Moving From New York to Austin: Taxes, Space and Getting Around
You are looking at Austin from New York, and you already know the first question: can I live without everything New York gives me? I'm Felix, a Texas Realtor, and I live in Cedar Park. I'm not going to pretend Austin is New York. I'm going to show you what changes, what stays, and what the numbers say.
Before you finish this page, I'll show you three things. First, the size of the price gap, and a property tax number that will make you look twice. Second, what a New York commute looks like next to an Austin one. Third, the one honest adjustment every New Yorker has to plan for before moving here, and nobody likes to say it out loud. Stay with me.
Who this page is for
You live in New York City or the surrounding area, and you are weighing a home in Austin, Cedar Park, Leander, Round Rock, Georgetown, Lakeway or somewhere nearby. You may be moving for work, for space or for a reset. Either way, let's put real numbers on the table.
Cost of living: the gap is big
Here is a national home value index that tracks the typical middle-tier home, single-family and condo, smoothed to take out month-to-month noise, as of Sep 30, 2026.
| Metro area | Typical home value |
|---|---|
| New York | $730,949 |
| Austin | $414,273 |
The Austin metro figure is about $317,000 lower, simple subtraction rounded to the nearest thousand.
That is a gap of about $317,000 on a typical home. It is the biggest reason people ask me about Austin. Remember that a typical value is a map, not a price tag, and Austin-area cities vary a lot, as you will see below. For the sold market, Unlock MLS, the Central Texas MLS, reported a median sold price of $421,000 for the Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos area in September 2026, with 5.4 months of inventory and homes closing at an average of 92.7 percent of their original list price. That is a different measure than the index above.
Taxes: the income tax is gone, and the property tax number is a surprise
Income tax first. Texas has none. The Texas Constitution says the legislature may not tax the net incomes of individuals. New York's state individual income tax runs from 4.00 percent to 10.90 percent, according to the Tax Foundation's 2026 state profile, and the same profile notes that some jurisdictions in New York collect local income taxes too.
Now the first thing I promised. You would guess Texas has a much heavier property tax. On a statewide average, the gap is small. The Tax Foundation puts the average effective property tax rate on owner-occupied housing at 1.30 percent in New York and 1.40 percent in Texas. Those are within a tenth of a point of each other.
| Texas | New York | |
|---|---|---|
| State individual income tax | None | 4.00% to 10.90%, plus local income taxes in some jurisdictions |
| Effective property tax rate, owner-occupied housing, statewide average | 1.40% | 1.30% |
| Average combined state and local sales tax rate | 8.19% | 8.54% |
Source: Tax Foundation 2026 state profiles. These are statewide averages, not a quote for any address.
Here is what matters. Texas has no state property tax. Local taxing units, like the county, the school district and the city, set the rates, according to the Texas Comptroller. A statewide average can miss in either direction at your address, so I put the property tax picture for any home next to its price before you decide. Texas also has homestead protections for a primary residence, including a $140,000 school-district exemption, with conditions that I point you to the official source for. I'm a Realtor, not a tax advisor, and your tax professional has the final word.
Commute: minutes you get back
Here is what the Census Bureau's 2020 to 2024 survey says about average one-way travel time to work.
| Place | Average commute, minutes |
|---|---|
| New York City | 40.3 |
| Lago Vista | 34.7 |
| Liberty Hill | 34.1 |
| Jarrell | 33.4 |
| Hutto | 29.3 |
| Leander | 29.2 |
| Lakeway | 28.8 |
| Georgetown | 28.2 |
| Pflugerville | 27.4 |
| Cedar Park | 25.5 |
| Round Rock | 24.9 |
| Austin (city) | 23.7 |
| Bee Cave | 22.1 |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts, mean travel time to work, workers age 16 and over, 2020 to 2024. Sorted from longest to shortest.
That is the second thing I promised. The average New York City commute is 40.3 minutes, and the average in the city of Austin is 23.7. Cedar Park is 25.5. An average hides your worst morning, so I ask where you need to be before I show you a single address.
The honest adjustment: getting around
Here is the third thing, and I'll say it plainly. Austin is not New York, and the biggest change is how you get around. CapMetro's Red Line is a commuter train between Leander and downtown Austin with 10 stations. It is a commuter line, not a citywide grid, and its service hours are limited. From what I see, getting around most of the places I serve means driving, and I will tell you honestly which addresses work with the train.
What you get in return is a shorter average commute, as the table above shows, and a different kind of space, which I show you home by home. For trips back, Austin-Bergstrom International Airport's June 2026 list shows nonstop service to New York's JFK and Newark, and airlines change schedules, so check before you book.
Here is what the weather looks like next to Central Park, from the NOAA 1991 to 2020 normals. I want you to see it before you commit.
| New York (Central Park) | Austin (Camp Mabry) | |
|---|---|---|
| Normal January daily high | 39.5°F | 62.5°F |
| Nights a year at or below 32°F | 67.2 | 11.9 |
| Days a year at or above 90°F | 17.4 | 122.9 |
| Days a year at or above 100°F | 0.4 | 28.8 |
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991 to 2020 monthly normals. Austin's official station reached 100 degrees on 90 days in 2011, according to KXAN's review of the records.
