Alternatives · Austin

Cities Like Austin for Investors

Austin is a mid-to-high, appreciation-anchored buyer's market. Below: the 8 markets in our coverage with the closest fundamentals, ranked by similarity score.

GEOGRAPHIC SPREAD: 7 OTHER STATES (TN, SC, OR, NV, NJ, UT, CO)

Austin baseline

What these alternatives are matched against.

Median home value$511,264
YoY appreciation-5.7%
Gross rent yield3.68%
Median days on market35.666666666666664
Market typeBuyer
Investor score62/100
Similar markets

Ranked by fundamentals similarity.

  1. 01
    Nashville, TN
    nashville-tn · SIMILARITY 90/100
    MEDIAN
    $436k
    YoY -3.2% Yield 4.91% DOM 32.5 Type Buyer Score 69/100
    WHY: same price tier · similar market pace · both buyer markets
  2. 02
    Charleston, SC
    charleston-sc · SIMILARITY 86/100
    MEDIAN
    $594k
    YoY +0.6% Yield 4.42% DOM 27.666666666666668 Type Buyer Score 71/100
    WHY: same price tier · similar market pace · both buyer markets
  3. 03
    Portland, OR
    portland-or · SIMILARITY 86/100
    MEDIAN
    $539k
    YoY -0.9% Yield 3.82% DOM 10.333333333333334 Type Balanced Score 39/100
    WHY: same price tier · similar rent yield
  4. 04
    Reno, NV
    reno-nv · SIMILARITY 86/100
    MEDIAN
    $571k
    YoY -0.3% Yield 3.95% DOM 16.333333333333332 Type Balanced Score 45/100
    WHY: same price tier · similar rent yield
  5. 05
    Las Vegas, NV
    las-vegas-nv · SIMILARITY 82/100
    MEDIAN
    $426k
    YoY -2.8% Yield 4.79% DOM 32.333333333333336 Type Balanced Score 61/100
    WHY: same price tier · similar market pace
  6. 06
    Newark, NJ
    newark-nj · SIMILARITY 82/100
    MEDIAN
    $483k
    YoY -1.3% Yield 5.32% DOM 28.833333333333332 Type Balanced Score 45/100
    WHY: same price tier · similar market pace
  7. 07
    Salt Lake City, UT
    salt-lake-city-ut · SIMILARITY 82/100
    MEDIAN
    $580k
    YoY +1.4% Yield 3.38% DOM 13.333333333333334 Type Balanced Score 47/100
    WHY: same price tier · similar rent yield
  8. 08
    Colorado Springs, CO
    colorado-springs-co · SIMILARITY 76/100
    MEDIAN
    $451k
    YoY -2.1% Yield 4.55% DOM 20.166666666666668 Type Balanced Score 47/100
    WHY: same price tier
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FAQ

Frequently asked.

What makes a city "similar" to Austin for investors?

Similarity is scored on four fundamentals: price tier (typical home value bucket), rent yield (gross rent-to-price ratio), market pace (median days on market), and market type (buyer/seller/balanced). Same-state cities get a small penalty so the list surfaces geographic alternatives, not just neighbors.

Why would an investor look at similar cities instead of Austin?

Three common reasons: (1) Austin prices have moved past your acquisition budget and you need similar fundamentals at a lower price tier; (2) you're already deep in Austin and want to diversify into a different state without changing your underwriting playbook; (3) you suspect Austin is overheated and want comparable markets earlier in their cycle.

Are these alternatives ranked by overall investment quality?

No — they're ranked by similarity to Austin, not by absolute investor score. A market scoring 85/100 for similarity is "very similar to Austin" but might still be a worse or better deal in absolute terms. Click into each city's full report for the investor-score view.

What's the difference between this page and a head-to-head comparison?

Head-to-head (/compare/[a-vs-b]) is a deep one-on-one breakdown across all metrics. This alternatives page is a discovery layer — surfacing 8 markets with the closest fundamentals so you can identify candidates to deep-dive on next.

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