Silicon Valley Is Flooding Into a Reluctant Austin
11th April 2021
For years, Austin has attracted far-flung newcomers with its food and music scenes, along with low taxes and cost of living. The city grew 30% from 2010 to 2019, making it the fastest-growing major metro area in the country. It was adding about 170 people per day by the end of that period, according to the latest census count. So while rapid growth is nothing new for the city, the population shift associated with Covid-19 has intensified the struggle to, as the motto goes, “Keep Austin Weird.” Even Congrove—a software engineer who moved from Florida seven years ago—is most concerned about how the new wave of tech workers is affecting his adopted city’s culture. Lately, he’s seen more T-shirts bearing startup logos than band names. New condos have sprouted up where quirky bungalows once stood. And the commute time to his downtown office has tripled.
Turning it into California on the Brazos.
Hating California is a tradition in Texas, but Austin’s growing pains aren’t all California’s fault. According to the Austin Chamber, more than half of newcomers from 2014 to 2018 came from other parts of the state, followed by just 8% from California and 3% from New York. The majority of people who moved to Austin during the pandemic came from other parts of Texas, according to USPS data. The city is also home to the University of Texas at Austin, which attracts tens of thousands of students, who may be more inclined to stick around after graduation because the city is thriving.
Austin is one of the Democrat-run municipalities into which all of the Blue pus in Texas drains. The good news is that those of us who live outside of the city cores don’t have to put up with them.
April 11th, 2021 at 18:05
Austin is on the Colorado River, not the Brazos. But your characterization of it is spot-on, which is why I am fleeing it after 18 years of gnashing my teeth.