ZIP Code 78702

Austin is the capital city of the U.S. state of Texas, as well as the seat and largest city of Travis County. Incorporated on December 27, 1839, it is the 11th-most-populous city in the United States. It has been one of the fastest growing large cities since 2010. The city is the cultural and economic center of the AustinRound Rock metropolitan statistical area, which had an estimated population of 2,295,303 as of July 1, 2020. Austin is the southernmost state capital in the contiguous United States and is considered a "Beta " global city as categorized by the Globalization and World Cities Research Network. Since the late 19th century, Austin has also been known as the "City of the Violet Crown", because of the colorful glow of light across the hills just after sunset. Austin originated and remains the site for South by Southwest (stylized as SXSW and colloquially referred to as South By), an annual conglomeration of parallel film, interactive media, and music festivals and conferences that take place in mid-March. A number of Fortune 500 companies have headquarters or regional offices in Austin, including 3M, Advanced Micro Devices (AMD), Amazon, Apple, Facebook (Meta), Google, IBM, Intel, NXP Semiconductors, Oracle, Tesla, Texas Instruments, and Whole Foods Market. In 2021, Austin became home to the Austin FC, the first (and currently only) major professional sports league in the city. Some observers believe that the two regions may some day form a new "metroplex" similar to Dallas and Fort Worth.

History

Austin is the primary city name, but also Bee Cave, Bee Caves are acceptable city names or spellings. The official name is City of Austin. Austin, Travis County and Williamson County have been the site of human habitation since at least 9200 BC. The area's earliest known inhabitants lived during the late Pleistocene (Ice Age) and are linked to the Clovis culture. Spanish colonists, including the Espinosa-Olivares-Aguirre expedition, traveled through the area, though few permanent settlements were created for some time. In 1839, the Texas Congress formed a commission to seek a site for a new capital of the Republic of Texas to replace Houston. Mirabeau B. Lamar visited the area during a buffalo-hunting expedition between 1837 and 1838. The site was chosen, and was briefly incorporated under the name "Waterloo". Shortly afterward, the name was changed to Austin in honor of Stephen F. Austin, the "Father of Texas" and the republic's first secretary of state. The city grew throughout the 19th century and became a center for government and education with the construction of the Texas State Capitol and the University of Texas at Austin. The first auction of 217 out of 306 lots total was held on August 1, 1839. The Waller Plan designed and surveyed now forms the basis of downtown Austin. By 1840, the population of Austin had risen to 856, nearly half of whom fled the area. The resident African population listed in January of this year was 176, which still was part of Texas, which was considered a part of Mexico. The people of Austin would not allow this decision to be executed and Austin would temporarily move to Washington-on-the- Brazos.

Geography

Austin is the southernmost state capital of the contiguous 48 states. It is located at the foot of the Balcones Escarpment, on the Colorado River. The elevation of Austin varies from 425 feet (130 m) to approximately 1,000 feet (305 m) above sea level. The central business district of Austin is home to the tallest condo towers in the state, with The Independent (58 stories and 690 ft (210 m) tall) and The Austonian (topping out at 56 floors and 685 ft (209 m)tall) Austin is currently undergoing a skyscraper boom, which includes recent construction on new office, hotel and residential buildings. The area is very diverse ecologically and biologically, and is home. to a variety of animals and plants, including the popular bluebonnets, some planted by "Lady Bird" Johnson, wife of former President Lyndon B. Johnson. Austin is 146 miles (230 km) northwest of Houston, 182 miles (290 km) south of Dallas and 74 miles (120 km) northeast of San Antonio. The city's population has grown from an estimated 5,000 in 2005 to 12,000 to 15,000 by the end of 2015. The Texas Highland Lakes provide venues for boating, swimming, and other forms of recreation within several parks on the lake shores. At night, parts of Austin are lit by "artificial moonlight" from moonlight towers built to illuminate the central part of the city. Only 15 of the 31 original innovative towers remain standing in Austin, but none remain in other cities where they were installed.

