Hot Headlines

Austin companies with the best corporate culture lead our top 5 stories

ACC boasts great company culture, says Forbes.

Austin Community College District/Facebook

Editor's note: The top Austin news of the week puts three Austin companies in Forbes' spotlight. Plus, a look at some upcoming events that provide a great alternative to ACL Fest. Catch up on our most popular stories below, then head here for the best things to do this weekend.

1. 3 Austin-area companies have the best corporate cultures, says Forbes. Three Austin-area companies and their top-tier corporate environments have just been praised on Forbes' inaugural ranking of "America's Best Employers for Company Culture."

2. Huge new sports bar in Cedar Park opens with popular burger truck. The All Good, a brand-new community hangout space and bar, opened in Cedar Park Friday, September 26.

3. Bon Appétit names Buda restaurant among 8 most anticipated openings. An upcoming restaurant in an unexpected Texas suburb has the Bon Appétit staff's mouths watering.

Buda Mill & Grain Co. in Buda will become Roxie's Bon Appétit's staff can't wait to try Roxie's. Photo by Alie Jackson

4. Texas music and BBQ fest offers country-lovers an escape during ACL. This rustic festival, about two-and-a-half hours northwest of Austin in Brownwood, combines popular regional country music and local barbecue on Saturday, October 4.

5. 17 Austin businesses cook up food and drink showcase at The Domain. This year, the event will be held Thursday, October 2, benefiting the Boys & Girls Club of the Austin Area, Red M, and the Umlauf Sculpture Garden + Museum.

let loose atx

Austin slips on new list of America's most fun cities for 2025

Rowing Dock downtown Austin Congress Avenue Bridge bats kayaking

Rowing Dock Facebook

undefined

A new WalletHub study ranking the most fun American cities in 2025 has revealed Austin needs to learn how to let loose a little more next year.

Austin currently ranks as the 8th most fun city in the U.S., with Houston surpassing it as 6th most fun American city and the No. 1 most fun city in the Lone Star State.

WalletHub's "Most Fun Cities in America (2025)" study compared 182 U.S. cities across 65 metrics – spanning from the number of sports venues, music venues, and shopping centers per capita to the average cost for a restaurant meal – to determine how "fun" each city is. The metrics were split among three main categories: entertainment and recreation, nightlife and parties, and cost.

Las Vegas, Nevada, continued its multi-year streak as the No. 1 most fun American city.

Across the three key dimensions, Austin scored the highest for its nightlife and parties rank (No. 6), but its entertainment and recreation rank (No. 22) and costs rank (No. 82) still leave room for improvement. But overall, Austin's level of "fun" is far higher than most U.S. cities.

Austin's current "fun" status is two spots lower than its 2024 rank as the 6th most fun American city. In 2023, Austin ranked No. 7 on the list.

Other Texas cities that appeared in the top 100 include: San Antonio (No. 23), Dallas (No. 26), Fort Worth (No. 60), El Paso (No. 62), Arlington (No. 71), Plano (No. 78), and Corpus Christi (No. 94).

"The decision of where to live could save or cost you a lot of money and fun, so it’s fair to wonder what makes a fun city," the report's author wrote. "In a city with enough variety, you won’t have to compromise with your friends, family, or even yourself about the next fun activity to do alone or together."

WalletHub's top 10 most fun U.S. cities in 2025 are:

No. 1 – Las Vegas, Nevada
No. 2 – Orlando, Florida
No. 3 – Miami, Florida
No. 4 – Atlanta, Georgia
No. 5 – New Orleans, Louisiana
No. 6 – Houston, Texas
No. 7 – San Francisco, California
No. 8 – Austin, Texas
No. 9 – Portland, Oregon
No. 10 – Cincinnati, Ohio

Surprisingly, both Chicago and New York City dropped out of the top 10 most fun American cities. Chicago now ranks as No. 11, and New York City ranks 14th on the list.

wallethub rankings austin