most business-friendly areas in the nation. (May 2012)
Austin is one of the best U.S. cities to find work, according to Adecco Staffing U.S., Siliconhillsnews.com reports. (May 2012)
Austin is ranked No. 10 out of 50 markets in a recent health and fitness survey. (May 2012)
Austin posted the highest percentage of retail rental growth in the country during the first quarter of 2012 with an increase of 3.4 percent. That’s according to figures released today by Cassidy Turley, a national real estate services provider. (May 2012)
Austin is the ninth fastest-growing metropolitan area in America, gaining 151 residents every day. (May 2012)
Newsweek magazine has ranked what it says are the best 1,000 high schools in the United States and 10 Austin-area schools made the list. (May 2012)
Austin has the fifth-strongest economy in the United States, according to a study released Thursday. (May 2012)
Local business owners in the service industry — including caterers, yoga instructors, DJs and tutors — gave Austin high marks on a survey that looked into small business friendliness and finance in their city. (June 2012)
The Live Music Capital of the World has been named a top foodie city by Hotels.com and Richard Sandoval, a renowned Mexican cuisine chef. (June 2012)
Austin ranks sixth nationally in the total number of financial sector jobs added between April 2011 and April 2012. (June 2012)
Austin is in a six-way tie with Dallas, Fort Worth, Nashville, Tucson and Washington, D.C. for the No. 17 spot on a list that ranks the “greenest cities” in the United States. (June 2012)
Austin is one of three markets defying the odds at a time when most metropolitan areas are struggling to sustain economic momentum. (June 2012)
Austin is the No. 9 best city in the country for business and careers, a recent analysis by Forbes found. (June 2012)
Austin, a tech town known for its live music, food trailers and hipster culture, has been named to a list that ranks the best cities to grab a burger. (June 2012)
New census data show that the Round Rock and Austin are two of the fastest-growing cities in the nation. (June 2012)
Austin is ranked as the top dog-friendly city in the nation. (July 2012)
Austin has moved up one spot of a list of the largest cities in the United States, replacing San Francisco at No. 13. (July 2012)
The University of Texas at Austin has been ranked No. 30 among the top 100 universities in the world. (July 2012)
Forbes has ranked Austin No. 8 on a list of cities where a paycheck stretches the furthest. (July 2012)
Austin posted the strongest gain of private-sector business activity by any major market between 2009 and 2010, boosting its numbers by 2.3 percent, according to an analysis of U.S. Census Bureau data. (July 2012)
More people will pack up and relocate to the Capital City this year, according to a report by The Fiscal Times, which ranked Austin No. 2 on “The 10 Top Cities People Are Moving to in 2012” list. (July 2012)
Austin is the second-best city in America for young adults, according to Kiplinger’s Personal Finance magazine. (July 2012)
Global Trade magazine ranked Austin as No. 31 on its “Top 50 Cities for Global Trade” list. (August 2012)
Austin added 30,221 new residents between April 2010 and July 2011 to join Houston, San Antonio and Dallas in leading the southern United States in population growth. (August 2012)
The Austin area was the 23rd most-searched real estate market in the country last month, based on data released by Realtor.com. (August 2012)
Austin is No. 2 on a list of the top 20 cities for people in their 20s, according to Greatlist.com, which picked the cities. (August 2012)
Austin is among the best cities in the United States for technology startups, according to a report by the National Venture Capital Association. (August 2012)
Austin is one of the highest-rated markets in the United States for economic health. (September 2012)
Austin joins London, New York, Barcelona and Paris on the catwalk as one of 55 top global fashion capitals. (September 2012)
New Braunfels’ Schlitterbahn Waterpark Resort has been named best waterpark in the nation, receiving a 2012 Golden Ticket Award. (September 2012)
Austin has the fifth-best employment outlook in the United States, according to the latest Manpower Employment Outlook Survey. (September 2012)
