Austin’s growth is fueled by a highly skilled workforce, modern infrastructure, and international connectivity, which act as economic adrenaline for businesses of all sizes.

Austin’s culture of innovation and creativity is on display every day in “the Live Music Capital of the World.” Our dynamic ecosystem of 42,000 small businesses is supported by numerous incubators, accelerators, and a municipally-funded Small Business Development Program. Austin is home to a major technology cluster, with industry giants like Dell, Advanced Micro Devices, Intel, 3M, IBM, Samsung, NXP Semiconductors, and National Instruments.

Austin’s growth is fueled by a highly skilled workforce, modern infrastructure, and international connectivity, which act as economic adrenaline for businesses of all sizes. The University of Texas at Austin, a world-class research institution and one of the largest universities in the nation, is a major contributor to Austin’s highly educated workforce and creative sector, graduating 12,000 students annually. The city known for “weird” is wired as well, as Google Fiber and AT&T deploy Gigabit-speed internet in Austin. Additionally, our international presence continues to grow, as visitors from all over the world convene in Austin to participate in events such as SXSW, Formula 1 United States Grand Prix, and Austin City Limits.

AUSTIN
TRAVIS COUNTY
AUSTIN MSA
Population 2024
993,588
1,363,767
2,550,637
Population growth 2014-2024
11.8%
18.5%
31.2%
Land area (sq. mi.) 2020
319.9
994.3
4,219.5
Median age 2025
34.3
35.0
35.9
Households 2025
456,449
587,011
1,032,861
Home ownership rate 2025
41.1%
49.7%
57.5%
Median household income 2025
$97,270
$103,987
$104,066
Per capita income 2025
$62,323
$62,090
$56,329
High school grads 2025
93.1%
93.0%
93.0%
College grads 2025
61.0%
58.4%
52.4%
Labor force 2024
651,029
849,812
1,504,019
Unemployment rate 2024
3.4%
3.5%
3.5%
Public school enrollment 2022-2023
193,926
328,852
High school graduates 2023
10,704
27,017
Retail sales 2024
$25,649 mil.
$29,096 mil.
$51,348 mil.
Business
2024
Establishments
51,326
75,882
Employment
913,887
1,282,782
Average salary
$97,136
$89,739
Mfg.business
2024
Establishments
1,385
2,287
Employment
49,076
72,358
Average salary
$135,786
$133,367

Source: Texas Comptroller for retail sales; Texas Workforce Commission for labor force, unemployment, businesses, employees, and salaries; Texas Education Agency for public school enrollment and graduates; ESRI for 2024 demographic estimates; and U.S. Census Bureau for all other data.

contact
Organization:
City of Austin Economic Development Department
Location:
5202 E. Ben White Blvd. Suite 300 and 400 Austin, TX 78741