Austin is much hotter in summer, and the swing from year to year is wide. When we walk a home, I tell you what I notice about the house itself, like the age of the systems and how the lot sits. I'm a Realtor, not an inspector, and a licensed inspector is always your call.
Which part of Austin fits your life
I match homes by commute and by what is there, never by who lives there. New Yorkers usually want to know what replaces the walkable, city-wide energy they have now. Here is what each area offers.
A downtown or square you can stroll
Austin itself has the 10-mile Ann and Roy Butler Hike-and-Bike Trail loop around Lady Bird Lake, the spring-fed Barton Springs Pool in Zilker Metropolitan Park, and the Red Line's McKalla station for Q2 Stadium. The city's average commute is 23.7 minutes.
Georgetown is built around a historic square that surrounds the Williamson County Courthouse. In 1997 it became the first Texas city to win the Great American Main Street Award, and the city lists three National Register historic districts with more than 180 historic buildings and homes.
Hutto has a historic Old Town, where the Downtown Commercial Historic District is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, with shops and restaurants along Farley Street. The 3.2-mile Cottonwood Trail runs from Fritz Park to Creekside Park. The hippo is the town mascot, the most popular local legend traces it to a 1915 circus-train stop, and the city estimates 5,000 to 10,000 concrete hippos around town.
Leander is the northern end of CapMetro's Red Line commuter rail, which runs between Leander and downtown Austin. The city completed an Old Town Master Plan in September 2023 aimed at strengthening its downtown.
Parks, trails and the water
Cedar Park has Brushy Creek Lake Park, 90 acres with a 38-acre lake for fishing and non-motorized boating, trails, a splash pad and a kayak and canoe launch. The Brushy Creek Regional Trail, about 7.75 mostly concrete miles, runs from Twin Lakes Park in Cedar Park to Round Rock. I live in Cedar Park, so this is the city I can talk about the longest.
Pflugerville has Lake Pflugerville Park, with a 3-mile hike-and-bike trail, fishing, pavilions and a beach area. Powerboats are not allowed on the lake, and water access depends on the lake level, so I tell you what is open when we look.
Round Rock calls itself the Sports Capital of Texas. The city's 670-acre Old Settlers Park has a 20-field baseball complex, a 5-field softball complex, seven soccer fields, an 18-hole disc golf course and about 3.3 miles of paved trail.
Lake Travis living and a retail hub
Lake Travis is a Lower Colorado River Authority reservoir on the Colorado River, about 13 miles northwest of Austin, with a surface area of 19,297 acres at conservation pool, according to the Texas Water Development Board. The lake is operated for flood control, water supply, power generation and recreation, so I walk every lakefront buyer through what that means at the specific address.
Lakeway is on Lake Travis. Its City Park is waterfront parkland with swimming in designated areas, fishing, kayaking, nearly two miles of trails, a dog park and basketball, sand volleyball and baseball, and there are marinas in the area.
Lago Vista is on the north shore of Lake Travis, with hiking and biking trails, a city pool, local parks and a city-owned 18-hole golf course with views of the lake.
Bee Cave is west of downtown Austin. Hill Country Galleria is a 1.3-million-square-foot lifestyle center there, with retail, office space, residences and 50 acres of green space, and it hosts more than 150 community events a year. The city's Central Park is about 60 acres, with two playgrounds, a dog park, two pavilions, a basketball court and about 1.75 miles of concrete trail. Its average commute is the shortest in my list, 22.1 minutes.
Steiner Ranch is a master-planned community in Austin. Its master association lists pools, parks, tennis and pickleball courts, soccer fields, trails, community centers, a dog park and a Lake Club with a boat ramp and covered pavilion. Access to most of these is for residents, with a key fob.
Room to grow
Liberty Hill is planning for its downtown. The city adopted a Downtown Master Plan in 2024 and says it is in a planning and evaluation phase, with no construction approved yet. Its LHTX 2040 comprehensive plan, adopted in October 2023, covers mobility, neighborhoods, and parks and open space. The Census Bureau counted 3,646 people in 2020 and estimates 13,317 in July 2025, so things are changing fast. Ask me what is built today and what is still on paper, and I will tell you what I can verify.
Jarrell sits along I-35 north of Georgetown. It has the lowest typical home value of the places I list, and its average commute is longer, 33.4 minutes. The Census Bureau counted 1,753 people in 2020 and estimates 5,870 in July 2025.
| City | Typical home value, Sep 30, 2026 | Average commute, minutes |
|---|---|---|
| Austin | $491,960 | 23.7 |
| Lakeway | $733,247 | 28.8 |
| Liberty Hill | $479,477 | 34.1 |
| Cedar Park | $456,996 | 25.5 |
| Leander | $420,175 | 29.2 |
| Georgetown | $419,666 | 28.2 |
| Round Rock | $395,851 | 24.9 |
| Lago Vista | $392,375 | 34.7 |
| Pflugerville | $363,170 | 27.4 |
| Hutto | $328,297 | 29.3 |
| Jarrell | $250,230 | 33.4 |
| Bee Cave | Not broken out in this data | 22.1 |
Home values come from a national home value index for middle-tier single-family homes and condos, smoothed to take out month-to-month noise. Commute is the Census Bureau's 2020 to 2024 average for workers who commute. Steiner Ranch is part of Austin and is not broken out. Bee Cave is not broken out in this index either, so I will pull sold homes for you by street.
