Austin/Compare
Barton Hills vs Downtown
Barton Hills and Downtown are two official planning areas in Austin. Barton Hills is the calmer Part I map (63 vs 0). Downtown wins the errand count. Barton Hills has the lower ACS median ($1,820).
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 | Barton Hills | Downtown |
|---|---|---|
| Safety | 63 | 0 |
| Schools | 100 | 0 |
| Walk | 5 | 100 |
| Cost fit | 100 | 92 |
| Vibe | 6 | 100 |
| Median rent | $1,820 | $2,714 |
| Median home | $1,107,160 | $631,696 |
| Population | 8,721 | 10,850 |
| Commute to Downtown | 25 min | 6 min |
| Commute to UT campus | 29 min | 11 min |
| Commute to The Domain | 41 min | 26 min |
Living numbers
Who rents, how old, how much crime, how many shops — beside the scores.
| Fact | Barton Hills | Downtown |
|---|---|---|
| Renters | 74% | 60% |
| Median age | 36.1 | 44.2 |
| Median income | $92K | $158K |
| Part I per 1k | 38.8 | 173.7 |
| Groceries / 800m | 4 | 19 |
| Transit stops / 800m | 16 | 82 |
| Parks / 800m | 18 | 38 |
| 311 last 14 days | 128 | 473 |
Rent
Rent since 2014
ACS 5-year median gross rent for Austin city. Up 71% since 2014. Barton H. is 5% above the 2024 city median. Downtown is 57% 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 Barton Hills if the school rating nearby is the point and the quieter map matters more than the scene. Schools score 100 vs 0. Safety is 63 vs 0. ACS median rent is $1,820 vs $2,714. Read both pages before you decide.
Pick Downtown if you want the cafes and the night and you want the errands on foot. Vibe is 100 vs 6. Walk is 100 vs 5. 6 vs 25 minutes to Downtown. Read both pages before you decide.
Barton Hills
Hills west of Zilker. Quiet streets, trail access, and a car for most errands.
$1,820 median rent · safety 63 · walk 5
Downtown
Rainey, Sixth, and the warehouse blocks live here. Highest walk score, highest nightlife, and a crime rate inflated by visitors.
$2,714 median rent · safety 0 · walk 100
Common questions
Same pair, said in questions. The numbers are in the tables.
Which is cheaper, Barton Hills or Downtown?
Barton Hills is the lower ACS median: $1,820 vs $2,714. About 74% rent in Barton Hills vs 60% in Downtown. Survey medians, not a listing you can message tonight.
Is Barton Hills more walkable than Downtown?
Downtown wins the errand count (walk 5 vs 100). Groceries inside 800 meters: 4 vs 19. Not a Walk Score license.
Which is safer on this map, Barton Hills or Downtown?
Barton Hills is the calmer Part I read (63 vs 0). Combined rate 38.8 vs 173.7 per 1,000. Visitors count in those numbers.
Which scores higher for families, Barton Hills or Downtown?
Barton Hills leads the school axis (100 vs 0). Nearby rating is 8.8 / 10 vs 5.8 / 10. Median age 36.1 vs 44.2. Downtown has more of the night. Neither number is a school assignment.
Which has the shorter commute to Downtown?
25 minutes from Barton Hills to Downtown, 6 from Downtown. Downtown is the shorter weekday. Not this hour's traffic.
If you drop both
Closest official planning area that is not Barton Hills or Downtown: Zilker. Park first, houses second. Barton Springs and the trail set the pace; prices follow the shade.
Scores are relative among official Austin Neighborhood Planning Areas with the same editorial weights. Read the method.