Adios Austin

A massive number of Austinites are ditching the city, shows new report

Austin is among the 10 cities people are leaving the fastest.

Austin, Texas - Your City Government/Facebook

It seems like everyone wants to live in Austin, but does everyone want to stay? According to a new report from Abodo, Austin is losing residents at a staggering rate.

The apartment listing website pulled U.S. Census Bureau data on the 50 most populous metropolitan areas in the country and examined how many people moved into and away from each city between July 1, 2014, and July 1, 2015 (excluding Americans who left the country).

A surprising 7.11 percent of Austin's population left for greener pastures, the sixth highest percentage on the list. Leading the pack were Virginia Beach, Virginia (No. 1); Denver, Colorado (No. 2); Richmond, Virginia (No. 3); Washington (No. 4); and Atlanta (No. 5).

But this doesn't necessarily mean the cities are shrinking — eight of the top 10 cities for population loss were also among the top 10 cities for population gain. Austin was No. 4.

In the time period studied, more than 8 percent of Austin's population comprised new residents. The Capital City's overall population growth, or net domestic migration, was 1.71 percent.

So why are more people coming than going? Abodo believes that large metros have high residential turnover rates due to big populations and even bigger popularity among Americans.

"Our analysis paints an interesting picture of American moving habits. By every metric, the cities Americans are leaving in the highest numbers are some of the country's largest," reads the report. "And yet these cities' size insulates them somewhat from true net population loss: Americans are also moving to those places."

reports rankings

merry xmas atx!

Austin makes merry as one of the best cities to celebrate Christmas

City of Austin Government - Facebook

undefined

Austinites are right at home when it comes to experiencing the best Christmas in Texas this year. The very merry state capital has jumped into the No. 23 spot on WalletHub's annual list of the best cities for celebrating Christmas in 2024.

The yearly report ranks the 100 most populous U.S. cities across five key dimensions: Traditions and fun, observance, generosity, shopping opportunities, plus travel and meal costs.

Austin previously ranked as the No. 31 best U.S. city for celebrating Christmas in WalletHub's 2023 report.

Here's how Austin performed in the five main categories in the study:

No. 19 – Traditions and fun rank
No. 20 – Shopping rank
No. 36 – Costs rank
No. 42 – Generosity rank
No. 72 – Observance rank

Austin gets to cheer itself on as the highest-ranked Texas city in 2024 thanks to its heap of holiday happenings, including numerous delightful light displays throughout town. From local restaurants and bars putting their all into creating festive feasts to-go and delightful cocktail experiences, to locals supporting small businesses at holiday markets, there is plenty to get Austinites in the holiday spirit this year.

Smaller Central Texas towns like Smithville have also transformed into fun, festive escapes for city dwellers this time of year.

Austin households also have bigger holiday budgets in 2024 than they did the year before. According to a separate WalletHub study, the average Austin household is expected to spend about $1,905 on Christmas gifts this year, versus $1,877 in 2023.

"With inflation making Christmas celebrations, gifts, food and travel more expensive, certain cities are much better for your wallet than others during the holiday," said WalletHub analyst Chip Lupo. "In addition to being affordable, the best cities have a large number of people celebrating, plenty of places for Christians to worship, populations who give generously to charity, and plenty of fun activities to enjoy with family and friends."

In a separate report by home services provider Thumbtack, Austin was crowned the No. 1 most festive U.S. city for the third year in a row.

Elsewhere in Texas, other festive cities that earned spots in the top 50 include San Antonio (No. 30), Dallas (No. 31), and Houston (No. 41).

The top 10 best places to experience Christmas in 2024 are:

No. 1 – Atlanta, Georgia
No. 2 – Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
No. 3 – Seattle, Washington
No. 4 – Las Vegas, Nevada
No. 5 – Orlando, Florida
No. 6 – San Francisco, California
No. 7 – St. Louis, Missouri
No. 8 – Miami, Florida
No. 9 – Chicago, Illinois
No. 10 – New York, New York

christmas holidays lists bests