Austin/Compare
Hancock vs South River City
Hancock and South River City are two official planning areas in Austin. Hancock is the calmer Part I map (47 vs 32). Walk is a wash (9 vs 9). 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 | South River City |
|---|---|---|
| Safety | 47 | 32 |
| Schools | 47 | 77 |
| Walk | 9 | 9 |
| Cost fit | 100 | 100 |
| Vibe | 1 | 7 |
| Median rent | $1,572 | $1,894 |
| Median home | $813,537 | $1,118,895 |
| Population | 10,191 | 5,140 |
| Commute to Downtown | 9 min | 17 min |
| Commute to UT campus | 7 min | 24 min |
| Commute to The Domain | 22 min | 39 min |
Living numbers
Who rents, how old, how much crime, how many shops — beside the scores.
| Fact | Hancock | South River City |
|---|---|---|
| Renters | 73% | 57% |
| Median age | 29.7 | 36.6 |
| Median income | $77K | $120K |
| Part I per 1k | 43.0 | 46.3 |
| Groceries / 800m | 4 | 6 |
| Transit stops / 800m | 39 | 23 |
| Parks / 800m | 7 | 12 |
| 311 last 14 days | 142 | 80 |
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. S. River is 10% 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 quieter map matters more than the scene and the rent gap is the point. Safety is 47 vs 32. ACS median rent is $1,572 vs $1,894. 9 vs 17 minutes to Downtown. Read both pages before you decide.
Pick South River City if the school rating nearby is the point and you want the quieter, family-leaning read. Schools score 77 vs 47. South River City 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
South River City
Travis Heights oaks on the east side of Congress. Porches, hills, and a walk to the lake.
$1,894 median rent · safety 32 · walk 9
Common questions
Same pair, said in questions. The numbers are in the tables.
Which is cheaper, Hancock or South River City?
Hancock is the lower ACS median: $1,572 vs $1,894. About 73% rent in Hancock vs 57% in South River City. Survey medians, not a listing you can message tonight.
Is Hancock more walkable than South River City?
Walk is basically a tie (9 vs 9). Count groceries if you care: 4 in Hancock vs 6 in South River City, inside 800 meters.
Which is safer on this map, Hancock or South River City?
Hancock is the calmer Part I read (47 vs 32). Combined rate 43.0 vs 46.3 per 1,000. Visitors count in those numbers.
Which scores higher for families, Hancock or South River City?
South River City leads the school axis (77 vs 47). Nearby rating is 8.1 / 10 vs 7.2 / 10. Median age 36.6 vs 29.7. Neither number is a school assignment.
Which has the shorter commute to Downtown?
9 minutes from Hancock to Downtown, 17 from South River City. Hancock is the shorter weekday. Not this hour's traffic.
If you drop both
Closest official planning area that is not Hancock or South River City: 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.