Austin/Compare
Hancock vs North Loop
Hancock and North Loop are two official planning areas in Austin. North Loop is the calmer Part I map (84 vs 47). Walk is a wash (9 vs 6). Hancock has the lower ACS median ($1,572).
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 | Hancock | North Loop |
|---|---|---|
| Safety | 47 | 84 |
| Schools | 47 | 40 |
| Walk | 9 | 6 |
| Cost fit | 100 | 100 |
| Vibe | 1 | 3 |
| Median rent | $1,572 | $1,681 |
| Median home | $813,537 | $949,700 |
| Population | 10,191 | 2,865 |
| Commute to Downtown | 9 min | 21 min |
| Commute to UT campus | 7 min | 15 min |
| Commute to The Domain | 22 min | 12 min |
Living numbers
Who rents, how old, how much crime, how many shops — beside the scores.
| Fact | Hancock | North Loop |
|---|---|---|
| Renters | 73% | 70% |
| Median age | 29.7 | 33.6 |
| Median income | $77K | $95K |
| Part I per 1k | 43.0 | 34.2 |
| Groceries / 800m | 4 | 4 |
| Transit stops / 800m | 39 | 28 |
| Parks / 800m | 7 | 1 |
| 311 last 14 days | 142 | 147 |
Rent
Rent since 2014
ACS 5-year median gross rent for Austin city. Up 71% since 2014. Hancock is 9% below the 2024 city median. N. Loop is 3% below 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 Hancock if the shorter ride to Downtown is the point and the rent gap is the point. 9 vs 21 minutes to Downtown. ACS median rent is $1,572 vs $1,681. Read both pages before you decide.
Pick North Loop if the quieter map matters more than the scene. Safety is 84 vs 47. Read both pages before you decide.
Hancock
Between campus and Hyde Park. Golf course, student spillover, and a short walk to the Forty Acres.
$1,572 median rent · safety 47 · walk 9
North Loop
Vintage shops and renters just north of Hyde Park. Smaller lots, louder weekends.
$1,681 median rent · safety 84 · walk 6
Common questions
Same pair, said in questions. The numbers are in the tables.
Which is cheaper, Hancock or North Loop?
Hancock is the lower ACS median: $1,572 vs $1,681. About 73% rent in Hancock vs 70% in North Loop. Survey medians, not a listing you can message tonight.
Is Hancock more walkable than North Loop?
Walk is basically a tie (9 vs 6). Count groceries if you care: 4 in Hancock vs 4 in North Loop, inside 800 meters.
Which is safer on this map, Hancock or North Loop?
North Loop is the calmer Part I read (84 vs 47). Combined rate 34.2 vs 43.0 per 1,000. Visitors count in those numbers.
Which scores higher for families, Hancock or North Loop?
Hancock leads the school axis (47 vs 40). Nearby rating is 7.2 / 10 vs 7.0 / 10. Median age 29.7 vs 33.6. North Loop has more of the night. Neither number is a school assignment.
Which has the shorter commute to Downtown?
9 minutes from Hancock to Downtown, 21 from North Loop. Hancock is the shorter weekday. Not this hour's traffic.
If you drop both
Closest official planning area that is not Hancock or North Loop: Downtown. Rainey, Sixth, and the warehouse blocks live here. Highest walk score, highest nightlife, and a crime rate inflated by visitors.
Scores are relative among official Austin Neighborhood Planning Areas with the same editorial weights. Read the method.