Central Texas Real Estate Home Statistics and Facts, Austin, Round Rock, Cedar Park, Plugerville, Georgetown, Leander, Kyle

Paco Ahlgren, Real Estate agent in the Austin, Texas and Travis Region

CENTRAL TEXAS STATISTICS AND FACTS

On October 10, 2008, Forbes Magazine ranked Austin the number one city for value in the United States. Close behind were three other central Texas cities: San Antonio, Dallas/Ft. Worth, and Houston (Click here for full).

“The economic storm sweeping the country has left Americans with few places to hide. But those looking to hunker down might want to head to Texas, where they can get the best value for their dollar. That's because Austin and San Antonio lead our list of places where your money goes farthest. Residents of both enjoy affordable housing and promising prospects for job growth in coming years.”

This is by no means, the first praise Forbes has had for Central Texas -- and Austin, more specifically (Click here for full). In April 2008, the magazine published a list of the top ten most recession-proof cities in America. Again, our four favorite central Texas cities were in that elite list. Here’s what Forbes had to say about number three on the list -- Austin:

Median home price: +6.4%

Unemployment: 3.6% (from 3.8%)

Key growth: Natural resources and construction, +5.1%; leisure and hospitality, +5.3%

One of the hippest cities in the country has one of the lowest unemployment rates. The Austin region is home to Dell, and many tech companies from Apple to Sun Microsystems also maintain a significant presence. One difference between "Silicon Hills," as some call Austin's tech sector, and Silicon Valley? In Austin, the median home price is still under $200,000.

And how about job-growth? Here’s what Forbes had to say in January, 2008 (Click here for full):

The Lone Star State shines brilliantly in a list of the best places to work in the U.S. when some economists peer into their crystal balls for 2008.

Austin, Fort Worth, Houston and San Antonio all rank high on the latest forecast data from Moody's Economy.com.

"While the economy is cooling, Texas continues to generate more jobs than the national average," said Krista Piferrer, deputy press secretary to Gov. Rick Perry. "Unemployment is low in Texas, thanks in large part to a favorable business climate that encourages businesses to expand or relocate to our state."

Here are a few other central Texas facts that might interest you:

According to RealtyTrac, while the rest of the country was experiencing record foreclosures, Texas actually enjoyed a 37.4% decline in the number of foreclosures in September 2008, year-over-year.

According to the Bureau of Economic Analysis (2005), Texas has the second largest economy in the United States – behind California, but ahead of New York.

Also according to the BEA (2005), Texas ranks 15th in the global economy -- ahead of Australia, Switzerland, Taiwan, Saudi Arabia, and Israel.

Of all the states, Texas has the longest continuous border with Mexico. In the global economy, Mexico is ranked 14th (BEA, 2005).

The Gulf of Mexico is one of the biggest oil-producing regions in the U.S. The majority of domestic shipments come through Texas.

Houston, Dallas, and San Antonio are among the top 10 most populated cities in the United States.

Texas is one of only eight states that imposes no income tax. Further, it does not allow municipalities to impose an income tax, meaning Texas residents pay only the top rate imposed by the U.S. Internal Revenue Service.

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