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UT Austin diss and In-N-Out craze top 5 most popular stories this week

Editor's note: Another week has come and gone, and there's a lot we all probably missed. But we're looking out for you, kid. Here are the most popular stories from this past week:

1. Say what? Texas A&M degree deemed more valuable than University of Texas diploma. Although they won't face the University of Texas at Austin on the football field this fall, Texas A&M University and Rice University can both claim victory over UT after being named the second and first most valuable degrees in Texas, respectively. The recently released results from Affordable Colleges Online place UT at No. 3.

2. Lance Armstrong and gorgeous lady friend step out in Colorado's millionaire's playground. In an usual public appearance, Lance Armstrong and steady squeeze Anna Hansen were caught beaming at the ninth annual Aspen Art Museum's ArtCrush fundraiser. Armstrong has maintained a home in the posh millionaire's playground for several years and serves on the Aspen Art Museum board of directors.

3. In-N-Out Burger craze takes over Austin: New location and details emerge. In-N-Out Burger fever is building in Austin. A company rep told KXAN that the chain will open another new In-N-Out Burger in the under-construction Cedar Park Town Center at 183A and Whitestone Boulevard — the third for the greater Austin area.

4. Where to eat in Austin right now: Cool restaurant happy hours and hot ladies nights. We’ve rounded up some refreshing restaurants for August that offer great happy hours, half-price menu nights, value lunches, and a special women’s chef night for a good cause.

5. Meet the fittest man and woman in Austin. Each month, CultureMap features an exclusive story from Austin Fit Magazine. This month, the magazine introduces us to the 10 fittest men and women in Austin. Meet overall winners Greg Cook and Judy McElroy, who just might inspire you to work out.

The greater Austin area is about to get another In-N-Out Burger.

Photo courtesy of In-N-Out Burger

The greater Austin area is about to get another In-N-Out Burger.

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silicon hills strikes again

Austin nearly tops list of best tech hubs in the South

Photo by Ross Bonander on Unsplash

Austin loves its thriving tech sector.

A new study analyzing top U.S. locales for the tech industry has ranked Austin the No. 2 best tech hub in the South.

The report by commercial real estate platform CommercialCafe examined the top 20 Southern metros across nine metrics, such as the growth rates of tech establishments and employment, median tech earnings, a quality of life index, and more.

Austin-Round Rock-Georgetown ranked second only to Washington, D.C., and was the highest ranked Texas metro.

The study attributes Austin's tech powerhouse status to its growing presence of major tech companies like Tesla, Google, Apple, Dell, and more. The city saw a 25 percent increase in tech company density from 2019 to 2023, the report found, which is the third-highest growth rate out of all 20 metros.

"Moreover, the metro’s tech scene thrives on a diverse range of segments, including AI and green energy (bolstered by the University of Texas), as well as globally recognized events like [South by Southwest]," the report says. "Thus, with tech companies accounting for more than half of all office leasing activity in 2024, Austin remains a magnet for innovation, talent and investment."

Financial security is another influential factor for tech workers in the South, and the Austin metro offers the fourth highest median salaries nationwide, totaling $111,374 each year. That's a fairly competitive income compared to Washington, D.C., which ranked No. 1 in this metric with tech workers earning a median annual salary of $122,070.

Austin's tech earnings has grown by nearly 30 percent over the last five years, yet it still fell behind in comparison to other U.S. metros to rank No. 6 overall. Fayetteville, Arkansas had the highest five-year growth rate in tech earnings, with a 45 percent increase from 2019 to 2023.

"In particular, Austin remains a standout for its vibrant tech community and appeal to companies seeking top talent without the highest costs," the report says. " In total, 12 metros in the South saw median tech earnings surpass $100,000, up from just seven in last year’s study."

Here's how Austin stacked up across the remaining five rankings:

No. 2 – Tech establishment density
No. 2 – Five-year rate of tech patents granted (from 2020 to 2024)
No. 2 – Tech job density
No. 5 – Quality of life index
No. 11 – Tech job growth

In a separate 2024 report, Austin was the No. 7 best tech city nationwide.

Other top Texas tech hubs in the South
The only other Texas metros to earn spots in the report were Dallas-Fort Worth (No. 4) and Houston (No. 9). Most notably, CommercialCafe says Dallas has a far greater diversity when it comes to its tech sector and its thriving economic opportunities.

"Not to be outdone, Dallas-Fort Worth moved up from sixth to fourth in this year’s rankings, driven by a 25.9 percent growth in tech company presence — the second-highest increase among the top 20 metros," the report said. "For instance, companies like iRely (which relocated to Irving, Texas) and Diversified (now in Plano, Texas) have joined homegrown successes, such as StackPath and Bestow."

Houston, on the other hand, led the nation with the highest number of tech patents granted from 2020 to 2024.

"Once synonymous with oil, Houston is increasingly making its mark as a cleantech hub — and patents reflect this shift," the report said. "Yet, even as Houston remains the five-year leader, its 2023 patent output declined slightly, ceding the top spot that year to Austin."

The top 10 best tech metros in the South are:

No. 1 – Washington, D.C.
No. 2 – Austin, Texas
No. 3 – Raleigh, North Carolina
No. 4 – Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas
No. 5 – Huntsville, Alabama
No. 6 – Baltimore, Maryland
No. 7 – Durham, North Carolina
No. 8 – Atlanta, Georgia
No. 9 – Houston, Texas
No. 10 – Charlotte, North Carolina

austin reports innovation tech hubs