| Measure | AustinTexas, United States Remove Austin | WacoTexas, United States Remove Waco |
|---|---|---|
| Scores (out of 10) | ||
| Overall score | 6.9 | 6.7 |
| Connector Score | 8.8 | 8.3 |
| Safety | 7.0 | 5.0 |
| Affordability | 6.0 | 7.1 |
| Transportation | 10.0 | 7.0 |
| Car-free friendliness | 7.0 | 5.0 |
| Walkability | 5.4 | 7.7 |
| Things to do | 7.1 | 6.6 |
| Food & dining | 5.8 | 5.6 |
| Places to stay | 6.8 | 5.8 |
| Nature & outdoors | 5.5 | 7.5 |
| Scenic value | 5.5 | 7.3 |
| Family friendliness | 4.9 | 7.0 |
| Solo-traveler friendliness | 6.0 | 5.8 |
| Nightlife | 7.9 | 3.6 |
| Remote-work friendliness | 6.2 | 6.3 |
| Road-trip convenience | 7.5 | 6.5 |
| Train-trip convenience | 7.7 | 1.0 |
| Bus-trip convenience | 7.3 | 7.3 |
| Cost (per person per day, USD) | ||
| Budget | $150 | $100 |
| Mid-range | $253 | $153 |
| Luxury | $497 | $256 |
| Living there | ||
| Cost of living index (national = 100) | 105 | 94 |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent | $1,600 | $1,100 |
| Median home price | $525,000 | $221,700 |
| Population | 1.0M | 148K |
| Getting there | ||
| Accessible by | Drive Train Bus Airport EV charging | Drive Bus Airport |
| Car recommended | — | — |
| Travel time from Austin | — | 1 h 40 min details |
| Character | ||
| Best for | Road trips, Car-free travel, Nightlife | Outdoors |
| Known for | Mountains & hiking, Lakes & rivers, Museums & galleries, Historic sites, Nightlife, Live music, Shopping | Mountains & hiking, National & state parks, Lakes & rivers, Museums & galleries, Historic sites, Food scene, Pro sports, Shopping, Family & kids |
| When to go | Peak: SXSW, ACL and F1 when rates can double… | Peak: Baylor football and graduation weekends… |
Scores and costs are estimates from public data and our own research; check the city pages for sources and dates.