City comparison
Austin, TX versus Denver, CO 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 $1,729 a month in Austin and $1,831 in Denver, and median household income lands at $93,658 versus $94,718. Open either city's full report when you want the block-level detail behind these headlines.
Austin takes affordability, safety, and schools, while Denver takes job market and weather. The widest gap is typical weather, where Denver leads by 60% — 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 Denver do on paper. Use this page to pick a city, then use the Austin and Denver reports to pick a neighborhood — and visit in the season you like least before you sign anything.
Austin, TX
Denver, CO
Rent
6% cheaper
Austin rent is 6% cheaper than Denver
Austin
Winner$1,729/mo
Denver
$1,831/mo
Typical rent runs $1,729 a month in Austin versus $1,831 in Denver, so Austin is 6% cheaper. The monthly spread is about $102, or $1,224 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
1% higher
Denver's median income is 1% higher than Austin
Austin
$93,658
Denver
Winner$94,718
Median household income is $94,718 in Denver versus $93,658 in Austin, so typical pay runs 1% higher in Denver — about $1,060 more household income a year. The income edge is modest. Treat it as extra negotiating context, not a reason to ignore rent, schools, or climate. Remote workers especially should not treat citywide pay as a personal raise if their employer will not localize salary.
Crime index
20% lower crime
Austin's crime index is 20% lower than Denver
Austin
Winner109 (100 = avg)
Denver
137 (100 = avg)
Austin's crime index is 109 versus 137 in Denver (100 = national average), so citywide crime runs 20% lower in Austin. That gap is meaningful day-to-day — it affects whether you feel comfortable walking at night, leaving your car on the street, or letting kids play outside unsupervised. Indexes still compress a lot of reality: a calmer city has blocks you would skip, and a higher-crime city has streets that feel neighborly at 10 p.m. On the everyday test of walking from the car to the door, Austin is the easier city. Denver can still work if you pick the right pocket — just budget more diligence before you sign a lease.
School scores
5% higher scores
Austin's school scores are 5% higher than Denver
Austin
WinnerA · 88/100
Denver
A- · 84/100
Austin grades out at A (88/100) against A- (84/100) in Denver — 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. Denver is only the better school story if a campus you already researched beats this composite.
Typical weather
60% more comfortable
Denver weather is 60% more comfortable than Austin
Austin
90°F typical
Denver
Winner78°F typical
Denver scores 60% more comfortable on this page's weather index, which rewards temperatures closer to a livable outdoor day. Typical temperatures sit around 90°F in Austin and 78°F in Denver. Austin reads as hot, long summers; Denver reads as warm weather most of the year. Climate affects quality of life more than most people anticipate when planning a move. Consider how much time you spend outdoors and whether extreme heat or cold impacts your mood or productivity. Denver is the better default if you want year-round outdoor access. Austin can still be right if you love that climate on purpose — beach heat, dry heat, or a real winter — but you cannot return a city's weather.
Fit check
Families on a budget who want good schools without coastal price tags
Austin fits families on a budget who want good schools without coastal price tags. Lower typical rent ($1,729/month) plus stronger school scores (A) is the combination that actually changes a decade of life, not just a year of housing. Denver can still win if a specific campus or family network is already there — but on the public data, Austin is the more forgiving place to raise kids without overextending.
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 1% higher ($94,718), and typical weather is the more comfortable of the two — around 78°F. That pairing is for people who will work hard and then actually use the evenings.
Bottom line
If weather is your priority, Denver is the clear choice.
If safety matters more to you, Austin pulls ahead.
For most movers comparing these two cities, Austin offers the better overall package.
Common questions
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