Austin has the fastest wage growth in the state and is ranked in the top 10 of the nation’s 102 largest cities for its weekly earnings growth rate, according to a new study by On Numbers. (September 2012)
The University of Texas at Austin has made the top 50 on U.S. News & World Report’s 2013 national universities list at No. 46. (September 2012)
Austin is one of only nine metropolitan areas experiencing higher house values now than five years ago, according to an analysis of the latest numbers from the Federal Housing Finance Agency. (September 2012)
Forbes magazine has ranked East Austin as one of America’s Hippest Hipster Neighborhoods. (September 2012)
Austin has earned a spot on Bloomberg BusinessWeek’s “America’s 50 Best Cities” list, ranking high at No. 8. (September 2012)
The Austin area has been named among the top 75 towns and cities in the United States for college students, according to the AIER College Destinations Index. (October 2012)
Interbrand has released its 13th annual report on the Best Global Brands — and a number of them have strong Austin ties. (October 2012)
The University of Texas at Austin jumped into the top 25 in the 2012-13 Times Higher Education World University Rankings. (October 2012)
Austin ranks No. 2 out of the country’s 102 largest cities on a new economic index ranking. (October 2012)
Austin is the most “connected city” in America, according to a study by Jones Lang LaSalle that ties a city’s smart grid use to economic drivers for a healthy commercial real estate market. (October 2012)
Austin has been ranked as one of the top five markets to watch across the country by the Urban Land Institute’s Emerging Trends in Real Estate Forecast, which was released Wednesday. (October 2012)
Austin ranks fifth in the nation for the number of technology startups per capita, according to an analysis by San Francisco-based SizeUp.com. (October 2012)
Austin has been named a top U.S. city for clean technology, according to Clean Edge Inc., a research and advisory firm devoted to the clean-tech sector. (October 2012)
The Austin area has a higher percentage of residents who hold at least a bachelor’s degree than anywhere else in the state. (October 2012)
Austin-based software maker SolarWinds Inc. has topped Forbes magazine’s list of the best small U.S. companies. (October 2012)
Austin ranks No. 5 out of 20 major U.S. technology markets, according to a Jones Lang LaSalle report. (November 2012)
Austin has been named the No. 1 destination on the rise in the United States by TripAdvisor Inc. (November 2012)
Austin added the largest percentage of private-sector jobs from September 2007 to the same month this year when compared with 102 markets across the nation, an analysis released Tuesday shows. (November 2012)
Austin ranks in the top 20 for lowest housing vacancy rates in the nation, with more than 91 percent of housing units occupied, according to a survey. (November 2012)
Austin and Provo, Utah are tied for the top spot for the projected percentage of household growth over five years, an analysis shows. (November 2012)
A website where wanderlusts share traveling tips on the world’s best places to visit has ranked Austin as a top world destination. (November 2012)
Austin is one of only five metropolitan areas in all of North America to rank in the top 70 of the 300 fastest-growing metropolitan economies worldwide, according to a Friday report. (November 2012)
Austin offers an above average shot at making good money, according to a study by Forbes using data from PayScale.com. (December 2012)
Austin has grabbed first place in this month’s On Numbers Economic Index, supplanting Oklahoma City. (December 2012)
Home prices jumped 2.97 percent in Austin between the third quarters of 2011 and 2012, the seventh-highest change in the nation. (December 2012)
Austin is one of only seven markets to experience a more than 5 percent growth in employees’ paychecks during the past 12 months, according to U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics numbers. (December 2012)
A real estate industry tracking website has ranked Austin’s housing market No. 5 among the 10 healthiest markets for 2013. (December 2012)
Austin ranks seventh among the nation’s top 100 metropolitan areas in terms of economic recovery, according to a report out this week from the Brookings Institute. (December 2012)
New York-based real estate firm Realty Pin named Austin one of 2012’s most surprising real estate markets. (December 2012)

