Family from New England (Austin, Howe: rent, crime rates, home)

[GypsyBlood802]

We are a young family trying to get out of the harsh winters and small town vibes. My husband is the sole provider, managing an Irish Pub kitchen (making around 32K/year) and I am a stay at home mom. We pay $800/month in rent plus an additional $300+ in utilities and heat.
How are the cost of living and job opportunities in Austin? Given the information I gave on what we survive on now, would we be able to find jobs and housing that would be comparable? How safe is Austin? What about the pubic schools? Any information would be appreciated. Thanks

[hoffdano]

Originally Posted by GypsyBlood802

We are a young family trying to get out of the harsh winters and small town vibes. My husband is the sole provider, managing an Irish Pub kitchen (making around 32K/year) and I am a stay at home mom. We pay $800/month in rent plus an additional $300+ in utilities and heat.
How are the cost of living and job opportunities in Austin? Given the information I gave on what we survive on now, would we be able to find jobs and housing that would be comparable? How safe is Austin? What about the pubic schools? Any information would be appreciated. Thanks

You probably know the restaurant business is volatile with lots of turnover. That also means there are always jobs. However I don't know how to find them.

Public schools in the Austin area are generally quite good. Some are very good. A few are not good. It really depends on the school districts and sometimes the specific campuses. The Austin area is covered by at least eight school districts, each with different qualities. This is typical of Texas.

Most parts of Austin are very safe. We generally have very low violent crime rates and this has been true for a long time. Austin seems to have higher property crime rates, but it appears we have mostly petty crimes.

My first thought is that much of the growth in Austin is outside the city core - which means the restaurant business is growing there. The schools are generally good to very good. The city core is expensive though highly desirable to many. Public schools in Austin proper are highly variable.