Demand-Backed Comparison

Compare Raleigh vs Austin on cost, climate, safety, and daily life

People have logged this comparison 48 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.

RaleighAustin
Raleigh
Photo by TJ Wallace on Unsplash

Raleigh

North Carolina

City page
Austin
Photo by MJ Tangonan on Unsplash

Austin

Texas

City page

What Stands Out

A quick read on this comparison

Deterministic summaries based on the data in view.

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.

Biggest tradeoff: Raleigh, North Carolina

Raleigh, North Carolina is the sharpest split in this comparison: strong on daily convenience, weaker on sunshine.

Potential dealbreaker: Austin, Texas

Austin, Texas needs a closer look before you get too attached, especially on walkability.

Comparison Matrix

City
Route
General Info
Population482,295974,447
Population DensityN/A2.9k /sq mi
Elevation315 ft(96 m)489 ft(149 m)
Housing & Wealth
Median Home
$424,925
$489,253
Median Rent
$1,582
$1,538
Median Income$78,631$86,556
Rent Burden24%21%
Climate & Risks
Sunny Days307 days/yr309 days/yr
Avg. High72°F80°F
Comfort Score78/100Great72/100Great
Temp Swing38°F35°F
Annual Rainfall51"(130 cm)49"(124 cm)
Annual Snowfall1"(3 cm)1"(3 cm)
Air Quality
AQI 45 (Avg)24 days > 100
AQI 43 (Avg)25 days > 100
Infrastructure & Lifestyle
Central walkability9027
Transit Score73N/A
Safety Score64 / 10062 / 100
School Rating6.7/108.2/10
Flood Risk (FEMA)
minimalMinimal Risk
minimalMinimal Risk
Fire Risk (FEMA)
minimalMinimal
minimalMinimal
Internet Access
Fiber: 80%Cable: 96%
Fiber: 58%Cable: 95%
Demographics
Median Age34.6 years34.2 years
College Educated53%56%
Remote Workers20%23%
Nature Access
Local Nature & Reserves
Finding...
Finding...
Scouting & Local Help
Plan a first lookWays to plan a first visit or connect with a relevant local partner.
Featured Local Partner
AD
Your logo
Partner spot available
For organizations that can help someone land in Raleigh
Featured Local Partner
AD
Your logo
Partner spot available
For organizations that can help someone land in Austin
Frequently Checked Pairings

City pairings people keep checking.

See the city pairings people come back to most, then open the full side-by-side comparison when one matches your shortlist.

View All Comparisons
Compare
256 logged

Chicago, IL vs New York, NY

Demand-backed pageOpen
Compare
237 logged

Boston, MA vs Chicago, IL

Demand-backed pageOpen
Compare
222 logged

Barcelona, Spain vs Madrid, Spain

Demand-backed pageOpen
Compare
198 logged

Los Angeles, CA vs New York, NY

Demand-backed pageOpen
Compare
177 logged

Colorado Springs, CO vs Fort Collins, CO

Demand-backed pageOpen
Compare
159 logged

Chicago, IL vs Los Angeles, CA

Demand-backed pageOpen
Raleigh, North Carolina vs Austin, Texas: Cost, Climate, Safety & Daily Life | WhyThere