Austin/Compare
Downtown vs Old West Austin
Downtown and Old West Austin are two official planning areas in Austin. Old West Austin is the calmer Part I map (53 vs 0). Downtown wins the errand count. Old West Austin has the lower ACS median ($2,590).
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 | Old West Austin |
|---|---|---|
| Safety | 0 | 53 |
| Schools | 0 | 83 |
| Walk | 100 | 0 |
| Cost fit | 92 | 97 |
| Vibe | 100 | 5 |
| Median rent | $2,714 | $2,590 |
| Median home | $631,696 | $1,303,800 |
| Population | 10,850 | 6,543 |
| Commute to Downtown | 6 min | 20 min |
| Commute to UT campus | 11 min | 20 min |
| Commute to The Domain | 26 min | 29 min |
Living numbers
Who rents, how old, how much crime, how many shops — beside the scores.
| Fact | Downtown | Old West Austin |
|---|---|---|
| Renters | 60% | 60% |
| Median age | 44.2 | 40.5 |
| Median income | $158K | $152K |
| Part I per 1k | 173.7 | 42.3 |
| Groceries / 800m | 19 | 2 |
| Transit stops / 800m | 82 | 14 |
| Parks / 800m | 38 | 9 |
| 311 last 14 days | 473 | 106 |
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. Old West is 50% 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 5. Walk is 100 vs 0. 6 vs 20 minutes to Downtown. Read both pages before you decide.
Pick Old West Austin if the school rating nearby is the point and the quieter map matters more than the scene. Schools score 83 vs 0. Safety is 53 vs 0. Old West Austin 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
Old West Austin
Clarksville cottages west of downtown. Close to the lake trail, quieter than Rainey, priced like it.
$2,590 median rent · safety 53 · walk 0
Common questions
Same pair, said in questions. The numbers are in the tables.
Which is cheaper, Downtown or Old West Austin?
Old West Austin is the lower ACS median: $2,714 vs $2,590. About 60% rent in Old West Austin vs 60% in Downtown. Survey medians, not a listing you can message tonight.
Is Downtown more walkable than Old West Austin?
Downtown wins the errand count (walk 100 vs 0). Groceries inside 800 meters: 19 vs 2. Not a Walk Score license.
Which is safer on this map, Downtown or Old West Austin?
Old West Austin is the calmer Part I read (53 vs 0). Combined rate 42.3 vs 173.7 per 1,000. Visitors count in those numbers.
Which scores higher for families, Downtown or Old West Austin?
Old West Austin leads the school axis (83 vs 0). Nearby rating is 8.3 / 10 vs 5.8 / 10. Median age 40.5 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, 20 from Old West Austin. Downtown is the shorter weekday. Not this hour's traffic.
If you drop both
Closest official planning area that is not Downtown or Old West Austin: 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.