Austin/Compare
Barton Hills vs Zilker
Barton Hills and Zilker are two official planning areas in Austin. Zilker is the calmer Part I map (74 vs 63). Walk is a wash (5 vs 9). 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 | Zilker |
|---|---|---|
| Safety | 63 | 74 |
| Schools | 100 | 93 |
| Walk | 5 | 9 |
| Cost fit | 100 | 100 |
| Vibe | 6 | 15 |
| Median rent | $1,820 | $2,175 |
| Median home | $1,107,160 | $1,006,854 |
| Population | 8,721 | 10,882 |
| Commute to Downtown | 25 min | 17 min |
| Commute to UT campus | 29 min | 22 min |
| Commute to The Domain | 41 min | 35 min |
Living numbers
Who rents, how old, how much crime, how many shops — beside the scores.
| Fact | Barton Hills | Zilker |
|---|---|---|
| Renters | 74% | 64% |
| Median age | 36.1 | 34.4 |
| Median income | $92K | $132K |
| Part I per 1k | 38.8 | 35.4 |
| Groceries / 800m | 4 | 4 |
| Transit stops / 800m | 16 | 24 |
| Parks / 800m | 18 | 5 |
| 311 last 14 days | 128 | 172 |
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. 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 Barton Hills if the rent gap is the point. ACS median rent is $1,820 vs $2,175. Read both pages before you decide.
Pick Zilker if you want the cafes and the night and the quieter map matters more than the scene. Vibe is 15 vs 6. Safety is 74 vs 63. 17 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
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, Barton Hills or Zilker?
Barton Hills is the lower ACS median: $1,820 vs $2,175. About 74% rent in Barton Hills vs 64% in Zilker. Survey medians, not a listing you can message tonight.
Is Barton Hills more walkable than Zilker?
Walk is basically a tie (5 vs 9). Count groceries if you care: 4 in Barton Hills vs 4 in Zilker, inside 800 meters.
Which is safer on this map, Barton Hills or Zilker?
Zilker is the calmer Part I read (74 vs 63). Combined rate 35.4 vs 38.8 per 1,000. Visitors count in those numbers.
Which scores higher for families, Barton Hills or Zilker?
Barton Hills leads the school axis (100 vs 93). Nearby rating is 8.8 / 10 vs 8.6 / 10. Median age 36.1 vs 34.4. Zilker 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, 17 from Zilker. Zilker is the shorter weekday. Not this hour's traffic.
If you drop both
Closest official planning area that is not Barton Hills or Zilker: South Lamar. The corridor south of the river: retail, apartments, and a faster pulse than Barton Hills.
Scores are relative among official Austin Neighborhood Planning Areas with the same editorial weights. Read the method.