LIVING IS EXPENSIVE

Austin household bills are 25 percent higher than the national average, report finds

Well, at least we're not at the top of the list in Texas.

We already know how expensive it is to live in Austin. With rent prices on the rise and a six-figure salary not going as far as it used to, it’s no wonder why people would rather move to the suburbs than live in the city. Now, a new tool explores just how pricey the average Austinite’s household bills are in comparison to the national average. Spoilers: it’s not a pretty picture.

The average Austin household pays $2563 monthly for their bills, which adds up to $30,756 a year. When compared to the national average, which is $24,552 a year, the Austinite household is paying $6,204 more per year, or 25 percent more. Their findings show Austin is the No. 33 most expensive Texas city for household expenses, so at least we’re not at the top of that list.

If you look around at other Austin-area cities, like Pflugerville, the average household is paying $2,358 per month for their bills, which is only 15 percent higher than the national average.

In Round Rock, however, the average household there pays more than they would in Austin proper, at $2,606 a month, making them the No. 30 priciest city for household expenses in Texas. Additionally, Round Rock residents pay $6,720 more per year in household bills than the average American household.

Here’s how Austin-area cities rank when compared to all cities in Texas:

No. 23 – Dripping Springs
No. 30 – Round Rock
No. 33 – Austin
No. 49 – Buda
No. 50 – Cedar Park
No. 55 – Manor
No. 60 – Pflugerville
No. 27 – Kyle
No. 135 – San Marcos
No. 153 – Del Valle

The DoxoInsights (stylized doxoINSIGHTS) Explorer is a first-of-its-kind tool that calculates the average monthly payments for 10 of the most common household bills and compares them to the national average. The bills that it tracks are the average cost of a mortgage, rent, auto loan, utilities, auto insurance, mobile phone, health insurance, cable and satellite, life insurance, and alarm and security.

According to the tool, Travis County is the No. 7 in a ranking of most expensive household bills in the state. Neighboring Williamson and Hays also rank in the top 10 most expensive counties in Texas at No. 6 and No. 10, respectively.

The top 10 most expensive counties in Texas are:

No. 1 – Collin County
No. 2 – Rockwall County
No. 3 – Fort Bend County
No. 4 – Denton County
No. 5 – Kendall County
No. 6 – Williamson County
No. 7 – Travis County
No. 8 – Waller County
No. 9 – Galveston County
No. 10 – Hays County

More information can be found on doxo.com.

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merry xmas atx!

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

City of Austin Government - Facebook

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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

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