Austin/Compare
Hancock vs Old West Austin
Hancock and Old West Austin are two official planning areas in Austin. Old West Austin is the calmer Part I map (53 vs 47). Hancock wins the errand count. 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 | Old West Austin |
|---|---|---|
| Safety | 47 | 53 |
| Schools | 47 | 83 |
| Walk | 9 | 0 |
| Cost fit | 100 | 97 |
| Vibe | 1 | 5 |
| Median rent | $1,572 | $2,590 |
| Median home | $813,537 | $1,303,800 |
| Population | 10,191 | 6,543 |
| Commute to Downtown | 9 min | 20 min |
| Commute to UT campus | 7 min | 20 min |
| Commute to The Domain | 22 min | 29 min |
Living numbers
Who rents, how old, how much crime, how many shops — beside the scores.
| Fact | Hancock | Old West Austin |
|---|---|---|
| Renters | 73% | 60% |
| Median age | 29.7 | 40.5 |
| Median income | $77K | $152K |
| Part I per 1k | 43.0 | 42.3 |
| Groceries / 800m | 4 | 2 |
| Transit stops / 800m | 39 | 14 |
| Parks / 800m | 7 | 9 |
| 311 last 14 days | 142 | 106 |
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. 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 Hancock if the rent gap is the point and the shorter ride to Downtown is the point. ACS median rent is $1,572 vs $2,590. 9 vs 20 minutes to Downtown. Walk is 9 vs 0. Read both pages before you decide.
Pick Old West Austin if the school rating nearby is the point and you want the quieter, family-leaning read. Schools score 83 vs 47. Old West Austin is tagged family on this map; Hancock is not. 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
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, Hancock or Old West Austin?
Hancock is the lower ACS median: $1,572 vs $2,590. About 73% rent in Hancock vs 60% in Old West Austin. Survey medians, not a listing you can message tonight.
Is Hancock more walkable than Old West Austin?
Hancock wins the errand count (walk 9 vs 0). Groceries inside 800 meters: 4 vs 2. Not a Walk Score license.
Which is safer on this map, Hancock or Old West Austin?
Old West Austin is the calmer Part I read (53 vs 47). Combined rate 42.3 vs 43.0 per 1,000. Visitors count in those numbers.
Which scores higher for families, Hancock or Old West Austin?
Old West Austin leads the school axis (83 vs 47). Nearby rating is 8.3 / 10 vs 7.2 / 10. Median age 40.5 vs 29.7. Neither number is a school assignment.
Which has the shorter commute to Downtown?
9 minutes from Hancock to Downtown, 20 from Old West Austin. Hancock is the shorter weekday. Not this hour's traffic.
If you drop both
Closest official planning area that is not Hancock or Old West Austin: 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.