Demographics

In 2020, there were 961,855 people, up from the 2000 United States census tabulation where there were 656,562 people. In 2000, the population density was 2,610.4 inhabitants per square mile (1,007.9/km²) The median house price was $185,906 in 2009, and it has increased every year since 2004. About 9.1% of families and 14.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 16.5% of those under age 18. The racial composition of Austin was 72.6% White (48.3% non-Hispanic whites), 33.9% Hispanic or Latino, 7.8% Asian, 0.7% American Indian, and 3. 4% two or more races. According to Sperling's BestPlaces.com, about 25.2% of Austin's population are religious. The city's Catholic population is served by the Roman Catholic Diocese of Austin, headquartered at the Saint Mary's Cathedral of Austin. The largest religion with Austin is Islam, followed by Methodists (4.3%) and the Latter-Day Saints (1.5%). The median income for a household in the city was US$42,689, and the median income of a family was $54,091. The median value of a house which the owner occupies was $318,400 in 2019higher than the average American home value of $240,500. The Austin metropolitan area had the third-highest rate in the nation.

Economy

The Greater Austin metropolitan statistical area had a gross domestic product (GDP) of $86 billion in 2010. Austin's largest employers include the Austin Independent School District, the City of Austin, Dell, the U.S. Federal Government, NXP Semiconductors, IBM, St. David's Healthcare Partnership, Seton Family of Hospitals, the State of Texas, the Texas State University, and the University of Texas at Austin. Whole Foods Market, an international grocery store chain specializing in fresh and packaged food products, was founded and is headquartered in Austin. In 2010, Facebook accepted a grant to build a downtown office that could bring as many as 200 jobs to the city. In 2004, the city was ranked by the Milken Institute as the #12 biotech and life science center in the United States. In 2018, Austin metro-area companies saw a total of $1.33 billion invested. The city is also emerging as a hub for pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies; the city is home to about 85 of them. Companies such as Hospira, Pharmaceutical Product Development, and ArthroCare Corporation are located there. The region's rapid growth has led Forbes to rank the Austin metropolitan area number one among all big cities for jobs for 2012 in their annual survey. Austin is considered to be a major center for high tech. The proliferation of technology companies has led to the region's nickname, "Silicon Hills", and spurred development that greatly expanded the city in the 1990s and 2000s.

Culture and contemporary life

"Keep Austin Weird" has been a local motto for years, featured on bumper stickers and T-shirts. The slogan has been interpreted many ways since its inception, but remains an important symbol for many Austinites who wish to voice concerns over rapid growth and development. Austin was selected as the No. 2 Best Big City in "Best Places to Live" by Money magazine in 2006, and No. 3 in 2009, and also the "Greenest City in America" by MSN. The Rainey Street Historic District is a neighborhood in Downtown Austin formerly consisting of bungalow style homes built in the early 20th century. South Congress is a shopping district stretching down South Congress Avenue from Downtown. This area is home to coffee shops, eccentric stores, restaurants, food trucks, trailers, and festivals. Austin residents have the highest Internet usage in all of Texas. In 2013, Austin was the most active city on Reddit, having the largest number of views per capita. Austin features annual festivals such as the Piroiro Street Festival in February and the Austin City Music Festival every year around the end of March and the beginning of April. The Trail of Lights was canceled four times in 2001 and 2002 due to the first Texas Attacks, starting in September 11, 2001. The Zilker Park Tree is a Christmas display made of lights strung from the top of a Moonlight tower in Zilkers Park. The O. Henry House Museum hosts the annual O.Henry Pun-Off, a pun contest where the successful contestants exhibit wit akin to that of the author William Sydney Porter.