2011

Austin was ranked this month as the top city for the highest job levels in a decade but Forbes magazine cited a 19 percent drop in high-tech jobs over the past decade when it ranked Austin No. 32 on a list of best cities for tech jobs.
In September, Austin snagged fifth on a list of U.S. cities with the most healthy employment outlooks.
The Brookings Institution named Austin among the best green job generators in its “Sizing the Clean Economy: A National and Regional Green Jobs Assessment” report.
Looking for a new start? Austin is the best place to start a career, according to a report released in June.
Ajilon Professional Staffing said Austin has the second best jobs market in the U.S. but Forbes ranked the Capital City No. 3 for best jobs market in its January report.
In July, Forbes and the Praxis Strategy Group named Austin America’s No. 1 “boom town.”
Austin leads the nation for having the most favorable conditions for small businesses, an April report said.
Vavoom.com named Austin the second best place for dating in the nation thanks to its rich supply of entertainment and high ratio of singles.
Austin is ranked among the top four U.S. cities that like to dine out, a report from Zagat Survey said. Maybe that’s because, according to AAA Texas, Austin has some of the best restaurants.
Another Forbes report listed Austin among the 10 best cities for a weekend vacation. Pets also enjoy spending time in Austin, according to DogFriendly.com, who ranked the Capital City the No. 7 best place to vacation with pet.
Businessweek listed Austin among the best places to live, Business Review USA chose Austin as one of the eight best places to live and work in the U.S., and RelocateAmerica named the Capital City as one of the 100 finalists in its 14th annual best places to live contest.
ForbesWoman, an online property of Forbes.com, ranks Austin as the No. 18 best U.S. city for working mothers.
Military retirees may want to consider launching a post-service career in Austin after USAA and Military.com ranked the city as the No. 4 best place for second careers after military retirement.
Bilingual cable channel Mun2 named Austin the second-best city for young Latino Americans to live, work and play.
Austin is listed as a top city to find information technology talent, according to KLG Advisors.
Earlier this month, Austin was ranked by the Milken Institute as the fourth best-performing city in the U.S.

2010

The Texas Workforce Commission and the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics rank Austin #2 in gob growth among the top 50 major metropolitan areas. (February 2010)
TopRetirements.com ranked Austin the #5 city in America on its annual “100 Best Retirement Towns.” (February 2010)
The Austin-Round Rock area tied for first on Forbes’ list of large metros where the recession is easing. (March 2010)
Due to Austin’s great local economy, its hosting duties for South by Southwest, its high concentration of those aged 18 to 34 and its thriving entertainment scene, Porfolio.com ranked Austin #1 in the nation for young adults. (March 2010)
According to many analysts, Austin may be a national leader in economic recovery as shown in this recent CNN clip. (March 2010)
Austin was ranked the third best city to move to in the United States, according to a recently released RelocateAmerica.com report. (April 2010)
Austin ranks towards the top on a recent study conducted by Portfolio/Bizjournals with regards to quality of life. (May 2010)
Austin makes the Top 10 on Forbes’ “Best Cities for Young Professionals” list. The publication picked metros where recent college graduates are most apt to start a strong high-powered career. (June 2010)
Kiplinger’s personal finance magazine placed Austin in the number one spot on its “10 Best Cities for the Next Decade list.” (July 2010)
Texas has knocked California off the top spot on Relocation.com’s newest survey. In June, 50 percent more people said they wanted to move to the Lone Star State than in its previous survey in February. I wonder how many of those wanted to move to Austin!! (July 2010)
Monster.com recently ranked Austin #1 above all other cities for being the best US city for jobs in 2010. (July 2010)
The release of July 2010 payroll jobs numbers by the Texas Workforce Commission and U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics saw Austin again improve on the return to year-over-year job growth begun in April. (July 2010)
The American Institute for Economic Research ranked the Texas state capital the second best place for students in mid-sized cities, out of more than 222 considered in the index. (September 2010)
Good health and relatively-low unemployment has placed Austin the fourth least stressed city in the U.S., according to a Portfolio.com study. (September 2010)
U.S. News ranked Austin #1 for affordable housing and being able to buy a home with a monthly payment less than $800! In Austin, your dollars can get you more! (September 2010)
A quarterly report released by Brookings Institute’s Metropolitan Policy Program listed Austin in the top 20 strongest performing metropolitan areas. (September 2010)
Austin was among the top 10 fastest growing cities in the U.S. between 2000 and 2009, according to revised U.S. Census Bureau population figures. (September 2010)
According to Travelocity.com, Austin is among the most increasingly popular destinations for travelers. (September 2010)
Austin ranks 4th for most business users of of social networks in a recent Netprospex report. (September 2010)
Austin has the 6th highest percentage of residents with a college degree in the United States according to CNNMoney.com and the U.S. Census Bureau. (October 2010)
Entrepreneur.com places Austin at the top of the list for being a top creative center for entrepreneurs among the top fifty cities listed in its Innovation Nation list. (October 2010)
The Austin office commercial real estate market is going strong and is back to pre-recession levels. (October 2010)
Austin added 14,300 jobs in September, ranking it the sixth fastest growing city in the U.S., according to figures released by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Austin came in first for percent growth, rising about 2.43 percent year-over-year last month to a total 601,700 jobs. (November 2010)

