Austin vs Orlando
Sun Belt real estate market comparison · data as of 2026-04
While Austin's tech-driven salaries average $99,897 and its market has corrected 16% to a $469,500 median, its ~2.07% property tax rate costs buyers roughly $5,400 more annually than Orlando's ~1.02% — a gap that compounds to $27,000 over five years on Orlando's $419,000 median.
Compare two markets
- Market A
Austin, TX
Tech capital working through a supply-driven price correction
$1,852/mo-0.8% HPI YoY2BR Fair Market Rent · HUD vintage 2026 FHFA HPI 502.8 (Austin-Round Rock, )
- Market B
Orlando, FL
Central Florida's tourism and tech corridor, balancing growth with Florida's insurance squeeze
$1,972/mo+2.5% HPI YoY2BR Fair Market Rent · HUD vintage 2026 FHFA HPI 460.4 (Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, )
The Verdict: Austin vs Orlando
Choose Austin
Choose Austin if you're a tech-sector professional or relocator who can absorb a ~2.07% property tax rate (~$9,700/year on today's median) in exchange for a job market anchored by Dell, Apple, Tesla, and Oracle — and you want to buy into a market that's already corrected 16% from its 2022 peak.
Choose Orlando
Choose Orlando if your income is closer to the national median and keeping fixed costs low is the priority: at a 1.02% property tax rate and a cost-of-living index of 90.6, you'll pay roughly $5,400 less in annual property taxes than an Austin buyer, with more inventory (13,222 active listings), slower-paced closings, and more room to negotiate.
The Deciding Factor
Property taxes: Austin's ~2.07% rate costs roughly $5,400 more per year than Orlando's ~1.02% on comparable homes — a gap that compounds into $27,000 over five years before insurance or income differences even enter the math.
Market Stats Comparison
| Metric | Austin | Buyer-favourable indicator | Orlando |
|---|---|---|---|
| HPI YoY change | -0.8% | +2.5% | |
| HPI QoQ change | -0.3% | +0.9% | |
| HPI index value | 502.8 | 460.4 | |
| Monthly building permits | 1,511 | 1,926 | |
| Permits YoY change | -34.0% | -21.7% | |
| Unemployment rate | 3.4% | 4.5% | |
| Population growth YoY | +2.67% | +1.29% | |
| 2BR Fair Market Rent | $1,852 | $1,972 |
HPI YoY change
HPI QoQ change
HPI index value
Monthly building permits
Permits YoY change
Unemployment rate
Population growth YoY
2BR Fair Market Rent
City Fundamentals
Demographics, taxes & livability · researched at generation time
| Category | Austin | Orlando |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 2.55M (2024 est., U.S. Census Bureau) · +10.8% (2019–2024) | 2.94M (July 2024 est., U.S. Census Bureau) · +10.0% (2019–2024 est.); +2.7% in 2024 alone — fastest among 30 largest MSAs |
| Median Household Income | $99,897 | $81,044 (ACS 2024 1-year, MSA-level) |
| Cost of Living | 113 (US avg = 100) | 90.6 (US avg = 100; C2ER / Orlando Economic Partnership 2025) |
| Unemployment Rate | 3.1% (Dec 2024, not seasonally adjusted) | 3.5% (November 2024, MSA-level) |
| State Income Tax | None (Texas has no state income tax) | None (Florida levies no state income tax) |
| Property Tax Rate | ~2.07% of assessed value (Travis County/Austin ISD; 1.8–2.4% across MSA) | ~1.02% of assessed value (Orange County avg; Homestead Exemption may reduce taxable value by up to $50,000) |
| Major Employers |
|
|
| Avg Commute | 28.2 min (one-way average, ACS 2024) | 29 min (one-way mean, ACS 2024 1-year MSA data) |
| Sunny Days / Year | 228 days per year (est.) | ~233 days per year (NOAA climate normals for Orlando) |
| Avg Summer High | 97°F (July average high) | ~92°F (July average high; humid subtropical climate) |
| Walkability | 40 (car-dependent; MSA est.) | ~46 (city proper; MSA broadly car-dependent given suburban sprawl) |
👥 Population
Austin
2.55M (2024 est., U.S. Census Bureau) · +10.8% (2019–2024)Orlando
2.94M (July 2024 est., U.S. Census Bureau) · +10.0% (2019–2024 est.); +2.7% in 2024 alone — fastest among 30 largest MSAs💰 Median Household Income
Austin
$99,897Orlando
$81,044 (ACS 2024 1-year, MSA-level)🛒 Cost of Living
Austin
113 (US avg = 100)Orlando
90.6 (US avg = 100; C2ER / Orlando Economic Partnership 2025)📊 Unemployment Rate
Austin
3.1% (Dec 2024, not seasonally adjusted)Orlando
3.5% (November 2024, MSA-level)🏛️ State Income Tax
Austin
None (Texas has no state income tax)Orlando
None (Florida levies no state income tax)🏠 Property Tax Rate
Austin
~2.07% of assessed value (Travis County/Austin ISD; 1.8–2.4% across MSA)Orlando
~1.02% of assessed value (Orange County avg; Homestead Exemption may reduce taxable value by up to $50,000)🏢 Major Employers
Austin
- Dell Technologies (HQ)
- Apple, Tesla, Oracle, SpaceX (major regional campuses)
- University of Texas at Austin & state government
- Samsung Semiconductors & tech/semiconductor sector broadly
Orlando
- Walt Disney World (~80,000+ cast members; largest single-site employer in US)
- AdventHealth & Orlando Health (leading healthcare systems)
- Lockheed Martin (defense/aerospace; lab & manufacturing)
- Universal Orlando Resort & hospitality/tourism sector
🚗 Avg Commute
Austin
28.2 min (one-way average, ACS 2024)Orlando
29 min (one-way mean, ACS 2024 1-year MSA data)☀️ Sunny Days / Year
Austin
228 days per year (est.)Orlando
~233 days per year (NOAA climate normals for Orlando)🌡️ Avg Summer High
Austin
97°F (July average high)Orlando
~92°F (July average high; humid subtropical climate)🚶 Walkability
Austin
40 (car-dependent; MSA est.)Orlando
~46 (city proper; MSA broadly car-dependent given suburban sprawl)Data researched via AI at time of comparison generation. Figures are estimates — verify with official sources before making financial decisions.
