Austin/Compare
Mueller vs North Loop
Mueller and North Loop are two official planning areas in Austin. North Loop is the calmer Part I map (84 vs 5). Mueller wins the errand count. North Loop has the lower ACS median ($1,681).
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 | Mueller | North Loop |
|---|---|---|
| Safety | 5 | 84 |
| Schools | 87 | 40 |
| Walk | 20 | 6 |
| Cost fit | 100 | 100 |
| Vibe | 22 | 3 |
| Median rent | $2,015 | $1,681 |
| Median home | $702,959 | $949,700 |
| Population | 9,075 | 2,865 |
| Commute to Downtown | 19 min | 21 min |
| Commute to UT campus | 17 min | 15 min |
| Commute to The Domain | 25 min | 12 min |
Living numbers
Who rents, how old, how much crime, how many shops — beside the scores.
| Fact | Mueller | North Loop |
|---|---|---|
| Renters | 54% | 70% |
| Median age | 33.9 | 33.6 |
| Median income | $112K | $95K |
| Part I per 1k | 75.6 | 34.2 |
| Groceries / 800m | 4 | 4 |
| Transit stops / 800m | 28 | 28 |
| Parks / 800m | 43 | 1 |
| 311 last 14 days | 122 | 147 |
Rent
Rent since 2014
ACS 5-year median gross rent for Austin city. Up 71% since 2014. Mueller is 17% above 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 Mueller if the school rating nearby is the point and you want the cafes and the night. Schools score 87 vs 40. Vibe is 22 vs 3. Walk is 20 vs 6. Read both pages before you decide.
Pick North Loop if the quieter map matters more than the scene and the rent gap is the point. Safety is 84 vs 5. ACS median rent is $1,681 vs $2,015. Read both pages before you decide.
Mueller
A planned town on the old airport: alleys, a lake loop, and a grocery at the center. Newer bones, family default.
$2,015 median rent · safety 5 · walk 20
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, Mueller or North Loop?
North Loop is the lower ACS median: $2,015 vs $1,681. About 70% rent in North Loop vs 54% in Mueller. Survey medians, not a listing you can message tonight.
Is Mueller more walkable than North Loop?
Mueller wins the errand count (walk 20 vs 6). Groceries inside 800 meters: 4 vs 4. Not a Walk Score license.
Which is safer on this map, Mueller or North Loop?
North Loop is the calmer Part I read (84 vs 5). Combined rate 34.2 vs 75.6 per 1,000. Visitors count in those numbers.
Which scores higher for families, Mueller or North Loop?
Mueller leads the school axis (87 vs 40). Nearby rating is 8.4 / 10 vs 7.0 / 10. Median age 33.9 vs 33.6. North Loop has more of the night. Neither number is a school assignment.
Which has the shorter commute to Downtown?
19 minutes from Mueller to Downtown, 21 from North Loop. Mueller is the shorter weekday. Not this hour's traffic.
If you drop both
Closest official planning area that is not Mueller or North Loop: Windsor Park. Northeast of Mueller. More house for the money, fewer cafes, a straight shot down Airport Blvd.
Scores are relative among official Austin Neighborhood Planning Areas with the same editorial weights. Read the method.