Austin/Compare
Allandale vs Zilker
Allandale and Zilker are two official planning areas in Austin. Allandale is the calmer Part I map (100 vs 74). Walk is a wash (10 vs 9). Allandale has the lower ACS median ($1,741).
Data vintage. ACS 2024 5-year · APD Sep 2025 – Aug 2026 · OSM Aug 2026 · updated Sep 2026
Scores
Fit axes among official Austin Neighborhood Planning Areas.
| Axis | Allandale | Zilker |
|---|---|---|
| Safety | 100 | 74 |
| Schools | 73 | 93 |
| Walk | 10 | 9 |
| Cost fit | 100 | 100 |
| Vibe | 2 | 15 |
| Median rent | $1,741 | $2,175 |
| Median home | $805,814 | $1,006,854 |
| Population | 14,197 | 10,882 |
| Commute to Downtown | 28 min | 17 min |
| Commute to UT campus | 23 min | 22 min |
| Commute to The Domain | 20 min | 35 min |
Living numbers
Who rents, how old, how much crime, how many shops — beside the scores.
| Fact | Allandale | Zilker |
|---|---|---|
| Renters | 34% | 64% |
| Median age | 43.9 | 34.4 |
| Median income | $136K | $132K |
| Part I per 1k | 25.7 | 35.4 |
| Groceries / 800m | 6 | 4 |
| Transit stops / 800m | 39 | 24 |
| Parks / 800m | 4 | 5 |
| 311 last 14 days | 181 | 172 |
Rent
Rent since 2014
ACS 5-year median gross rent for Austin city. Up 71% since 2014. Allandale is 1% above the 2024 city median. Zilker is 26% above the 2024 city median.
Overlapping 5-year ACS windows (B25064), not asking rent. Census does not publish a rent series for each official neighborhood, so the line is the city place. Dashed marks are each area’s ACS 2024 median.
Which to pick
The same numbers as the table, in sentences. Nobody wins the city.
Pick Allandale if the quieter map matters more than the scene and the rent gap is the point. Safety is 100 vs 74. ACS median rent is $1,741 vs $2,175. Read both pages before you decide.
Pick Zilker if the school rating nearby is the point and you want the cafes and the night. Schools score 93 vs 73. Vibe is 15 vs 2. 17 vs 28 minutes to Downtown. Read both pages before you decide.
Allandale
North-central lawns and a quieter night. You will drive more; you will hear less.
$1,741 median rent · safety 100 · walk 10
Zilker
Park first, houses second. Barton Springs and the trail set the pace; prices follow the shade.
$2,175 median rent · safety 74 · walk 9
Common questions
Same pair, said in questions. The numbers are in the tables.
Which is cheaper, Allandale or Zilker?
Allandale is the lower ACS median: $1,741 vs $2,175. About 34% rent in Allandale vs 64% in Zilker. Survey medians, not a listing you can message tonight.
Is Allandale more walkable than Zilker?
Walk is basically a tie (10 vs 9). Count groceries if you care: 6 in Allandale vs 4 in Zilker, inside 800 meters.
Which is safer on this map, Allandale or Zilker?
Allandale is the calmer Part I read (100 vs 74). Combined rate 25.7 vs 35.4 per 1,000. Visitors count in those numbers.
Which scores higher for families, Allandale or Zilker?
Zilker leads the school axis (93 vs 73). Nearby rating is 8.6 / 10 vs 8.0 / 10. Median age 34.4 vs 43.9. Neither number is a school assignment.
Which has the shorter commute to Downtown?
28 minutes from Allandale to Downtown, 17 from Zilker. Zilker is the shorter weekday. Not this hour's traffic.
If you drop both
Closest official planning area that is not Allandale or Zilker: Rosedale. Medical-center adjacent, walkable groceries, and a calmer read than Hyde Park on a Saturday night.
Scores are relative among official Austin Neighborhood Planning Areas with the same editorial weights. Read the method.