Sports

Austin is home to the Circuit of the Americas (COTA), a grade 1 Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile specification 3.427-mile (5.515 km) motor racing facility. Austin is also the hometown of several cycling groups and the disgraced cyclist Lance Armstrong. The Capitol 10,000 is the largest 10 k race in Texas, and approximately fifth largest in the United States. Austin has hosted a number of other professional teams, including the Austin Spurs of the NBA G League, the Austin Aztex of the United Soccer League, and the Austin Aces in WTT tennis. Austin was the most populous city in the U.S. without a major-league professional sports team, which changed in 2021 with Austin FC's entry to MLS. The Texas Longhorns play home games in the state's second-largest sports stadium, Darrell K RoyalTexas Memorial Stadium, seating over 101,000 fans. In August 2017, a new soccer-specific stadium was announced to be built between the Austin360 Amphitheater and the Grand Plaza at COTA. A professional soccer team known as Austin Bold FC will start playing in theUnited Soccer League in 2019. The summer of 2014 marked the inaugural season for World TeamTennis team Austin Ace, formerly Orange County Breakers of the southern California region. The team featured former professionals Andy Roddick and Marion Bartoli, as well as current WTA tour player Vera Zvonareva. The Austin-founded American Swimming Association hosts several swim races around town. In 2017, Precourt Sports Ventures announced a plan to move Columbus Crew SC soccer franchise from Columbus, Ohio to Austin.

Parks and recreation

The Austin Parks and Recreation Department received the Excellence in Aquatics award in 1999 and the Gold Medal Awards in 2004 from the National Recreation and Park Association. Lady Bird Lake (formerly Town Lake) is a river-like reservoir on the Colorado River. The Barton Creek Greenbelt is a 7.25-mile (11.67 km) public green belt managed by the City of Austin's Park and Recreation department. Camping is legal on all public property except in front of City Hall, where camping remains banned. Austin is home to more than 50 public pools and swimming holes, including Deep Eddy Pool, Texas' oldest man-made swimming pool, and Barton Springs Pool, the nation's largest natural swimming pool in an urban area. Hippie Hollow Park, a county park situated along Lake Travis, is the only officially sanctioned clothing-optional public park in Texas. The city's parks system spans more than 29,000 acres (11,736 ha) The Austin Parks Foundation (APF) was established in 1992 to develop and improve parks in and around Austin. The Butler Trail loop was completed in 2014 with the public-private partnership 1-mile Boardwalk project. The 10.1 miles (16.3 km) Ann and Roy Butler Hike and Bike Trail forms a complete circuit around the lake. Austin's warm climate and the river's calm waters, nearly 6 miles (9.7 km) length and straight courses are especially popular with crew teams and clubs. Other parks administered by the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department and located at the confluence of Onion Creek and Barton Creek are located at Onion Falls and Onion Creek.

Government

In 2019, the FBI named Austin the 11th safest city on a list of 22 American cities with a population above 400,000. Austin is administered by an 11-member city council (10 council members plus a mayor elected at large). The council is accompanied by a hired city manager under the manager-council system of municipal governance. A series of bombings occurred in Austin in March 2018, killing two people and injuring another five. In 2020, Austin was the victim of a cyberattack by the Russian group Berserk Bear, possibly related to the U.S. federal government data breach earlier that year. A mass shooting took place in the early morning of June 12, 2021, on Sixth Street, which resulted in 14 people injured and one dead. In 2010, Andrew Joseph Stack III deliberately crashed his Piper PA-28 Cherokee into Echelon 1, a building in which the Internal Revenue Service, housing 190 employees was a lessee of. The resulting explosion killed 1 and injured 13 IRS employees, completely destroyed the building and cost the IRS a total of $38.6 million. The new city hall, built from recycled materials, has solar panels in its garage. Austin formerly operated its city hall at 128 West 8th Street. Steve Adler assumed the role of mayor on January 6, 2015, and opened the city hall in November 2004. The city hall was intended to reflect what The Dallas Morning News referred to as a "crazy-quilt vitality, that embraces everything from country music to environmental protests and high-tech swagger".

Education

51.7% of Austin residents ages 25 and over have earned at least a bachelor's degree. 19.4% hold a graduate or professional degree, compared to the national figure of 12.4%. Four of the metro's major public school systems, representing 54% of area enrollment, are included in Expansion Management magazine's latest annual education quality ratings. Austin has a large network of private and alternative education institutions for children in PreK12th grade. The University of Texas System and Texas State University System are headquartered in downtown Austin. The Austin metropolitan area is also served by 27 charter school districts and over 100 private schools. Austin is also home to child developmental institutions. The city is home to the Austin Conservatory, a branch of Park University, and The Art Institute of Austin. It is also the home of the Texas Museum of Natural History, which was founded in 1881. It was the first museum in the United States, and is one of the oldest in the world. The museum is located in Austin, Texas, and opened in 1883. It has since become a museum of natural history and art. It also houses the Austin Museum of Nature and Science, which dates back to 1881, and the Austin Art Museum, which opened in 1886. The Museum is located on the former site of the Austin School of Music, which is now a museum and art center. It opened in 1888. The Texas State Museum ofNatural History, founded in 1886, is the oldest university in the state, with a collection of more than 2,000 artifacts.