2009

The Milken Institute/Greenstreet Real Estate Partners Best Performing Cities Index ranks U.S. metropolitan areas by how well they are creating and sustaining jobs and economic growth. The Austin-Round Rock area comes in at #4 as one of the nation’s top economic performers! (January 2009)
The Austin area added 6,200 private-sector jobs in the 12-month period between November 2007 and November 2008—the 10th biggest gain in metro employment in the country—according to figures released by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. (January 2009)
Famous for Tex-Mex food and an eclectic music scene, MSN Travel features Austin in it’s “15 Coolest North American Cities” list. (January 2009)
Forbes worked with Moody’s Economy.com to compile a list of the country’s real estate markets that are nearest to recovery and placed Austin in it’s yearly “America’s 25 Strongest Housing Markets” list. (January 2009)
Austin, Texas rounds out the top 30 in Forbes.com’s “Top 30 Most-Wired American Cities” list. (January 2009)
U.S. News and World Report says Texas is one of the best places to start a business and Austin is surely partly to blame. (January 2009)
MSNBC.com took five of the leading “best places” lists and merged their results while naming Austin #8 in it’s “Top 10 Places To Live In The U.S.” list. (January 2009)
According to the Texas Workforce Commission, Austin will see a 24.4% increase in employment between 2006 and 2016. (January 2009)
A report from the Association of Foreign Investors in Real Estate ranks members’ top cities for U.S. and global investments in 2009. Austin ties for 11th place in the new survey, up from 16th place in 2008. (January 2009)
Builder Magazine, in conjunction with Hanley Wood Market Intelligence, rates Austin #2 in the nation on its “Healthiest Housing Markets for 2009” list. (February 2009)
Austin ranks #8 on Forbes’ yearly “Best Place for Businesses and Careers” list. This was a great improvement over last year when we were ranked 47th! (March 2009)
Forbes.com gave the Austin-Round Rock area top billing on it’s “Best Big Cities For Jobs” list. (April 2009)
Austin continues to win praise for it’s healthy job market. NewGeography.com ranked Austin #1 on it’s “Best Cities For Job Growth” list. (April 2009)
With a high-tech workforce of more than 54,000, Austin ranks seventh on the “Nation’s Biggest Tech Cities” list from Bizjournals.com. (May 2009)
On Forbes’ “America’s Best Bargain Cities” list, Austin ranked #1 out of the country’s top 50 major metropolitan areas. (May 2009)
Relocation.com awarded Austin the top spot in it’s “Top Cities for a Fresh Start” list. (May 2009)
Austin takes the 8th spot on Housing Predictor’s report on the “Hottest Buyers Markets for 2009.” (June 2009)
According to Bizjournals.com, Austin is expected to be the 5th fastest growing city from 2005-2025. The Austin-Round Rock area is expected to reach 2.7 million people. (June 2009)
US News ranked Austin #3 on it’s detailed report for the Best Places To Live. (June 2009)
On Forbes’ recent “Best and Worst Cities for Recession Recovery” list, Austin was ranked #1 as the top major city expected to bounce back from these challenging times. (June 2009)
Round Rock has been named the second fastest-growing city in the nation from 2007 to 2008 with an 8.16 percent rise in population, according to the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2008 population estimates. (July 2009)
From July 2007 to July 2008, Austin added 18,461 residents, a growth rate of 2.5 percent, and moved past Columbus, Ohio, to become the 15th-largest city in the country. (July 2009)
Zillow places Austin in the top 5 for it’s “Top 10 Places to Buy a Home” list. (August 2009)
Austin will be one of the first cities to recover from the recession, according to a new national forecast from IHS Global Insight. (September 2009)
Austin is named one of the 20 best performing metropolitan areas in the second quarter of 2009, according to a study by the Brookings Institution. (September 2009)
According to the latest Adversity Index from Moody’s Economy.com and msnbc.com, the recession has ended in the Austin area. (October 2009)
Builder Magazine places Austin #1 on it’s “Healthiest Housing Markets” Fall update report. (October 2009)
The Austin-Round Rock area was named the best performing city on the 2009 Milken Institute/Greenstreet Real Estate Partners Best Performing Cities Index. (November 2009)

