Austin/Compare
South River City vs Zilker
South River City and Zilker are two official planning areas in Austin. Zilker is the calmer Part I map (74 vs 32). Walk is a wash (9 vs 9). South River City has the lower ACS median ($1,894).
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 River City | Zilker |
|---|---|---|
| Safety | 32 | 74 |
| Schools | 77 | 93 |
| Walk | 9 | 9 |
| Cost fit | 100 | 100 |
| Vibe | 7 | 15 |
| Median rent | $1,894 | $2,175 |
| Median home | $1,118,895 | $1,006,854 |
| Population | 5,140 | 10,882 |
| Commute to Downtown | 17 min | 17 min |
| Commute to UT campus | 24 min | 22 min |
| Commute to The Domain | 39 min | 35 min |
Living numbers
Who rents, how old, how much crime, how many shops — beside the scores.
| Fact | South River City | Zilker |
|---|---|---|
| Renters | 57% | 64% |
| Median age | 36.6 | 34.4 |
| Median income | $120K | $132K |
| Part I per 1k | 46.3 | 35.4 |
| Groceries / 800m | 6 | 4 |
| Transit stops / 800m | 23 | 24 |
| Parks / 800m | 12 | 5 |
| 311 last 14 days | 80 | 172 |
Rent
Rent since 2014
ACS 5-year median gross rent for Austin city. Up 71% since 2014. S. River is 10% above the 2024 city median. Zilker is 26% 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 River City if the rent gap is the point. ACS median rent is $1,894 vs $2,175. Read both pages before you decide.
Pick Zilker if the quieter map matters more than the scene and the school rating nearby is the point. Safety is 74 vs 32. Schools score 93 vs 77. Vibe is 15 vs 7. Read both pages before you decide.
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
Zilker
Park first, houses second. Barton Springs and the trail set the pace; prices follow the shade.
$2,175 median rent · safety 74 · walk 9
Common questions
Same pair, said in questions. The numbers are in the tables.
Which is cheaper, South River City or Zilker?
South River City is the lower ACS median: $1,894 vs $2,175. About 57% rent in South River City vs 64% in Zilker. Survey medians, not a listing you can message tonight.
Is South River City more walkable than Zilker?
Walk is basically a tie (9 vs 9). Count groceries if you care: 6 in South River City vs 4 in Zilker, inside 800 meters.
Which is safer on this map, South River City or Zilker?
Zilker is the calmer Part I read (74 vs 32). Combined rate 35.4 vs 46.3 per 1,000. Visitors count in those numbers.
Which scores higher for families, South River City or Zilker?
Zilker leads the school axis (93 vs 77). Nearby rating is 8.6 / 10 vs 8.1 / 10. Median age 34.4 vs 36.6. Neither number is a school assignment.
Which has the shorter commute to Downtown?
17 minutes from South River City to Downtown, 17 from Zilker. A wash on this estimate. Not this hour's traffic.
If you drop both
Closest official planning area that is not South River City or Zilker: Bouldin Creek. West of South Congress: cottages, food trailers, and the SoCo strip on the doorstep.
Scores are relative among official Austin Neighborhood Planning Areas with the same editorial weights. Read the method.