Look at that list with the New York number in mind, $730,949. Every city on it except Lakeway sits well below that figure, and Lakeway is about even with it at $733,247. Jarrell is the lowest at $250,230. The trade is usually drive time, so we weigh both.
The question I ask before I show you a house
Here is how I keep it simple. I ask: How many days a week do you need to be in an office, and where? If the answer is none, we look at places by what is around them, like a lake, a trail or a historic downtown. If the answer is five, we start with the commute and work outward.
From your answer, I send you a short list of homes in places that fit, with what is around each one, instead of a flood of listings. You will see quickly whether the space you are trading for is worth the drive for you, and you will see it before you fall for anything.
Why now
I can't tell you where prices or mortgage rates go next, and nobody honestly can. What I can show you is that Unlock MLS reported rising mortgage rates slowed September sales in the Austin area, with closed sales down 14.8 percent from a year earlier and 13,465 active listings. Markets move month to month. The part you control is how ready you are, and your timeline might be a lease end, a job start or the sale of your current home. When you start a file today, I am already working from your list.
Tell me where you are in your plan. I text you and send my agreement the same day.
The facts New York buyers ask me most
Is Austin cheaper than New York?
On a national home value index as of Sep 30, 2026, the typical Austin metro home was $414,273 and the typical New York metro home was $730,949. A typical value is not a price for any one home, and Austin-area cities vary a lot, so I compare real addresses.
Does Texas have a state income tax?
No. The Texas Constitution says the legislature may not tax the net incomes of individuals. New York's state individual income tax runs from 4.00 percent to 10.90 percent, according to the Tax Foundation's 2026 state profile, and some New York jurisdictions collect local income taxes too.
Are Texas property taxes higher than New York's?
On a statewide average, they are close. The Tax Foundation's 2026 figures put the effective property tax rate on owner-occupied housing at 1.40 percent in Texas and 1.30 percent in New York. Texas has no state property tax, and local taxing units set the rates, so the bill depends on the address. I put the property tax picture next to the price before you decide.
Can I live in Austin without a car?
From what I see, getting around most of the places I serve means driving. CapMetro's Red Line is a commuter train between Leander and downtown Austin with 10 stations and limited service hours, and it is not a citywide grid. I tell you honestly which addresses work with it.
How long is the commute in the Austin area?
The Census Bureau's 2020 to 2024 average one-way travel time to work is 23.7 minutes in the city of Austin, 25.5 in Cedar Park, 24.9 in Round Rock and 29.2 in Leander, compared with 40.3 in New York City. Averages hide rush hour, so I match homes to where you actually need to be.
How hot is Austin compared with New York?
NOAA's 1991 to 2020 normals show about 123 days a year at or above 90 degrees at Austin's official station, compared with about 17 in Central Park, and about 29 days at or above 100 compared with under one. Winters are milder in Austin.
Are there nonstop flights between Austin and New York?
Austin-Bergstrom International Airport's June 2026 list shows nonstop service to New York's JFK and to Newark. Airlines change schedules, so check with the airline before you book.
Do you rank schools or neighborhoods?
No. I don't rank schools or neighborhoods, and I don't make claims about who lives where. Each school district publishes its own information and boundaries, and I will point you to the official source for any address you are considering. What I can do is match homes to your commute and to what is around them, like trails, lakes, parks and shopping.
Who do you work for, and will you be at my closing?
My services are fiduciary in nature, so I can only work for clients. When you start a file, I am on your side of the table. Yes, I attend every closing, and I am there at the table with you.
Ready? Open your file and I will text you today. No pressure, just a clear list built around your life.
Important: I'm a Texas Realtor, not an attorney, tax advisor, lender, appraiser or inspector. The figures on this page come from the Texas Constitution and Comptroller, the Tax Foundation 2026 state profiles, NOAA climate normals, the U.S. Census Bureau, Unlock MLS, CapMetro, Austin-Bergstrom International Airport, the Texas Water Development Board, KXAN and city and county websites, were pulled on Nov 2, 2026, and can be revised or change. Nothing here is tax, legal, lending or appraisal advice, a price opinion for any home, or a recommendation of any company. Property tax and income tax outcomes depend on your situation and the address, so check with your own tax professional. I list places by what is there and by commute, and I do not rank or describe neighborhoods by who lives in them.
Related: Moving From California to Austin · Moving From Chicago to Austin · Moving From Dallas to Austin
Texas Realtor · TREC 667130 · All City Real Estate
Equal Housing Opportunity.