'Austin is where it all started for us, and being surrounded by such a supportive community as our brand has grown has meant the world to us,” says Bumble’s Chief Brand Officer Alexandra Williamson. “Housing options can cost a month more in California than a comparable option in Austin, so moving employees here can effectively give them a pay-raise without raising their salary,” says Hurley.Īnother Austin-based tech brand that has made it big is Bumble, the dating app that has grown to over 55 million users in just four years.

According to the Economic Policy Institute's family budget calculator, which factors in expenses like housing, food, transportation, and health care it costs about $3,197 per month for a single adult to live in Austin, while San Francisco - the most expensive city in the U.S. There’s no personal income tax, and the city has more affordable housing than on the coasts, from which it pulls a lot of its transplants. “We have an incredible talent pool here from a number of universities, and many of those students are inclined to look for employment here,” says Angelou.Īustin’s low cost of living adds to its appeal. It has a lot of great parks, river access, hike and bike trails, good food, great music and it has a collaborative tech culture that is warm and accepting of people who are not from here.'Īustin also has a highly educated workforce, thanks in part to the University of Texas and other local universities. Photo courtesy of Four Seasons Hotels & ResortsĪnother draw, says Lorek: 'Austin is a special place with an appealing culture. Playing games on the lawn of the Four Seasons Hotel Austin. This is also the home of South by Southwest (SXSW), which has transformed from an indie music gathering into one of the world’s most trendsetting technology festivals. Austin has also long been the tech center of Texas, with 6,500 startups and tech companies based here, including Dell - which was founded in 1984 by Michael Dell while he was at the University of Texas and helped kick off the city’s technology boom.

Why Austin? For one thing: 'Everything is bigger in Texas,” Texas Governor Greg Abbott said at a press conference in December. And in the past couple of years, Google and Oracle have opened offices downtown. hub outside of the company’s Silicon Valley headquarters.

A hiring surge from Facebook is turning Austin into the third-largest U.S. There are so many tech companies that Austin has been nicknamed “Silicon Hills.” Apple recently announced that it is creating a $1 billion campus with the capacity for 15,000 employees, making it the largest private employer in Austin. It’s no secret that Austin, Texas is a hotbed for technology, startups and innovation.

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