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2008
MAY Austin No. 3 Recession-Proof City.
One of the hippest cities in the country has one of the lowest unemployment rates along with high rates of job growth. 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. Forbes examined the country's 50 largest metros.
(Forbes, 5/7/08)
APR Austin among Top 10 Greenest Places to Retire.
According to a recent U.S. News and World Report study, the nation's retirees agree: Austin is one of the 10 "greenest" retirement destinations. With its plentiful urban parks and wilderness preserves, Austin was cited as an ideal city to help raise grandchildren. Zilker Park, in particular, was cited for its mix of recreation and natural settings, including the hike-and-bike trails, hillside theater, swimming holes and botanical and sculpture gardens.
(US News & World Report, 4/25/08)
APR Green power program of Austin Energy ranks 1st in the nation.
The U.S. Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory released its annual ranking of leading utility green power programs (more than 800 utilities across the United States offer these programs). Ranked by renewable energy sales, the green power program of Austin Energy is first in the nation, followed by Portland General Electric, PacifiCorp, Florida Power & Light, and Xcel Energy. Austin Energy’s green power sales topped 578 million kWh in 2007.
(National Renewable Energy Laboratory, 4/22/08)
JAN Austin tops Forbes’ list of America’s Fastest Growing Metros.
Austin is the winner among the country’s most economically healthy large metros, with Atlanta, Seattle, Orlando, Houston and San Jose also appearing high on the list. The magazine observes that the common denominator among these cities is that they are tech hubs with proximity to universities and a healthy increase in population. Austin's population, for example, is expected to increase by nearly 15% by 2012. The metro is also expected to see an estimated 32% GMP growth between 2007 and 2012. Computer manufacturer Dell and The University of Texas are among the anchors of Austin’s tech community. Innovation, human capital, infrastructure and quality of place, as well as economic growth were said to measure the pulse of a metro area. Forbes used data supplied by Moody’s economy.com and Global Insight.
(Forbes, 1/30/08)
JAN Forbes ranks Austin 3rd among Best Cities for Jobs in 2008.
According to Forbes, based on the latest forecast data from Moody's Economy.com., “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.” Forbes based its ranking of the largest 100 metropolitan areas on five variables: unemployment, job growth, income growth, median household income and cost of living. Austin ranked No. 1 for income growth and No. 2 for employment growth. The top five in the ranking are Salt Lake City, Wichita, Austin, Atlanta and Fort Worth.
(Forbes, 1/10/08)
JAN Austin is named No. 1 among the Top Ten U.S. Cities to Live, Work & Make Movies.
Austin has ranked among the top three cities on the list for seven consecutive years. One reason the state earned the top slot was because of its statewide incentive program that provides rebates for filming in Texas. In the past year, Austin has hosted the production of dozens of films and television shows, including Grind House, Teeth and Friday Night Lights.
(MovieMaker, Winter 2008)