Housing and tax tradeoff: Austin, Texas
Austin, Texas comes out ahead here on rent burden and rent. This only compares rent burden, rent, home price, and estimated state tax burden; it is not a total cost-of-living ranking.
Demand-Backed Comparison
Compare Costa Mesa vs Austin on cost, climate, safety, and daily life
People have logged this comparison 2 times on WhyThere. The cards open full city pages. The charts and matrix below are the fast side-by-side read on housing, climate, walkability, safety, schools, parks, and day-to-day tradeoffs.
Costa MesaAustin
What Stands Out
A quick read on this comparison
Deterministic summaries based on the data in view.
Biggest tradeoff: Costa Mesa, California
Costa Mesa, California is the sharpest split in this comparison: strong on daily convenience, weaker on safety.
Potential dealbreaker: Costa Mesa, California
Costa Mesa, California needs a closer look before you get too attached, especially on tax burden.
Comparison Matrix
| City | ||
|---|---|---|
| Route | ||
| General Info | ||
| Population | 111,490 | 974,447 |
| Population Density | N/A | 2.9k /sq mi |
| Center Elevation | 98 ft(30 m) | 489 ft(149 m) |
| Housing & Wealth | ||
| Median Home | $1,347,985 | $489,253 |
| Median Rent | $3,066 | $1,538 |
| Median Income | $104,981 | $86,556 |
| Rent Burden | 35% | 21% |
| Climate & Risks | ||
| Days with 5+ Hours of Sun | 348 days/yr | 309 days/yr |
| Avg. High | 68°F | 80°F |
| Avg. Low | 56°F | 61°F |
| Comfort Score | 94/100Excellent | 72/100Great |
| Temp Swing | 14°F | 35°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 17"(43 cm) | 49"(124 cm) |
| Annual Snowfall | 0"(0 cm) | 3"(8 cm) |
| Air Quality | Typical: 552024 modeled avg · 4 days > 100 | Typical: 432024 modeled avg · 25 days > 100 |
| Infrastructure & Lifestyle | ||
| Walkability | 65 | 42 |
| Transit Score | 37 | 35 |
| Safety Score | 61 / 100 | 62 / 100 |
| School Rating | 5.9/10 | 8.2/10 |
| Flood Risk (FEMA) | minimalMinimal Risk | minimalMinimal Risk |
| Central Tract Wildfire Risk | unknownNo Data | minimalMinimal |
| Internet Access | N/A | Fiber: 58%Cable: 95% |
| Demographics | ||
| Median Age | 36.4 years | 34.2 years |
| College Educated | 43% | 56% |
| Remote Workers | 17% | 23% |
| Nature Access | ||
| Local Nature & Reserves | Finding... | Finding... |
| Scouting & Local Help | ||
Housing and local helpA practical next step once someone starts picturing the move. | Featured Local Partner ADRealtor Realtor spot available For an agent, brokerage, or relocation team that can answer housing questions in Costa Mesa. One featured slot per city | Featured Local Partner ADRealtor Realtor spot available For an agent, brokerage, or relocation team that can answer housing questions in Austin. One featured slot per city |
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