Austin/Compare
Downtown vs Mueller
Downtown and Mueller are two official planning areas in Austin. Mueller is the calmer Part I map (5 vs 0). Downtown wins the errand count. Mueller has the lower ACS median ($2,015).
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 | Downtown | Mueller |
|---|---|---|
| Safety | 0 | 5 |
| Schools | 0 | 87 |
| Walk | 100 | 20 |
| Cost fit | 92 | 100 |
| Vibe | 100 | 22 |
| Median rent | $2,714 | $2,015 |
| Median home | $631,696 | $702,959 |
| Population | 10,850 | 9,075 |
| Commute to Downtown | 6 min | 19 min |
| Commute to UT campus | 11 min | 17 min |
| Commute to The Domain | 26 min | 25 min |
Living numbers
Who rents, how old, how much crime, how many shops — beside the scores.
| Fact | Downtown | Mueller |
|---|---|---|
| Renters | 60% | 54% |
| Median age | 44.2 | 33.9 |
| Median income | $158K | $112K |
| Part I per 1k | 173.7 | 75.6 |
| Groceries / 800m | 19 | 4 |
| Transit stops / 800m | 82 | 28 |
| Parks / 800m | 38 | 43 |
| 311 last 14 days | 473 | 122 |
Rent
Rent since 2014
ACS 5-year median gross rent for Austin city. Up 71% since 2014. Downtown is 57% above the 2024 city median. Mueller is 17% 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 Downtown if you want the cafes and the night and you want the errands on foot. Vibe is 100 vs 22. Walk is 100 vs 20. 6 vs 19 minutes to Downtown. Read both pages before you decide.
Pick Mueller if the school rating nearby is the point and the rent gap is the point. Schools score 87 vs 0. ACS median rent is $2,015 vs $2,714. Mueller is tagged family on this map; Downtown is not. Read both pages before you decide.
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
Mueller
A planned town on the old airport: alleys, a lake loop, and a grocery at the center. Newer bones, family default.
$2,015 median rent · safety 5 · walk 20
Common questions
Same pair, said in questions. The numbers are in the tables.
Which is cheaper, Downtown or Mueller?
Mueller is the lower ACS median: $2,714 vs $2,015. About 54% rent in Mueller vs 60% in Downtown. Survey medians, not a listing you can message tonight.
Is Downtown more walkable than Mueller?
Downtown wins the errand count (walk 100 vs 20). Groceries inside 800 meters: 19 vs 4. Not a Walk Score license.
Which is safer on this map, Downtown or Mueller?
Mueller is the calmer Part I read (5 vs 0). Combined rate 75.6 vs 173.7 per 1,000. Visitors count in those numbers.
Which scores higher for families, Downtown or Mueller?
Mueller leads the school axis (87 vs 0). Nearby rating is 8.4 / 10 vs 5.8 / 10. Median age 33.9 vs 44.2. Downtown has more of the night. Neither number is a school assignment.
Which has the shorter commute to Downtown?
6 minutes from Downtown to Downtown, 19 from Mueller. Downtown is the shorter weekday. Not this hour's traffic.
If you drop both
Closest official planning area that is not Downtown or Mueller: 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.