71fit
Downtown
$3K median rent
Rainey, Sixth, and the warehouse blocks live here. Highest walk score, highest nightlife, and a crime rate inflated by visitors.
NightlifeWalk 100Safety 0
Austin/South River City
37fit
South River City
Official planning area: South River City
Data vintage. ACS 2024 5-year · APD Sep 2025 – Aug 2026 · OSM Aug 2026 · updated Sep 2026
Travis Heights oaks on the east side of Congress. Porches, hills, and a walk to the lake.
travis heightssouth congresssoco
Best in Austin for familiesWalkable AustinUnder $2,500 rent
Why this score
Safety
32
13 violent · 225 property · 46.3 per 1k (Sep 2025 – Aug 2026)-18 vs city set
Schools
77
Rating 8.1 / 10 nearby+23 vs city set
Walk
9
OSM: 6 groceries · 4 cafes · 23 transit · 12 parks-9 vs city set
Cost
100
$1,894 ACS median vs your rent budget+3 vs city set
Vibe
7
OSM: 4 cafes · 24 restaurants · 5 bars · 12 parks-7 vs city set
Commute to work
From South River City, a typical weekday is 17 min to Downtown, 24 min to UT campus, 39 min to The Domain. Not live traffic.
Downtown is the fastest of these three job centers from here.
Downtown
17 min
Rainey, Sixth, Capitol · -3 min vs the city-set median · fastest of these three
UT campus
24 min
Forty Acres · +4 min vs the city-set median
The Domain
39 min
North Burnet tech · +13 min vs the city-set median
Minutes are baked from neighborhood geography to three job centers — not Google, not this hour’s traffic.
Cost of living
The ACS median rent is $1,894 — every occupied rental mixed together, not the 1-bed in the window.
That is 19% of median household income — under the 30% HUD line. A household at this area’s median income ($120K) could “afford” about $2,988 a month at 30% of pay.
57% of households rent. Median home value is $1,118,895.
ACS median rent
$1,894
30% income budget
$2,988
Rent / income
19%
Median home
$1,118,895
Rent since 2014
ACS 5-year median gross rent for Austin city. Up 71% since 2014. South River City 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. The dashed mark is this area’s ACS 2024 median.
HUD treats 30% of income as the cost-burden line. We do not split ACS rent into 1-bed vs 2-bed. Method.
Within a walk
Within a short walk of this official planning area: 6 groceries, 4 cafes, 12 parks, and 23 transit stops.
A grocery run on foot is possible; some trips will still need a ride. Parks are close — 12 mapped parks in that radius. Transit is dense (23 stops or stations).
4 cafes and 24 restaurants make this one of the busier food pockets in the Austin set.
OpenStreetMap, 800 meters. Not a Walk Score license. More groceries than 15 of the other 19 areas in this city.
Population
5,140
Median age
36.6
Median income
$120K
Renters
57%
Bachelor+
78%
Violent / 1k
2.5
Property / 1k
43.8
ACS 2024 5-year (2020-2024) · 2 census tracts · APD Sep 2025 – Aug 2026 · OSM 2026-08-31
WaterfrontFamily streets
Crime is APD Part I reports per 1,000 ACS residents — not a judgment of who lives here. Home and rent figures are ACS medians, not live MLS. Read the method.
On the ground
What it is like to live here, beyond the scores.
South River City is the official name; Travis Heights is what people search. Live oaks, hills, and 1920s houses on the east side of Congress, with a walk down to the lake. It is Bouldin’s calmer twin: same south-central gravity, more porches, fewer souvenir shops on your block.
The hills are not a metaphor — errands can be a climb, and parking on festival weekends backs up from the trail. Schools and trees lead the scores. Nightlife is next door on Congress, not on your porch, which is why people pay for it.
Compiled from Zillow neighborhood guides, 5280 Magazine, Chicago and San Francisco resident guides, Mpls With Love, Eastside LA reporting, Seattle Times coverage, Boston planning-neighborhood writing, and local writing, 2025–2026. Editorial — not part of the fit score.
Reported here lately
City 311 service requests in this official unit, last 14 days. This is what neighbors filed with the city — not a chat thread, and not part of the fit score.
80 reports
- Parking Violation Enforcement7
- Compost7
- Recycling7
- Code Officer6
- Short Term Rental5
- Parking Violation Enforcement
- Parking Violation Enforcement
- Parking Violation Enforcement
- Animal Protection - Animal Bite
- Parking Violation Enforcement
City of Austin 311 public data, last 14 days. Mapped to Neighborhood Planning Areas. No street addresses stored. Method.
On Reddit
Public posts from r/Austin that mention this neighborhood. Not Nextdoor, not people on this block, and not part of the fit score.
In r/Austin lately: traffic.
- Helicopter over St. Eds/Travis Heights
r/Austin · Jul 12 · 8 comments
The line above is a reading of the titles, not a verdict. Up to 3 links, last 90 days, snapshot 2026-09-01. Method.
Common questions
Straight answers from the numbers on this page.
Is South River City safe?
South River City shows more Part I than most of this Austin set (safety 32 vs city 50). APD logged 2.5 violent and 43.8 property incidents per 1,000 residents — 46.3 combined. Visitors count in those numbers. This is not a judgment of who lives here.
What is rent in South River City?
ACS median rent is $1,894 — studios through large apartments mixed together. About 57% of households rent. Median home value is $1,118,895. Survey medians, not a listing you can message tonight.
Is South River City walkable?
Walk is 9 here vs 18 for the Austin set — you will likely drive or ride for a weekly shop. Inside 800 meters: 6 groceries, 4 cafes, 23 transit stops, 12 parks. Not a Walk Score license.
Is South River City good for families?
The scores lean family relative to this city set. Nearby school rating is 8.1 / 10. Median age is 36.6. That rating is not your assigned campus.
How long is the commute from South River City?
17 typical weekday minutes to Downtown. Not the app on your phone this hour. Other job centers are further down this page.
How many people live in South River City?
About 5,140 people. Median income $120K. 78% have a bachelor's or higher.
What neighborhoods are next to South River City?
Bouldin Creek, South Lamar, Zilker sit closest on this map. If you are choosing between two official planning areas, start with South River City vs Bouldin Creek.
Next door
Adjacent on the map, ranked with your weights.
South River City vs Bouldin CreekSouth River City vs South LamarSouth River City vs Zilker
46fit
Zilker
$2K median rent
Park first, houses second. Barton Springs and the trail set the pace; prices follow the shade.
WaterfrontFamily streetsWalk 9Safety 74
43fit
Bouldin Creek
$2K median rent
West of South Congress: cottages, food trailers, and the SoCo strip on the doorstep.
NightlifeWalk 28Safety 21
35fit
South Lamar
$2K median rent
The corridor south of the river: retail, apartments, and a faster pulse than Barton Hills.
Walk 11Safety 42
31fit
Govalle
$2K median rent
Further east, still in the city. More yard, fewer bars, a value contrast to Cesar Chavez.
Family streetsWalk 16Safety 26