Austin's Going Gray

Keep Austin Gray? Austin and Fredericksburg named top places in U.S. to retire

Austin's population is aging.

Photo via Gruntworksusa.com

Austin is going gray, y'all. Well, at least according to Forbes, who just named us one of the best cities for retirees.

Noting our bike culture, volunteerism, terrific economy and reputation as an educational epicenter, Forbes named Austin the No. 3 best place to retire in the U.S. Though Austin killed it in most categories, Forbes noted the biggest con to moving here: Lack of affordable housing.

Coming in at No. 14: charm central, Fredericksburg. Forbes said this Central Texas town has, "warm climate, above average air quality, a cost of living 5 percent below national average, median home price of $138,000, low crime [and] high walkability rank." In the con category, Forbes simply wrote, "None." Austin and Fredericksburg joined San Angelo on the list, which Forbes ranked the No. 22 best spot for retirees.

And it's not just Forbes who is noticing Central Texas' "gray trend." On the real estate side, Bloomberg reported earlier this week that the real estate market in places like Austin and San Antonio are seeing a trend of Baby Boomers buying homes while Millennials are priced out. It's a trend we're seeing — at least anecdotally — as developers are increasingly adding designated "senior housing" to high-profile projects such as the Plaza Saltillo development.

But an aging populations means more than just a boon in real estate prices, it also means an overhaul in services. On Wednesday, the St. David's Foundation announced it was allocating more than $3.4 million to 19 local nonprofits who provide seniors with healthcare resources. Among the beneficiaries of the St. David's Foundation's bi-annual grants are Meals on Wheels and More, AGE of Central Texas and the Texas Ramp Project.

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Self-driving Roller Coaster

More self-driving cars expected to roll out in Austin for 2025

Photo courtesy of Waymo via KVUE

Various brands offering self-driving cars are on-and-off in Austin.

Expect to see more self-driving rideshare vehicles, also known as robotaxis, on Austin roads next year.

Robotaxi company Waymo, which you may have already seen on Austin's roads, is partnering with Uber. At some point next year, customers will be able to use the Uber app to call a self-driving ride.

Austin-based company Avride is in the testing phase and plans to roll out its robotaxis next year.

Currently, Volkswagen ADMT and Amazon's Zoox are in the testing phase in Austin, while Hyundai's Motional is in the mapping phase.

Last year, robotaxi company Cruise paused operations in Austin after the California Department of Motor Vehicles revoked the company's permits to operate driverless vehicles in the state. And last week, General Motors said it would no longer fund the company because of the time and resources needed.

This way of getting around has come with its safety concerns and issues. The city is tracking those concerns. According to the Transportation Department, the problems span from blocking the roads and parking in front of people's homes for weeks with lights beaming through their windows, to actual wrecks.

Since July 2023, robotaxis have been involved in 75 incidents. Only 21 of those incidents happened in 2024. It's important to note that Cruise has not been operating in Austin this year.

Since July 2023, driverless rideshare vehicles have been involved in 22 near collisions, eight collisions and seven instances where driverless taxis ignored directions from the Austin Police Department (APD).

According to the data, at least four of those Austin police incidents happened in recent months. The issues varied from driving through police checkpoints, to malfunctioning and getting stuck at an APD road closure near pedestrians, causing safety concerns.

A Waymo spokesperson said their vehicles have gesture recognition capabilities, which they've been training APD officers on using.

As the report shows, sometimes it does not work and Waymo said it is working to improve that. The spokesperson said that as of just last week, Waymo's First Responder Program has been independently verified by TÜV SÜD, making Waymo the first autonomous vehicle (AV) company to receive third-party validation for our emergency response protocols. They also said the data to date indicates the Waymo Driver is already reducing traffic injuries and fatalities in the places where the company currently operates.

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

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