Top Gay Family Cities: Austin
Friday, June 25, 2010 7:00:25 AM

Nestled among the rolling hills and lakes of Central Texas, the “Live Music Capital of the World,” ranks high on the list of “best cities.”

The reasons abound: Austin is an educational Mecca with its many area universities—including award-winning public and private schools. Austin families may be overwhelmed by the diverse options in education, including 29 public school districts, 17 charter schools and 69 public schools.

Austin is well-known for offering affordable living due to its low tax burden, competitive regulatory environment and home prices. In 2009, the median home price in Austin was $187,400.

Another perk: Texas features no personal or corporate income tax, and the state has one of the lowest state and local tax rates in the nation. Austin is also known for its progressive culture and a strong local LGBT community.

Austin boasts a naturally-temperate year-round climate, with 300 days of sunshine a year. Summers are hot; winters are mild. The city thrives on the outdoors.

Nature trails, parks, and wilderness preserves offer an oasis in the heart of the city. Town Lake bisects the center of downtown, and is bordered by miles of trails for joggers, walker, and cyclists. The city of Austin alone boasts 14,300 acres of parks. Austin’s arts and entertainment scene offers world-class events, coupled with a hearty, community spirit of do-it-yourself art.

Austin is one of a few cities in the U.S. with its own professional symphony, ballet, opera, and theatre companies. Dozens of theatres, dance companies and orchestras provide year-round entertainment opportunities. The city is hip and trendy. Its large creative population—musicians and artists—enhance the city’s eclectic feel.

2009 accolades and awards for the city include:

• The Advocate ranked Austin 9th in their report on the top 15 gay-friendly cities in the U.S.
• US News ranked Austin #3 on its detailed report for the Best Places to Live.
• Forbes worked with Moody’s Economy.com to compile a list of the country’s real estate markets that are nearest to recovery and placed Austin in its yearly “America’s 25 Strongest Housing Markets” list.
• MSNBC.com took five of the leading “best places” lists and merged their results while naming Austin #8 in its “Top 10 Places To Live In The U.S.” list.
• With a high-tech workforce of more than 54,000, Austin ranks seventh on the “Nation’s Biggest Tech Cities” list from Bizjournals.com.
• On Forbes’ “America’s Best Bargain Cities” list, Austin ranked #1 out of the country’s top 50 major metropolitan areas.
• According to Bizjournals.com, Austin is expected to be the 5th fastest growing city from 2005-2025. The Austin-Round Rock area is expected to reach 2.7 million people.

Texas: Permits single GLBT adoption. Joint adoption unclear. Second-parent adoption allowed in some areas.

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