Austin, a college town that’s one of the best places for retirees, was listed as one of the 12 best places to live in Texas in 2025 by WorldAtlas.com due to its thriving economy, great dining scene, outdoor recreation, and decent shopping.
But less than 19 miles from Austin is another municipality that made WorldAtlas’ list. Its name is Round Rock, a city of about 142,000 people. The city experienced a 49.9% explosion in job growth in the past decade, and it serves as the headquarters of computer company Dell Technologies. The city has 37 parks, including Old Settlers Park, a 670-acre recreational expanse that includes a 20-field baseball complex, a five-field softball complex, soccer facilities, and a disc golf course.
Both Round Rock and Austin were also named among the 50 most affordable, fast-growing cities in the U.S. by GOBankingRates.com, along with 10 other cities in Texas (one of nine states without an income tax). But while the value of money generally goes a long way in Texas, Round Rock was ranked at No. 10 on the list, making it considerably more affordable than Austin, which was placed more than two dozen spots lower, at No. 35.
Read more: The 10 Most Affordable Places To Live In California
Housing is cheaper in Round Rock than Austin, and its households have more money, too
View of Round Rock at night. – Wirestock/Getty Images
As of September 2025, according to Zillow, the average cost of a home in Austin was around $497,000, versus roughly $409,000 in Round Rock. In terms of rent, Round Rock’s $1,438 monthly rate was 13% lower than Austin’s median rate of $1,662 a month. Other things that tend to cost less in Round Rock than in Austin include food (12% lower), healthcare (5% lower), and transportation (15% lower). Certain services were also cheaper in Round Rock, such as hair cuts (23% lower) and beauty salon visits (11% lower).
Of course, not everything is cheaper in Round Rock. Overall, goods and services cost 4% more there than in the state capital. Examples include men’s shirts (35% higher), dry cleaning (11% higher), and newspapers (51% higher), per RentCafe. Utilities are also 11% more expensive in Round Rock than in Austin.
But the lower overall cost of living in Round Rock is just one side of the story. The median household income there was also 6% higher than in Austin, according to the latest available census data. As of 2023, the median household income in Round Rock was $97,187 a year (per Data USA), whereas Austin’s stood at $91,461 a year.
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