2008

By measuring the unemployment rate, job growth, income growth, median household income and cost of living, Forbes.com ranks Austin #3 in it’s “Top 10 Cities for Jobs” list. (January 2008)
Yahoo Finance and Entrepreneur.com ranks Austin as the #1 Place in America to Buy a Home, as an owner or as an investor, in 2008! (January 2008)
Austin, Texas is the big winner of Forbes.com‘s “America’s Fastest-Growing Metros” list, with an estimated 32% gross metropolitan product (GMP) growth from 2007-2012 (February 2008)
Forbes.com also ranked Austin as the 5th best city in America for couples. Austin was among three different Texas cities to make the top ten. (February 2008)
According to data released by the U.S. Census Bureau, the Austin-Round Rock area is the nation’s 5th fastest growing metro area. 65,880 new people now call Austin home in only one year’s time, which is an increase of 4.3% from the prior year. (March 2008)
On the “Top 10 Best Cities for Home Sellers” list, Forbes magazine ranks Austin #4 due to the affordability of homes and the nation’s top city for job growth at 4.1%. (April 2008)
Austin is recession proof! Forbes ranks the city of Austin #3 on its list of “Top 10 Recession Proof Cities” list. The Austin Real Estate market continues to stay strong! (May 2008)
The city of Austin ranks sixth on Kiplinger’s Personal Finance’s newest list of top 10 cities in which to live, work and play. (May 2008)
Three Texas cities rounded out the top 3 in Forbes‘ Best Cities For Recent College Graduates list, with Austin coming in at #3! (June 2008)
PMI Mortgage Insurance Company ranked the nation’s 50 largest metropolitan statistical areas according to the risk that home prices will decline in the next two years. PMI identified the Austin – Round Rock area as one of the top real estate markets due to having a less than one percent risk of declining home prices. (July 2008)
Austin added 18,000 new residents from July 2006 to July 2007, making it the eighth fastest growing city in the nation during that period according to the U.S. Census Bureau. (July 2008)
Due to thriving commerce, job growth, and a healthy real estate market, Money magazine ranked Round Rock #7 on its “America’s Best Places To Live 2008” list. (July 2008)
Austin ranked #2 on Forbes Magazine’s “Top 10 Cities To Buy A Home” list. Austin ranks high because its homes cost less to buy than to rent, tax incentives are attractive and there is a lot of opportunity to build equity. (July 2008)
Austin was ranked #10 on Forbes‘ yearly Best Cities For Young Professionals list, which ranks the country’s 40 biggest metros on economic opportunity for up-and-coming young professionals. (July 2008)
For the 2008 America’s Favorite Cities survey, Travel and Leisure teamed up with CNN and asked travelers to rank 25 top U.S. cities in 45 different categories! Austin was in the top 5 for many of those categories. Those top 5 categories included Culture, Food/Dining, Nightlife, People, Shopping, Quality Of Life and Visitor Experience! (August 2008)
Business Week and Yahoo Finance rank the Austin Real Estate Market as being the second fastest-selling housing market in the United States! (September 2008)
According to bizjournals.com, Austin has the second hottest job market out of the nation’s top 100 largest metropolitan areas. (September 2008)
Austin received TOP billing in Forbes‘ “America’s Best Bang For The Buck Cities” list! (October 2008)
Austin was one of the top 10 cities that were named “The Markets Best Positioned to Weather the Current Economic Downturn” by MSNBC. (November 2008)
The local housing market continues to serve as a font of good news for the Central Texas economy. According to Housing Predictor, which offers housing forecasts for 250 markets, Austin ranks sixth among the 10 Most Promising Housing Markets. (December 2008)
Austin saw 14,700 net new jobs created during the last 12 months, or an average of 1,225 new jobs monthly! This performance places the Austin metro area as the third fastest growing in the nation! (December 2008)

