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Austin vs Riverside for digital nomads
Austin, TX and Riverside, CA compared on 24 measures for people who work remotely, as of October 2026. Every figure links to its source on the city pages.
Riverside is the cheaper city to rent in near downtown: a 1-bedroom is $1,700 a month against $1,730 in Austin, 2% less on HUD's FY2027 Small Area Fair Market Rent for the ZIP codes near the center. Metro-wide the figures are $1,530 and $1,705. Austin is more walkable downtown (15.8 vs 13.3 out of 20 on the EPA index). Across the 20 measures with a clear winner, Austin comes out ahead on 15 and Riverside on 5: Austin has cheaper metro-wide rent, lower home prices, a more walkable center, more car-free households, while Riverside has cheaper rent near downtown, cheaper Airbnb stays, milder winters, more free camping nearby.
- Rent, 1-bed
- $1,730 vs $1,700HUD, utilities in
- Walkability
- 15.8 vs 13.3out of 20
- Airbnb night
- $246 vs $235entire home
- Breweries
- 43 vs 7open, in city
- Measures won
- 15 vs 5of 20 judged
Austin and Riverside, measure by measure
A dot marks the better figure where one is clearly better: lower for costs, higher for walkability, bike network, car-free households, clean air and breweries. Weather is shown without a verdict.
| Measure | Austin | Riverside | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1-bedroom rent near downtown, HUD small-area rent | $1,730 | $1,700 | HUD SAFMR FY2027 |
| 1-bedroom rent, whole metro area | $1,530 | $1,705 | HUD FY2027 |
| Studio rent near downtown, HUD | $1,630 | $1,600 | HUD FY2027 |
| 1-bedroom, paid by current tenants | $1,593 | $1,786 | Census ACS 2024 1-year |
| Typical asking rent, all homes | $1,586 | $2,444 | Zillow ZORI |
| Typical home value | $497,418 | $645,110 | Zillow ZHVI |
| Airbnb, entire home, per night | $246 | $235 | Inside Airbnb median / AirROI median |
| Walkability within 2 miles of downtown, out of 20 | 15.8 | 13.3 | EPA |
| Households with no car | 7.4% | 5.9% | Census ACS 2024 1-year |
| Commute by public transit | 3% | 1.5% | Census ACS 2024 1-year |
| Single transit ride | $1.25 | $1.75 | CapMetro / Riverside Transit Agency |
| Bike network score, out of 100 | 36 | 26 | PeopleForBikes 2026 |
| Fastest advertised home internet | 8 Gbps | 5 Gbps | Google Fiber / AT&T |
| Cheapest advertised internet plan | $45 / mo | n/a | advertised |
| July average high | 97°F | 93°F | NOAA normals |
| January average low | 42°F | 44°F | NOAA normals |
| Rain and melted snow per year | 36 in | 9 in | NOAA normals |
| Days with good air, latest full year | 159 | 39 | EPA 2025 |
| Unemployment rate, county | 3.9% | 6.2% | BLS |
| Cafes within 2 miles of downtown | 124 | 13 | OpenStreetMap |
| Coworking spaces within 2 miles | 10 | 0 | OpenStreetMap |
| Open breweries in the city | 43 | 7 | Open Brewery DB |
| Free dispersed camping areas within 50 miles | 0 | 8 | Forest Service and BLM |
| Population | 993,771 | 323,792 | Census ACS 2024 1-year |
Full receipts, with the page each number was read from and the date: Austin, TX and Riverside, CA.
Questions people ask
Is Austin or Riverside cheaper to live in?
Riverside is the cheaper city to rent in near downtown: a 1-bedroom is $1,700 a month against $1,730 in Austin, 2% less on HUD's FY2027 Small Area Fair Market Rent for the ZIP codes near the center. Metro-wide the figures are $1,530 and $1,705. For a studio it is $1,630 in Austin and $1,600 in Riverside, and typical home values are $497,418 and $645,110 (Zillow). As of October 2026.
Which is more walkable, Austin or Riverside?
Austin. Within 2 miles of downtown the EPA National Walkability Index gives Austin 15.8 and Riverside 13.3 out of 20. 7.4% of Austin households and 5.9% of Riverside households own no car.
Which has faster internet, Austin or Riverside?
Austin, on paper. The fastest advertised home plan is 8 Gbps from Google Fiber in Austin and 5 Gbps from AT&T in Riverside. Both are advertised top speeds, not measured ones, and most plans are far slower.
Which has milder winters, Austin or Riverside?
Riverside. The average January low is 42°F in Austin and 44°F in Riverside; July highs average 97°F and 93°F (NOAA 30-year normals).
Which has more breweries, Austin or Riverside?
Austin: 43 open breweries inside Austin and 7 inside Riverside on Open Brewery DB. Per 100,000 residents that is 4.3 and 2.2. Austin list, Riverside list.