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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 2025
1,002,632
1,389,670
2,620,945
Population growth 2015-2025
10.7%
18.4%
31.7%
Land area (sq. mi.) 2020
319.9
994.1
4,219.5
Median age 2026
34.5
35.3
36.1
Households 2026
468,748
606,520
1,071,655
Home ownership rate 2026
39.5%
48.7%
56.6%
Median household income 2026
$99,143
$106,249
$107,481
Per capita income 2026
$68,154
$67,420
$61,010
High school grads 2026
93.7%
93.5%
93.5%
College grads 2026
62.5%
60.0%
53.9%
Labor force 2025
661,792
870,357
1,555,142
Unemployment rate 2025
3.3%
3.4%
3.5%
Public school enrollment 2025-2026
191,158
403,226
High school graduates 2025
11,350
26,886
Retail sales 2025
$25,961 mil.
$29,726 mil.
$52,913 mil.
Business
2025
Establishments
51,464
76,604
Employment
884,302
981,902
1,392,465
Average salary
$96,695
$97,270
$89,172
Mfg.business
2025
Establishments
1,338
2,267
Employment
61,215
85,332
Average salary
$133,554
$130,831

Source: Texas Comptroller for retail sales; Texas Workforce Commission for labor force and unemployment; Chmura Economics for businesses, employees, and salaries; Texas Education Agency for public school enrollment and graduates; ESRI for 2026 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