Austin is the capital of Texas, numbering just over 946,000 people.
The city was founded in 1839, soon after the Texas War of Independence, when Texas was still a separate nation.
Interestingly, residents of Austin voted against secession from the Union in 1860 at the outbreak of the Civil War.
Austin is a center of politics and education, the latter thanks to the University of Texas at Austin.
A great many music and culinary venues exist in the city. Willie Nelson and Stevie Ray Vaughn have called Austin home.
The city has a thriving nightlife scene with plenty of clubs in which to drink and listen to live music.
It has a myriad of great places to eat.
Austin is known for its semiconductor and software industry which rivals Silicon Valley in California.
Austin has a lower-than-average crime rate with 313 violent crimes per 100,000 people and 2359.6 property crimes per 100,000 people yearly.
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8 Safest Neighborhoods in Austin
1. Barton Creek
This is one of the oldest neighborhoods in Austin, with many homes dating back a hundred years or more.
The homes are very expensive, many of them costing a million dollars or more.
Nevertheless, two-thirds of this community is green space in the form of parks.
The streets are picturesque and lined with trees, giving the area more of a country rather than a suburban feel.
Barton Street Square Mall contains many luxury stores and high-end restaurants.
Crime in this neighborhood is so low as to be almost nonexistent.
2. Hyde Park
It is one of the oldest neighborhoods in Austin, with some homes dating back to the 19th century.
The community is located just north of the University of Texas.
Unlike many other areas of Austin, Hyde Park doesn’t have a lot of shops or restaurants, but many such amenities are within easy distance in adjoining neighborhoods.
What it lacks in modern amenities, the community makes up for it in old-world charm.
The Elisabet Ney Museum, for example, is on the Registry of Historic Places and resembles an old, stone Spanish castle. Hyde Park lacks any serious crime to speak of.
3. Brushy Creek
This is a suburban community between Highway I35 and FM735.
The area was the location of ranches and stone quarries before undergoing home development in the 1980s.
As a result, most residents own their own homes.
Amenities include coffee shops and Bushy Lake Park, where one can hike and engage in water sports.
The neighborhood has been rated one of the top in the country in which to raise a family. Both violent and property crime are virtually nonexistent in this area.
4. Brentwood
This is located in northeast Austin and is bisected by Highway I35.
The neighborhood is said to have an urban feel, where most residents rent rather than own their homes.
Amenities include restaurants, bars, coffee shops, sports fields, and parks.
The area is home to many highly educated young professionals.
The average annual violent crime rate is 192.7 incidents, mainly assaults and robberies, per 100,000 people.
The average annual property crime rate is 3581.7 per 100,000 people, primarily burglary, theft, and motor vehicle theft.
5. Barton Hills
It is a lush neighborhood to the south of Austin, where most of the residents rent their homes.
It has a decidedly urban ambiance.
The area has a wealth of bars, coffee shops, and restaurants.
The neighborhood also has a great green space in the form of Zilker Park, where the Austin City Limits Music Festival occurs every fall, as well as the Barton Creek Greenbelt.
Barton Springs is a great place to take a swim on a hot day.
Barton Hills is just across the Colorado River from Austin’s downtown.
On an average annual basis, 67 violent crimes and 3600.3 property crimes per 100,000 people take place in this part of Austin.
6. Rosedale
It is located in the northern part of central Austin.
Most of the homes in this neighborhood were built during the 1930s and 1940s, giving the area a quaint ambiance.
Even so, a lot of renovation and new construction has added a hint of vitality to the area.
Ramsey Park, with its tennis courts, playgrounds, play, and picnic areas, provides a great place to relax on the weekends.
The neighborhood is located fairly close to the Texas State Capitol and the University of Texas at Austin.
On an average annual basis, 341 violent crimes and 3045 property crimes occur per 100,000 people.
7. Round Rock
It is located just 20 miles north of downtown Austin and serves as a bedroom community for the capital of Texas.
It is the location of the Chisholm Trail Crossing Park, which commemorates the cattle drives of the 19th century.
The neighborhood is also considered one of the sports capitals of Texas, with the Round Rock Multipurpose Complex and the Round Rock Sports Center.
The community is also the home of the Round Rock Express, the minor league team affiliate of the Texas Rangers.
Kalahari Resorts & Conventions provides the biggest indoor waterparks in the United States.
The crime rate is very low with 1.58 violent crimes per 1000 people and 19.86 property crimes per 1000 people on an annual basis.
8. Manchaca
It is 10 miles southwest of Austin and is a suburban community where most residents own their homes.
Amenities include a lot of coffee shops and parks.
The Indian Springs Ranch provides guided tours where one can encounter a lot of interesting animals in the wild.
Residents and visitors can grab some of the best barbecues in Texas, which is saying something, at Valentina’s Tex-Mex BBQ. Manchaca Springs Saloon, which looks remarkably like a Wild West watering hole, is a great place to have a beer and listen to some live music.
Crime, on an average annual basis, is 465 violent crimes per 100,000 people and 2826.9 property crimes per 100,000 people.
5 Safety Tips for Traveling to Austin
- When traveling either on foot or via mass transit or ride-share, do not display anything of value such as money or a smartphone, the better to avoid tempting muggers.
- Keep your eyes open when you are traveling inside the city. If you feel unsafe on the streets, duck into a nearby business or call a ride-share car or taxi to get the rest of the way to where you’re going.
- If you visit one of Austin’s innumerable clubs or restaurants and find that you have had too much to drink, by all means, have someone call a taxi or ride-share to take you back to your hotel or wherever you’re staying. Drunk or high driving will lead to a tragic outcome.
- Keep your valuables, such as cash, IDs, and credit cards, secure. A money belt rather than a wallet will help to protect them from pickpockets.
- Texas has fairly loose laws about carrying firearms and even large knives for self-defense, though many businesses, such as places where alcohol is served, forbid weapons. If you decide to carry, take a class that will teach when and how deadly force is appropriate in self-defense. It is better to avoid situations when such could become necessary.
Austin Safety Overview
READ THE FULL REPORT: Austin Safety Review
Safety Index:
- OVERALL RISK: MEDIUM
- TRANSPORT & TAXIS RISK: LOW
- PICKPOCKETS RISK: MEDIUM
- NATURAL DISASTERS RISK: MEDIUM
- MUGGING RISK: LOW
- TERRORISM RISK: LOW
- SCAMS RISK: LOW
- WOMEN TRAVELERS RISK: MEDIUM
Frequently Asked Questions
How does one get around Austin?
Austin has an extensive mass transit system that includes both buses and light rail.
Ride-share and taxis are also available.
What are some of the best tourist attractions in Austin?
The city has an iconic slogan “Keep Austin weird.”
The Weird Austin Tour will show you why this is, with a sampling of the city’s culture, music, and food scene.
Visit the Texas State Capitol and the Lyndon Johnson Presidential Library, the latter located on the University of Texas campus, for a taste of history.
The Congress Avenue Bridge Bat Watching is a unique experience that should not be missed.
What is the most dangerous neighborhood in Austin?
Georgian Acres in the north-central part of the city is the most dangerous, with 10,925 crimes per 100,000 people in 2022.
