Austin/Compare
Brentwood vs Downtown
Brentwood and Downtown are two official planning areas in Austin. Brentwood is the calmer Part I map (89 vs 0). Downtown wins the errand count. Brentwood has the lower ACS median ($1,662).
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 | Brentwood | Downtown |
|---|---|---|
| Safety | 89 | 0 |
| Schools | 63 | 0 |
| Walk | 19 | 100 |
| Cost fit | 100 | 92 |
| Vibe | 5 | 100 |
| Median rent | $1,662 | $2,714 |
| Median home | $770,446 | $631,696 |
| Population | 9,333 | 10,850 |
| Commute to Downtown | 15 min | 6 min |
| Commute to UT campus | 10 min | 11 min |
| Commute to The Domain | 17 min | 26 min |
Living numbers
Who rents, how old, how much crime, how many shops — beside the scores.
| Fact | Brentwood | Downtown |
|---|---|---|
| Renters | 65% | 60% |
| Median age | 36.9 | 44.2 |
| Median income | $96K | $158K |
| Part I per 1k | 31.6 | 173.7 |
| Groceries / 800m | 5 | 19 |
| Transit stops / 800m | 58 | 82 |
| Parks / 800m | 6 | 38 |
| 311 last 14 days | 135 | 473 |
Rent
Rent since 2014
ACS 5-year median gross rent for Austin city. Up 71% since 2014. Brentwood is 4% below 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 Brentwood if the quieter map matters more than the scene and the school rating nearby is the point. Safety is 89 vs 0. Schools score 63 vs 0. ACS median rent is $1,662 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 5. Walk is 100 vs 19. 6 vs 15 minutes to Downtown. Read both pages before you decide.
Brentwood
Bungalows between Crestview and Hyde Park. Slightly more cafes than Allandale, slightly less polish than Rosedale.
$1,662 median rent · safety 89 · walk 19
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, Brentwood or Downtown?
Brentwood is the lower ACS median: $1,662 vs $2,714. About 65% rent in Brentwood vs 60% in Downtown. Survey medians, not a listing you can message tonight.
Is Brentwood more walkable than Downtown?
Downtown wins the errand count (walk 19 vs 100). Groceries inside 800 meters: 5 vs 19. Not a Walk Score license.
Which is safer on this map, Brentwood or Downtown?
Brentwood is the calmer Part I read (89 vs 0). Combined rate 31.6 vs 173.7 per 1,000. Visitors count in those numbers.
Which scores higher for families, Brentwood or Downtown?
Brentwood leads the school axis (63 vs 0). Nearby rating is 7.7 / 10 vs 5.8 / 10. Median age 36.9 vs 44.2. Downtown has more of the night. Neither number is a school assignment.
Which has the shorter commute to Downtown?
15 minutes from Brentwood 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 Brentwood or Downtown: Hancock. Between campus and Hyde Park. Golf course, student spillover, and a short walk to the Forty Acres.
Scores are relative among official Austin Neighborhood Planning Areas with the same editorial weights. Read the method.