Nearly all of Austin has experienced a flurry of apartment construction to accommodate the equally expanding population in the last few years. In fact, five Austin-area zip codes were the hottest markets for new apartment construction between 2018 and 2022, according to a new rental market analysis by RentCafe.

Pflugerville makes a pflying leap over Austin
Most impressive in the Austin metro region, ZIP Code 78660 in Pflugerville was the No. 20 hottest market in the U.S., with a 64.5-percent growth rate for apartments. Nearly 3,900 new apartments were built in the last five years, according to the study.

Austinites and newcomers pflocking to Pflugerville likely moved there for its easygoing city life. H-E-B has also taken notice of the suburb's rapid expansion; It began construction on its third store in the area in July.

For other workers commuting into Austin from outside the city limits, ZIP Code 78666 in San Marcos was the No. 38 hottest U.S. market for new apartment construction. The south Austin suburb had more than 3,200 new units built between 2018 and 2022, which translates to a 24-percent growth rate.

San Marcos also has a reputation as the fourth fastest-growing college town in the nation, which is another major driving force behind the development of so many new apartment buildings.

Austin proper zip codes
Located in Southwest Austin, 78741 encompasses Pleasant Valley, Montopolis, and East Riverside-Oltorf, just south of the river and enclosed by three major highways. It ranked No. 25 in the report, with more than 3,600 new apartment units constructed between 2018 and 2022. It was the Austin-area ZIP Code with the smallest growth rate, at 22.5 percent.

On the opposite side of the river, 78702 in East Austin and Govalle ranked No. 29, with nearly 3,500 new apartments built within the same time span. This ZIP Code had the highest growth rate out of all others in the Austin area, at 106.5 percent.

In early September, Cosmic Coffee + Beer Garden opened second location in that bustling East Austin zip code. Even though it's popular, the large space shows that it's possible for big changes to keep coming — even sometimes preserving historic buildings.

ZIP Code 78705 over Central Austin and West Campus earned No. 35 in the study, and had 3,282 new apartments constructed from 2018-2022.

The top 10 zip codes that built the most new apartments from 2018-2022 are:

• No. 1 – 20002 in Washington, D.C. (73.1 percent growth rate)
• No. 2 – 20003 in Washington, D.C. (122.2 percent growth rate)
• No. 3 – 11101 in Queens, New York (73.5 percent growth rate)
• No. 4 – 37203 in Nashville, Tennessee (96.6 percent growth rate)
• No. 5 – 75304 in Frisco, Texas (69.5 percent growth rate)
• No. 6 – 85281 in Tempe, Arizona (38.8 percent growth rate)
• No. 7 – 30309 in Atlanta, Georgia (65.1 percent growth rate)
• No. 8 – 92101 in San Diego, California (46.4 percent growth rate)
• No. 9 – 07302 in Jersey City, New Jersey (41.1 percent growth rate)
• No. 10 – 98052 in Redmond, Washington (51.8 percent growth rate)

The full report can be found on rentcafe.com.