Air Quality, Water Quality, Superfund Sites & UV Index

The Air Quality index is in Austin, Cherokee County, Texas = 22.7. These Air Quality index is based on annual reports from the EPA. Higher values are better (100=best). The number of ozone alert days is used as an indicator of air quality, as are the amounts of seven pollutants including particulates, carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, lead, and volatile organic chemicals. The Water Quality Index is 79. A measure of the quality of an area’s water supply as rated by the EPA. Higher values are better (100=best). The EPA has a complex method of measuring the watershed quality, using 15 indicators such as pollutants, turbidity, sediments, and toxic discharges. The Superfund Sites Index is 99. Higher is better (100=best). Based upon the number and impact of EPA Superfund pollution sites in the county, including spending on the cleanup efforts. The UV Index in Austin = 6 and is a measure of an area's exposure to the sun's ultraviolet rays. This is most often a combination of sunny weather, altitude, and latitude. The UV Index has been defined by the WHO (www.who.int/news-room/questions-and-answers/item/radiation-the-ultraviolet-(uv)-index) and is uniform worldwide.

Employed

The most recent city population of 961,855 individuals with a median age of 33.5 age the population grows by 14.35% in Austin, Cherokee County, Texas population since 2000 and are distributed over a density of 3,006.36 residents per square mile of area (1,160.76/km²). There are average 2.39 people per household in the 304,006 households with an average household income of $48,327 a year. The unemployment rate in Alabama is of the available work force and has growths 0.17% over the most recent 12-month period and the projected change in job supply over the next decade based on migration patterns, economic growth, and other factors will increase by 33.84%. The number of physicians in Austin per 100,000 population = 260.

Weather

The annual rainfall in Austin = 33.4 inches and the annual snowfall = 1 inches. The annual number of days with measurable precipitation (over .01 inch) = 83. The average number of days per year that are predominantly sunny = 228. 95 degrees Fahrenheit is the average daily high temperature for the month of July and 39.7 degrees Fahrenheit is the average daily low temperature for the month of January. The Comfort Index (higher=better) is 22, where higher values mean a more pleasant climate. The Comfort Index measure recognizes that humidity by itself isn't the problem. (Have you noticed nobody ever complains about the weather being 'cold and humid?) It's in the summertime that we notice the humidity the most, when it's hot and muggy. Our Comfort Index uses a combination of afternoon summer temperature and humidity to closely predict the effect that the humidity will have on people.

Median Home Cost

The percentage of housing units in Austin, Cherokee County, Texas which are owned by the occupant = 42.78%. A housing unit is a house, apartment, mobile home, or room occupied as separate living quarters. The average age of homes = 25 years with median home cost = $222,450 and home appreciation of -4.75%. This is the value of the years most recent home sales data. Its important to note that this is not the average (or arithmetic mean). The median home price is the middle value when you arrange all the sales prices of homes from lowest to highest. This is a better indicator than the average, because the median is not changed as much by a few unusually high or low values. The property tax rate of $18.26 shown here is the rate per $1,000 of home value. If for simplification for example the tax rate is $14.00 and the home value is $250,000, the property tax would be $14.00 x ($250,000/1000), or $3500. This is the 'effective' tax rate.

Study

The local school district spends $4,686 per student. There are 14.7 students for each teacher in the school, 528 students for each Librarian and 487 students for each Counselor. 5.03% of the area’s population over the age of 25 with an Associate Degree or other 2-year college degree, 25.92% with a master’s degree, Ph.D. or other advanced college degree and 14.76% with high school diplomas or high school equivalency degrees (GEDs).