2007

Austin is one of the hottest entrepreneurial regions in the country, according to Inc. Magazine ‘s annual Inc. 500 ranking, which spotlights companies with the biggest revenue growth from 2003 to 2006. (September 2007)
Money Magazine lists Austin as the third fastest growing large city in the nation. (June 2007)
Austin ranks #2 in the Best Cities for Walking by Prevention magazine. (March 2007)
National Geographic Adventure names Austin as Texas’ #1 Adventure Town in their list of “50 Best Places to Live & Play.” (September 2007)
Moody’s Economy.com rates Austin as the best place for business in the U.S. (August 2007)
Newsweek lauds the University of Texas as “Hottest for Saving America’s Schools,” for excellence in education reform, in the 2007 “Top 25 Universities” poll. (August 2007)
Austin is one of the top four cities to watch as a retirement-friendly community, according to AARP The Magazine. (July 2007)
Fast Company Magazine lists Austin as a “Startup Hub” with a creative, young population and a high number of wi-fi internet spots per capita. (July 2007)
MSN.com gives Austin top billing among America’s Greenest Cities, citing the city’s green energy program and climate protection plan. (June 2007)
Sherman’s Travel lists Austin at #5 among its Top Ten Easy Spring Getaways (May 2007)
Conde Nast Traveler includes the Hyatt Lost Pines Resort & Spa on the 2007 Hot List celebrating the best and most promising new hotels in the world. (May 2007)
Kiplinger’s Personal Finance rates Austin among the top five cities in the country for young singles, as part of their “Best Cities for Every Stage of Your Life.” (June 2007)
Golf Digest ranks Barton Creek Resort & Country Club’s Fazio Canyons course among the top 100 in the nation (May 2007).
Bizjournals.com names Austin #7 among the top job markets for young adults. Austin has added 62,100 jobs in the past five years. (April 2007)
Austin is ranked sixth on a list of the 10 U.S. cities that have integrated renewable sources of energy such as solar, wind and hydro electricity into daily life, according to SustainLane.com. (April 2007)
Latina Magazine ranks Austin 10th among the top 25 healthiest cities. The magazine lauds the city’s many public parks, exercise facilities and low stress factor. (April 2007)
Men’s Journal names Austin as one of the top five places to “embrace urban life.” (April 2007)
Austin ranks #2 on Prevention Magazine’s list of the “top ten cities for taking a stroll.” (March 2007)
Austin is the #3 city in America for independent filmmaking, according to a recent list released at the Sundance Film Festival by Movie Maker Magazine.
Austin is ranked #17 among Cooking Light’s Top 20 Healthiest Cities in America. Cities were judged on nutrition, physical health and holistic well-being. (January/February 2007)
Natural Home Magazine ranks Austin #2 among America’s Top Ten Eco-friendly Communities. These “neighborhoods you want to live in” feature walkability, green planning and outdoor orientation. (January/February 2007)
Paste Magazine ‘s “The Best 24 Hours on Television” issue names PBS show and Austin original Austin City Limits as the best place for music on television.
The US Census Bureau reports that Austin ranks 5th among the most educated cities in the U.S. 45.1% of the population has a college degree, or higher.
Expansion Management Magazine puts the Austin area first among U.S. cities in the magazine’s fourth annual Mayors Challenge rankings of the best cities for future business locations.
A report and survey conducted by The Human Capital Institute showed respondents ranked Austin as one of the Top 10 Areas in the Nation for Job Relocation. (December 2007)
On Forbes.com‘s seventh annual “Best Cities for Singles” list, Austin ranked #12 in the nation and is climbing. (August 2007)
Austin ranks in the “10 Best Places to Live and Boat” by Boating Life Magazine. (July/August 2007)
Family Circle Magazine named nearby city Cedar Park as one of “America’s Top 10 Cities for Families.” (August 2007)
Georgetown ranks 1st among the “Best Places to Retire,” by US News World Report. (October 2007)
Round Rock was selected in a national competition as one of the “100 Best Communities for Young People,” in the nation by America’s Promise. (January 2007)
Cedar Park is ranked #11 among the “Top 20 Fastest Growing U.S. Suburbs” by Forbes Magazine. (July 2007)

