Wallet Wellness

Austin ranks among 10 best cities for your wallet, says new study

Austin's the 10th best city for wallet wellness.

Photo courtesy of Doc's Motorworks

Ahead of the year's biggest shopping season, WalletHub analyzed the 150 largest U.S. cities to see which ones are good for your wallet — and which ones aren't so hot. Based on the study, Austin is the 10th best city for wallet wellness.

Twelve factors were used to determine each city's score in two main categories: "Affordability/Budget" and "Livability/Local Environment."

The Capital City ranks No. 11 for "Affordability/Budget." Austin's low foreclosure rate (the third lowest among the cities studied) and high median household income (No. 11) contribute to our ranking. Even more impressive is Austin's No. 7 ranking for "Livability/Local Environment." Our Gallup-Healthways Well-Being Index score, the fifth best among the cities, was a top contributor in this category.

Only one other Lone Star city joins Austin in the top 10: Plano, which ranks No. 3. Fort Worth ranks No. 42, followed by Dallas (No. 61), San Antonio (No. 63), and Houston (No. 65). Brownsville is the third worst city for wallet wellness (No. 148).

To see the full list, head over to WalletHub.

Drop the Debt

UT announces free tuition for families with income under $100,000

Photo by dszc Getty Images

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Beginning next fall, some students accepted into schools within the University of Texas system will receive free tuition and have all fees waived, the board of regents announced on Wednesday.

In order to qualify, families of undergraduates must make less than $100,000 a year.

The board gave preliminary approval to the plan on Wednesday. After the full board’s consideration and vote on Thursday, the plan will include a new, immediate infusion of $35 million directly to campuses to offer the financial aid benefit. The plan also directs additional investment in endowments supporting financial aid to ensure a commitment for tuition relief.

In 2019, the regents established a $167 million endowment at UT Austin to completely cover tuition and mandatory fees for in-state undergraduate students from families with an income of up to $65,000. In 2022, the regents approved a second endowment of almost $300 million called “Promise Plus” to extend the program to all UT academic institutions.

“To be in a position to make sure our students can attend a UT institution without accruing more debt is very important to all of us [...]” Kevin P. Eltife, chairman of the board of regents, said.

Read the full story and watch the video at KVUE.com.

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