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: Katherine Sobel, Interim Advisor
- Phone: 512.974.9377
- Email: katherine.sobel@austintexas.gov
- Website: www.austintexas.gov
- X: @AustinEconDev

