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 Situated on the Colorado River at the edge of the Hill Country, Austin is the capital of the Lone Star State.
Austin is one of the top ten fastest-growing large metropolitan areas in the nation and as of 2006, the U.S. Census estimates Austin’s population at 709,893. The Greater Austin metropolitan area is comprised of Travis, Williamson, Hays, Bastrop and Caldwell Counties. The MSA includes the cities of Austin, Cedar Park, Pflugerville, Leander, Round Rock, Georgetown, San Marcos, Lockhart, Bastrop, Taylor and Lakeway and is estimated to have a current population of 1.6 million people.
Austin is the 16th largest city in the nation and home to the University of Texas, numerous high-tech companies, and a thriving film and music industry. Austin’s strong business climate, highly educated populace, and lower business costs continue to attract companies wishing to relocate or expand their operations. With eight universities and colleges and a combined enrollment of 118,000, employers have access to a large labor pool.
The Austin MSA population skyrocketed from 1990-2005, adding more than 655,000 people, a 77.5 percent jump. By 2012, Austin’s projected growth, according to Forbes Magazine, based on data from Moody’s Economy.com, is expected to increase 15% bringing the area population to 1.78 million. Austin ranks number one on the large metropolitan areas for growth potential. Forbes, based on the latest forecast data from Moody’s Economy.com, overall ranked Austin 3rd for Best Cities for jobs (1st for income growth and 2nd for employment growth with three additional variables being cost of living, median household income and unemployment) in a list of the 100 largest metropolitan areas. In 2006, Austin was named No. 1 Best Big City in "Best Places to Live" by Money magazine and the "Greenest City in America" by MSN. CNN Headline News and Travel and Leisure ranks Austin #2 on the list of cities with the best people referring to the personalities and attributes of the citizens.
Entrepreneur.com ranked the city as the ninth hottest city for entrepreneurs. One of Austin’s strongest competitive advantages is its intellectual capital base. Austin surpassed larger and more diverse cities in terms of patents during the 1990s and continues to far exceed the national average in patent development today. With job growth accelerating, Austin is projected to again be one of the top performing metropolitan areas in the nation.
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