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We live in affordable and stable housing with access to open space and public amenities.

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Indicator

38% of Travis County households are cost–burdened

Indicator: % of Travis County households that are "cost burdened" (pay 30% or more of income for housing)

Significance of Indicator: The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development states that housing is "affordable" if no more than 30% of a household's monthly income is needed for rent, mortgage payments and utilities. Households that are cost–burdened may have difficulty affording necessities such as food, clothing, transportation and medical care.

what the data tell us

Thirty–eight percent of Travis County households and 39% of City of Austin households are cost–burdened. These are higher percentages of cost–burdened households than the US (36%), Texas (32%), and the Austin region (36%).
  % of Households that are Cost-Burdened

Definition: % of households where monthly rent (plus utility and/or housing fuel costs) or mortgage payments (or other housing debt costs) equal 30% of more of a household's monthly income

Data Source: American Community Survey, 1 Year Estimates

Data Considerations: The American Community Survey samples 3% of the Nation's population. Due to small sample sizes, margins of error are increased and hard to reach populations may not be accurately represented in the data.

The Story Behind the indicator

Housing costs have dramatically increased over the past decade in Austin. Home ownership is difficult to attain as the median home cost has skyrocketed, and even rental units are largely unaffordable to at least a fourth of the population. HousingWorks reports that Austin is now one of the most expensive places to live in Texas. As Austin grows, affordability becomes more of a challenge for more people at more income ranges. Socioeconomic segregation in Austin is also on the increase. The lack of affordable homes in all parts of town furthers this segregation and leads to concentrations of poverty. To learn more about the story behind the cost–burdened households in our community, click here.

Some local efforts to improve this indicator
  • The City of Austin's Neighborhood Housing and Community Development provides housing, community development, and small business development services to benefit eligible residents so they can have access to livable neighborhoods and increase their opportunities for self-sufficiency.
  • HousingWorks advocates a wide range of housing options so that all Austinites can afford a home that is close to jobs, family schools, recreation, and places of worship. In 2010, they released a collaborative report with the Urban Land Institute— Austin, the Real Estate Council of Austin, and the Austin Area Research Organization entitled "Building and Retaining an Affordable Austin."

A Closer look at the story behind the indicators

Household spending 50% or more on housing have a severe cost burden reports the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. These working families are 23% more likely than those paying less for housing to encounter difficulties purchasing food, are 28% more likely to have either a child or an adult lack health insurance, and are almost twice as likely to not have a car says the Center for Housing Policy. American Community Survey data shows that in 2009, 17% of Travis County households were severely cost–burdened.
% of Households that are Extreme Cost‐Burdened

Definition: % of households where monthly rent (plus utility and/or housing fuel costs) or mortgage payments (or other housing debt costs) equal 50% of more of a household's monthly income

Data Source: American Community Survey, 1 Year Estimates

Data Considerations: The American Community Survey samples 3% of the Nation's population. Due to small sample sizes, margins of error are increased and hard to reach populations may not be accurately represented in the data.