2006

Each year, Intel ranks the Top 100 U.S. Cities and Regions with the Greatest Number of
Sperling’s ranks Austin 10th in the Top 10 Healthiest Cities in America. (July 2006)
Commercial and Public Wireless Internet Access Points and Austin ranks 3rd. (October 2006)
Austin ranks as the 4th Best City in Overall Standard of Living by Expansion Management. (June 2006)
Money magazine lists Austin as #2 among the 10 best places to live, judging on financial, educational and quality of life criteria, among others. (July 2006)
Austin-Bergstrom International Airport was named Best Domestic Airport at the 2006 Airports Council International Airport Service Quality Awards held in Dubai.
Austin ranks 2nd among the Top 10 Best Big Cities in the country by cnn.money.com. (June 2006)
National Geographic Traveler dubs Austin “The Best Little City in America” in a feature article published in the November/December 2006 issue.
Continental Magazine names Austin “Sports Center: The Most Sports-Crazed City in the World” (due to the avid fanaticism of UT sports supporters!) (September 2006)
Austin ranked 28th in Best Places for Business and Careers by Forbes. (May 2006)
Kiplinger’s ranks Austin #5 among their list of 50 Smart Places to Live. (June 2006)
Pollstar names Austin City Limits Music Festival the “Festival of the Year” during it’s annual Concert Industry Awards. (February 2006)
Sperling’s BestPlacesand msn.com rate Austin among “8 Cheap Places You’d Want to Live.” The survey highlights citywide economic prospects and cultural atmosphere. (July 2006)
In the “Best Cities for Singles” list provided by Forbes.com, Austin ranked #8 in the United States compared to other large metro areas. (June 2006)
Men’s Journal ranks Austin #2 among America’s Heart Healthy Cities (August 2006)
Expansion Magazine marks Austin as the #1 metropolitan location for future businesses. (August 2006)
Austin ranks 6th in the Top 10 Cities for Walking by Prevention magazine. (August 2006)
Sperling’s BestPlaces named Austin #9 among the Top Ten “Chill” Cities. The survey created a “chill index” based on the behavior of the city’s residents and social opportunities the city provided. (July 2006)
People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) places Austin at #8 among America’s top 10 vegetarian/vegan-friendly large cities. (April 2006)
Men’s Journal ranks Austin number two among the “50 Best Places to Live” based on potential for adventure, attractiveness, and affordability. (April 2006)
Austin ranks as the 3rd Smartest City in the country by Bizjournals.com. (June 2006)

2005

Austin ranks as the 2nd Best Place to live for Moviemakers by Moviemaker Magazine. (December 2005)
Hispanic magazine, for the second year in a row, ranks Austin as the Best Place to Live in America for Hispanics. (August 2005)
Austin is ranked the 3rd Best Wireless Place to Live in America by Livescience.com. (June 2005)
Austin ranks 3rd in a list of America’s Most Innovative Cities by the Wall Street Journal. (October 2005)
Entrepreneur.com ranks Austin 9th in the Top 10 Hot Cities for Entrepreneurs. (September 2005)
According to Dog Fancy magazine, Austin is one of the Top 10 Cities to Be a Dog. (November 2005)
Austin ranks 8th of America’s Cleanest Cities by Reader’s Digest. (July 2005)
Runner’s World ranks Austin 11th in the 25 Best Running Cities in America poll. (July 2005)
Austin makes the cut as one of the 50 Fabulous Gay-Friendly Places to Live by Gregory A. Kompes. (December 2005)
American Way magazine features “The Top 10 Lists of Great American Music” and Austin appears on three of the lists including “great music towns,” “great bigger-is-better music festivals” for the Austin City Limits Music Festival and “sacred ground” for Threadgill’s restaurant. (June 2005)
According to Forbes.com’s annual “Best Cities for Singles” list, Austin ranks #11 in the nation for singles looking to mingle. (July 2005)
Vegetarian Times rates Austin 2nd on the Ten Greenest Cities list. (July/August 2005)
Austin ranks 6th in a study by Silicon Valley naming the nation’s Top Tech Hubs. The study compared business and quality-of-life issues, claiming Austin has affordable housing, electricity and state taxes. (September 2005)
According to Kiplinger.com, Austin is among the Coolest Cities for Young Professionals. (September 2005)

Austin Texas Rankings and Accolades

List of Austin Texas Rankings & Accolades