City comparison
Austin, TX versus Plano, 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 $1,931 in Plano, and median household income lands at $86,556 versus $105,679. Open either city's full report when you want the block-level detail behind these headlines.
Austin takes affordability and schools, while Plano takes job market. The widest gap is median income, where Plano leads by 22% — 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 Plano do on paper. Use this page to pick a city, then use the Austin and Plano reports to pick a neighborhood — and visit in the season you like least before you sign anything.
Austin, TX
Plano, TX
Rent
4% cheaper
Austin rent is 4% cheaper than Plano
Austin
Winner$1,852/mo
Plano
$1,931/mo
Typical rent runs $1,852 a month in Austin versus $1,931 in Plano, so Austin is 4% cheaper. The monthly spread is about $79, or $948 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
22% higher
Plano's median income is 22% higher than Austin
Austin
$86,556
Plano
Winner$105,679
Median household income is $105,679 in Plano versus $86,556 in Austin, so typical pay runs 22% higher in Plano — about $19,123 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, Plano is the stronger labor market on paper. Austin 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 Plano are about even on crime index.
Austin
109 (100 = avg)
Plano
109 (100 = avg)
Austin and Plano 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 Plano
Austin
WinnerA · 88/100
Plano
A- · 84/100
Austin grades out at A (88/100) against A- (84/100) in Plano — 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. Plano is only the better school story if a campus you already researched beats this composite.
Typical weather
Neck and neck
Austin and Plano are about even on typical weather.
Austin
91°F typical
Plano
91°F typical
Outdoor comfort is close between Austin and Plano. Typical temperatures sit around 91°F in Austin and 91°F in Plano. You are choosing a flavor of season, not paradise versus misery. Visit in the season you currently like least. A long weekend in October lies; a week in July or January does not.
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 ($1,852/month) plus stronger school scores (A) is the combination that actually changes a decade of life, not just a year of housing. Plano 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 and professional growth
Plano is the better city for career-focused movers who want salary upside and professional growth. Median household income is 22% higher here ($105,679). Start with Plano if your next chapter is about building earnings, and make weather or nightlife a secondary screen.
Bottom line
If the job market is your priority, Plano is the clear choice.
If schools matters more to you, Austin pulls ahead.
For most movers comparing these two cities, Austin offers the better overall package.
Common questions
Ready to move to Austin?
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