AI Analysis: Austin vs Orlando
Generated April 2026 · SunBeltPulse Research
Key Takeaways
- Austin has corrected roughly 16% from its mid-2024 peak to a March 2026 median of $469,500 — the sharpest pullback of any major Sun Belt metro — while Orlando's median has barely moved, sitting at $419,000 with a nearly flat -0.2% year-over-year change.
- Austin's property tax rate (~2.07%) is approximately double Orlando's (~1.02%), meaning an Austin buyer pays an estimated $5,400 more per year in property taxes even on a lower-priced home than Austin's current median.
- Orlando carries more active listings (13,222 vs. 10,147) and slower sales pace (67 days on market vs. 53), giving buyers more negotiating leverage, while Austin's recent inventory compression to 2.4 months of supply and a +3.2% month-over-month price jump suggest its correction may be nearing a floor.
- Austin's median household income of $99,897 outpaces Orlando's $81,044 by roughly 23%, reflecting a tech-anchored job base, but Austin's cost of living index of 113 versus Orlando's 90.6 means that income advantage is partially absorbed by higher everyday expenses.
- Orlando's 28% cash buyer share — elevated partly by short-term rental investors — faces a headwind from Florida's worsening homeowners insurance market and tightening STR regulations, a risk factor largely absent in Austin's buyer composition.
**Price Trends & Entry Point**
Austin and Orlando tell very different stories on price trajectory over the past 24 months. Austin peaked at roughly $560,000 in mid-2024 and has since corrected to a March 2026 median of $469,500 — a decline of approximately 16% from that peak and a year-over-year drop of **-7.9%**. That correction is among the steepest in the Sun Belt, driven by a massive wave of new supply: roughly 31,000 apartment units delivered in 2024 alone pushed rents down 17–22% from their 2022 highs and softened for-sale demand simultaneously. Orlando, by contrast, has been remarkably stable. Its median price drifted from roughly $440,000 in April 2024 to a March 2026 reading of $419,000 — a modest slide of about 5% over two years — with a year-over-year change of just **-0.2%**. In absolute dollar terms, Austin still carries a $50,500 price premium over Orlando ($469,500 vs. $419,000), but buyers targeting Austin are purchasing at a meaningful discount to where that market was 18 months ago, while Orlando buyers are entering near a plateau that has shown little volatility in either direction.
**Inventory Conditions & Market Balance**
Both markets have loosened from the extreme tightness of 2022–2023, but they've done so in distinct ways. Austin's inventory has been volatile, swinging from a low of 1.7 months of supply in April 2024 to a peak of 5.7 months in December 2025 before compressing sharply to **2.4 months** by March 2026. That compression — from a clear buyer's market in late 2025 to borderline balanced conditions today — combined with a +3.2% month-over-month price uptick suggests early signs of stabilization, though with 10,147 active listings and 53 days on market, sellers are still competing. Orlando's inventory trajectory has been steadier: supply climbed from 2.1 months in April 2024 to a peak of 4.5 months in December 2025, then settled back to exactly **3.0 months** in March 2026 — a textbook balanced market. Homes are taking longer to sell in Orlando (**67 days on market** vs. 53 in Austin), and with 13,222 active listings across a slightly larger metro, buyers there have more selection and less urgency pressure than in Austin.
**Market Velocity & Buyer Composition**
Austin's faster days-on-market figure (53 vs. 67) and its sharper recent inventory compression suggest more transactional momentum despite the correction. Cash buyers account for **25.2%** of Austin closings versus **28%** in Orlando — both elevated above national norms, but Orlando's higher cash share reflects its historically investor-heavy, short-term-rental-driven demand base. That dynamic is now under pressure: Florida's escalating homeowners insurance costs and tightening STR regulations are pulling investor appetite back, which could weigh on resale values in Orlando's investment-concentrated submarkets. Austin's cash buyer share, while also significant, skews more toward tech-sector relocators and institutional buyers betting on the correction bottom.
**Economic Fundamentals & Livability Trade-Offs**
The two metros diverge sharply on economic profile and cost structure. Austin's median household income of **$99,897** is roughly 23% higher than Orlando's **$81,044**, reflecting its tech-heavy employer base (Dell, Apple, Tesla, Oracle, Samsung's new Taylor semiconductor fab). Austin's cost of living index of **113** is meaningfully above the U.S. average, while Orlando's **90.6** makes it one of the more affordable large Sun Belt metros on an all-in basis. Property taxes represent perhaps the starkest structural difference: Austin/Travis County buyers face an effective rate of approximately **2.07%** of assessed value, which on a $469,500 home translates to roughly $9,700 annually. Orlando/Orange County buyers pay closer to **1.02%** — roughly $4,270 on a $419,000 home — less than half the annual tax burden, partially offsetting Florida's insurance cost headwinds. Both states have no income tax. Population growth has been strong in both metros (+10.8% in Austin vs. +10.0% in Orlando since 2019), though Orlando logged the fastest single-year growth among the 30 largest MSAs in 2024 at +2.7%, adding demand that continues to support its price floor.