Austin/Compare
South Lamar vs South River City
South Lamar and South River City are two official planning areas in Austin. South Lamar is the calmer Part I map (42 vs 32). Walk is a wash (11 vs 9). South Lamar has the lower ACS median ($1,686).
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 | South Lamar | South River City |
|---|---|---|
| Safety | 42 | 32 |
| Schools | 37 | 77 |
| Walk | 11 | 9 |
| Cost fit | 100 | 100 |
| Vibe | 6 | 7 |
| Median rent | $1,686 | $1,894 |
| Median home | $562,634 | $1,118,895 |
| Population | 7,635 | 5,140 |
| Commute to Downtown | 21 min | 17 min |
| Commute to UT campus | 27 min | 24 min |
| Commute to The Domain | 40 min | 39 min |
Living numbers
Who rents, how old, how much crime, how many shops — beside the scores.
| Fact | South Lamar | South River City |
|---|---|---|
| Renters | 82% | 57% |
| Median age | 32.3 | 36.6 |
| Median income | $79K | $120K |
| Part I per 1k | 43.1 | 46.3 |
| Groceries / 800m | 4 | 6 |
| Transit stops / 800m | 43 | 23 |
| Parks / 800m | 6 | 12 |
| 311 last 14 days | 95 | 80 |
Rent
Rent since 2014
ACS 5-year median gross rent for Austin city. Up 71% since 2014. S. Lamar is 2% 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 South Lamar if the quieter map matters more than the scene and the rent gap is the point. Safety is 42 vs 32. ACS median rent is $1,686 vs $1,894. 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 37. South River City is tagged family on this map; South Lamar is not. Read both pages before you decide.
South Lamar
The corridor south of the river: retail, apartments, and a faster pulse than Barton Hills.
$1,686 median rent · safety 42 · walk 11
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, South Lamar or South River City?
South Lamar is the lower ACS median: $1,686 vs $1,894. About 82% rent in South Lamar vs 57% in South River City. Survey medians, not a listing you can message tonight.
Is South Lamar more walkable than South River City?
Walk is basically a tie (11 vs 9). Count groceries if you care: 4 in South Lamar vs 6 in South River City, inside 800 meters.
Which is safer on this map, South Lamar or South River City?
South Lamar is the calmer Part I read (42 vs 32). Combined rate 43.1 vs 46.3 per 1,000. Visitors count in those numbers.
Which scores higher for families, South Lamar or South River City?
South River City leads the school axis (77 vs 37). Nearby rating is 8.1 / 10 vs 6.9 / 10. Median age 36.6 vs 32.3. Neither number is a school assignment.
Which has the shorter commute to Downtown?
21 minutes from South Lamar to Downtown, 17 from South River City. South River City is the shorter weekday. Not this hour's traffic.
If you drop both
Closest official planning area that is not South Lamar or South River City: Zilker. Park first, houses second. Barton Springs and the trail set the pace; prices follow the shade.
Scores are relative among official Austin Neighborhood Planning Areas with the same editorial weights. Read the method.