City comparison
Austin, TX versus Arlington, TX is a real move, not a trivia matchup. This comparison uses the same 2026 neighborhood report data we publish on each city page — typical rent, median household income, crime indexes, school composites, and typical weather — so you can see which city actually fits how you live, work, and spend. Typical rents sit near $1,852 a month in Austin and $1,723 in Arlington, and median household income lands at $86,556 versus $71,736. Open either city's full report when you want the block-level detail behind these headlines.
Austin takes job market, schools, and weather, while Arlington takes affordability. The widest gap is median income, where Austin leads by 21% — the kind of spread you feel in a monthly budget or a nightly walk, not just on a chart. Read the category rows as a filter: if cheaper housing would change your life more than a stronger job market, weight rent first. If you are moving with kids, weight schools and crime. If you picked a city after one good weekend, use the weather and income rows to test whether that weekend survives a full year.
Numbers below are citywide, not a guarantee about the street you will actually live on. Two ZIP codes in Austin can feel further apart than Austin and Arlington do on paper. Use this page to pick a city, then use the Austin and Arlington reports to pick a neighborhood — and visit in the season you like least before you sign anything.
Austin, TX
Arlington, TX
Rent
7% cheaper
Arlington rent is 7% cheaper than Austin
Austin
$1,852/mo
Arlington
Winner$1,723/mo
Typical rent runs $1,723 a month in Arlington versus $1,852 in Austin, so Arlington is 7% cheaper. The monthly spread is about $129, or $1,548 a year — noticeable, but rent alone should not pick the city. Use this as a tie-breaker after you compare income, schools, and crime, unless you are already stretching every dollar.
Median income
21% higher
Austin's median income is 21% higher than Arlington
Austin
Winner$86,556
Arlington
$71,736
Median household income is $86,556 in Austin versus $71,736 in Arlington, so typical pay runs 21% higher in Austin — about $14,820 more household income a year. Higher median income usually signals a stronger local job market and better negotiating leverage on salary. Remote workers should weigh this against cost of living rather than treating it as a direct personal benefit. For people who will actually work in town, Austin is the stronger labor market on paper. Arlington can still win if housing is cheap enough to offset the weaker median or if your specific role already pays well there.
Crime index
Neck and neck
Austin and Arlington are about even on crime index.
Austin
109 (100 = avg)
Arlington
109 (100 = avg)
Austin and Arlington post similar crime indexes (109 vs 109, where 100 is the national average). A small gap at the city level can still hide a huge neighborhood spread. Walk the specific block, check lighting and late-night activity, and use each city's full report for violent vs. property crime instead of stopping at the headline index.
School scores
5% higher scores
Austin's school scores are 5% higher than Arlington
Austin
WinnerA · 88/100
Arlington
A- · 84/100
Austin grades out at A (88/100) against A- (84/100) in Arlington — school scores run 5% higher in Austin. The citywide gap is modest. For families with kids it is still worth checking the specific campuses you would actually use, because a small composite lead can disappear — or reverse — two neighborhoods over. Arlington is only the better school story if a campus you already researched beats this composite.
Typical weather
7% more comfortable
Austin weather is 7% more comfortable than Arlington
Austin
Winner91°F typical
Arlington
92°F typical
Austin scores 7% more comfortable on this page's weather index, which rewards temperatures closer to a livable outdoor day. Typical temperatures sit around 91°F in Austin and 92°F in Arlington. Austin reads as hot, long summers; Arlington reads as hot, long summers. The comfort edge is real but not a personality transplant. If you already know you want Arlington's season, a modest index lead should not talk you out of it. If you are undecided, Austin is the city where the forecast fights you less.
Fit check
Career-focused movers who want salary upside plus year-round outdoor access
It is also a match for career-focused movers who want salary upside and year-round outdoor access. Median household income runs 21% higher ($86,556), and typical weather is the more comfortable of the two — around 91°F. That pairing is for people who will work hard and then actually use the evenings.
Parents — or anyone planning kids in the next few years — should weight Austin first. School scores run 5% higher (A vs A-). Arlington only wins the school argument if you already have a specific campus in mind that beats this composite.
Fit check
People with a job, family, or neighborhood already pulling them to Arlington
Arlington is the clearer landing pad if housing cost is what keeps you up at night. Typical rent is 7% cheaper here at about $1,723 a month. Choose Arlington if you are stretching a salary, starting over, or want slack for travel and debt instead of a flashier skyline.
Bottom line
If the job market is your priority, Austin is the clear choice.
If cost of living matters more to you, Arlington pulls ahead.
For most movers comparing these two cities, Austin offers the better overall package.
Common questions
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