Austin – City (Has No) Limits

Austin is located in the south central United States, in the south central region of Texas, of which it is the state capital. It is the fifteenth most populous city in the United States, with nearly 800,000 people. Austin has a land mass of 252 square miles. The Austin area was originally inhabited by the native Tonkawa tribe. Austin was part of territory that was claimed at different points by Spain, Mexico, and later, by the Republic of Texas itself before the state was admitted to the United States in 1845. In the late 1800’s, Austin expanded its city limits to more than three times its pervious area. In the early 1900’s, the oil boom occurred in Texas, though ironically this upswing in economic activity did not benefit Austin that greatly. As of the mid 1900’s, Austin became renowned as one of Texas' major metropolitan cities. Austin’s economic growth took a pause on account of the Great Depression in the 1930’s, but thereafter Austin resumed its rapid growth trajectory into a major city. By the 1980s, Austin had emerged as a center for technology and business. Today, the Austin metropolitan area is home to numerous computer, hardware, software, electronic, and technology companies, among others. The University of Texas (UT) at Austin, the flagship location of the UT system, has emerged as a world-renowned university and one of the nation’s best. Every spring, Austin plays host to the South by Southwest music festival, which has since added film, interactive technology, and media programs. South by Southwest is one of the largest music festivals of its kind in the United States.

The Austin Economy: Lighting It Up

Austin is a major business and commercial center. The city is home to four companies that rank in the Fortune 500 list of largest U.S. companies. The main drivers of the Austin economy today are: computer hardware, software, Internet technology, telecommunications, manufacturing, government services, professional services, education, health care services, medical research, and food production. Tourism and trade are also growing elements of the Austin economy.

Education in Austin: One Smart Town

Educational attainment among the Austin populace is on par with that of the U.S. as a whole. As of 2000, roughly 83% of its residents aged 25 and older had completed high school and 40% had completed college. There are various colleges and universities located in Austin. The public state institution, University of Texas at Austin, is home to over 50,000 undergraduate and graduate students and 16,500 faculty and staff. Among other institutions of higher learning in Austin are: Concordia University Texas, Huston-Tillotson College, and St. Edward’s University.

The Crime Scene in Austin: Low Violent Crime Rate, Lots of Theft

Austin ranks ahead of fellow large cities Los Angeles and New York for violent crime but substantially behind them for property crime. The Austin property crime rate is quite high and has been increasing recently. However, given its extremely low violent crime rate compared to all large U.S. cities, Austin is generally viewed as a fairly safe place.

The Austin Population and Politics: Tilts Democratic

Austin has a population of nearly 800,000 people. Its population has been growing at a robust rate of 2.0% per year over the past decade. Austin’ political preferences tend towards the Democratic. Among the nearly 400,000 votes cast in the 2008 U.S. presidential election, Austin voters chose Democratic candidate Barack Obama over Republican candidate John McCain by a ratio of nearly two to one.