Austin/Compare
Downtown vs Zilker
Downtown and Zilker are two official planning areas in Austin. Zilker is the calmer Part I map (74 vs 0). Downtown wins the errand count. Zilker has the lower ACS median ($2,175).
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 | Zilker |
|---|---|---|
| Safety | 0 | 74 |
| Schools | 0 | 93 |
| Walk | 100 | 9 |
| Cost fit | 92 | 100 |
| Vibe | 100 | 15 |
| Median rent | $2,714 | $2,175 |
| Median home | $631,696 | $1,006,854 |
| Population | 10,850 | 10,882 |
| Commute to Downtown | 6 min | 17 min |
| Commute to UT campus | 11 min | 22 min |
| Commute to The Domain | 26 min | 35 min |
Living numbers
Who rents, how old, how much crime, how many shops — beside the scores.
| Fact | Downtown | Zilker |
|---|---|---|
| Renters | 60% | 64% |
| Median age | 44.2 | 34.4 |
| Median income | $158K | $132K |
| Part I per 1k | 173.7 | 35.4 |
| Groceries / 800m | 19 | 4 |
| Transit stops / 800m | 82 | 24 |
| Parks / 800m | 38 | 5 |
| 311 last 14 days | 473 | 172 |
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. 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 Downtown if you want the cafes and the night and you want the errands on foot. Vibe is 100 vs 15. Walk is 100 vs 9. 6 vs 17 minutes to Downtown. Read both pages before you decide.
Pick Zilker if the school rating nearby is the point and the quieter map matters more than the scene. Schools score 93 vs 0. Safety is 74 vs 0. ACS median rent is $2,175 vs $2,714. 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
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, Downtown or Zilker?
Zilker is the lower ACS median: $2,714 vs $2,175. About 64% rent in Zilker vs 60% in Downtown. Survey medians, not a listing you can message tonight.
Is Downtown more walkable than Zilker?
Downtown wins the errand count (walk 100 vs 9). Groceries inside 800 meters: 19 vs 4. Not a Walk Score license.
Which is safer on this map, Downtown or Zilker?
Zilker is the calmer Part I read (74 vs 0). Combined rate 35.4 vs 173.7 per 1,000. Visitors count in those numbers.
Which scores higher for families, Downtown or Zilker?
Zilker leads the school axis (93 vs 0). Nearby rating is 8.6 / 10 vs 5.8 / 10. Median age 34.4 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, 17 from Zilker. Downtown is the shorter weekday. Not this hour's traffic.
If you drop both
Closest official planning area that is not Downtown 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.