Austin/Compare
Crestview vs Zilker
Crestview and Zilker are two official planning areas in Austin. Crestview is the calmer Part I map (95 vs 74). Walk is a wash (13 vs 9). Crestview has the lower ACS median ($1,921).
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 | Crestview | Zilker |
|---|---|---|
| Safety | 95 | 74 |
| Schools | 57 | 93 |
| Walk | 13 | 9 |
| Cost fit | 100 | 100 |
| Vibe | 7 | 15 |
| Median rent | $1,921 | $2,175 |
| Median home | $640,200 | $1,006,854 |
| Population | 6,227 | 10,882 |
| Commute to Downtown | 21 min | 17 min |
| Commute to UT campus | 15 min | 22 min |
| Commute to The Domain | 12 min | 35 min |
Living numbers
Who rents, how old, how much crime, how many shops — beside the scores.
| Fact | Crestview | Zilker |
|---|---|---|
| Renters | 55% | 64% |
| Median age | 34.9 | 34.4 |
| Median income | $104K | $132K |
| Part I per 1k | 30.1 | 35.4 |
| Groceries / 800m | 7 | 4 |
| Transit stops / 800m | 26 | 24 |
| Parks / 800m | 18 | 5 |
| 311 last 14 days | 97 | 172 |
Rent
Rent since 2014
ACS 5-year median gross rent for Austin city. Up 71% since 2014. Crestview is 11% 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 Crestview if the quieter map matters more than the scene and the rent gap is the point. Safety is 95 vs 74. ACS median rent is $1,921 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 57. Vibe is 15 vs 7. Read both pages before you decide.
Crestview
North central, Red Line adjacent, with a younger mix than Allandale next door.
$1,921 median rent · safety 95 · walk 13
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, Crestview or Zilker?
Crestview is the lower ACS median: $1,921 vs $2,175. About 55% rent in Crestview vs 64% in Zilker. Survey medians, not a listing you can message tonight.
Is Crestview more walkable than Zilker?
Walk is basically a tie (13 vs 9). Count groceries if you care: 7 in Crestview vs 4 in Zilker, inside 800 meters.
Which is safer on this map, Crestview or Zilker?
Crestview is the calmer Part I read (95 vs 74). Combined rate 30.1 vs 35.4 per 1,000. Visitors count in those numbers.
Which scores higher for families, Crestview or Zilker?
Zilker leads the school axis (93 vs 57). Nearby rating is 8.6 / 10 vs 7.5 / 10. Median age 34.4 vs 34.9. Neither number is a school assignment.
Which has the shorter commute to Downtown?
21 minutes from Crestview 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 Crestview or Zilker: 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.