Leander receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
Leander
Austin
Opportunity
81 · Top 7%
vs77 · Top 11%
Growth
69 · Top 19%
vs64 · Top 26%
Climate
70 · Bottom 48%
vs67 · Bottom 38%
Physical resilience
79 · Top 26%
vs75 · Top 30%
Housing affordability
93 · Top 25%
vs63 · Bottom 24%
Schools
74 · Top 21%
vs54 · Top 46%
Access
85 · Bottom 29%
vs95 · Top 40%
Economic stability
82 · Top 5%
vs68 · Top 34%
Measured values
| Metric | Leander | Austin | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 74,067 | 979,539 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $139,048 | $93,658 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $60,586 | $62,862 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 1,909/sq mi | 3,001/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $506,200 | $555,300 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,939 | $1,729 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 73.4% | 43.4% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 4.0% | 3.9% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | 0.3% | 0.1% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 53.3% | 59.6% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 5.8% | 12.0% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 849 | 7,547 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 11.5 | 7.7 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | -44.4% | -4.6% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 94°F | 97°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 40°F | 42°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 33.0" | 36.3" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 29 mi | 9 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 31.8 min | 25.4 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 36.3 | 34.7 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 23 | 246 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 13.97 | 14.64 | 2024-25 school year |
| Math proficiency | 46.9% | 36.5% | 2019-20 school year |
| Reading proficiency | 53.0% | 44.9% | 2019-20 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 17.2% | 53.6% | 2024-25 school year |
A bolded value is the more favorable of the two where the metric has a clear direction. Metrics like population and density have no inherent better or worse and are shown unweighted.
Physical risk tradeoff
Leander
Elevated or high exposure: hail.
Austin
Elevated or high exposure: hail.
Full profiles: Leander, TX · Austin, TX · How this is calculated: methodology