Market Overview for Downtown
There are 230 active listings in Downtown with a median list price of $633K and a median sold price of $733K.
Homes average 87 days on market.
Over the past 30 days, 15 homes have sold, with 236 sales in the past 12 months.
The average price per square foot is $705.
About Downtown
Downtown Austin is the central business district of Austin, Texas, and the seat of both Travis County government and Texas state government. It is generally bounded by Lamar Boulevard on the west, Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard on the north, Interstate 35 on the east, and Lady Bird Lake on the south, and lies within the 78701 postal area. Several smaller districts sit inside it, among them the Congress Avenue corridor, the Second Street District, the Rainey Street Historic District, the Market and West End area, the Seaholm District and the Red River Cultural District. The Downtown Austin Alliance's 2026 State of Downtown report counted 13,976 residents living in 14,164 residential units, and 131,775 people working in the district.
The Texas State Capitol anchors the northern end of Congress Avenue. The building opened to the public on April 21, 1888 and was dedicated the following month; it stands 302.64 feet tall and contains about 360,000 square feet of floor space, set on 22 acres of grounds. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1970 and designated a National Historic Landmark in 1986. Two National Register historic districts run through downtown: the Sixth Street Historic District, listed on December 30, 1975, and the Congress Avenue Historic District, created on August 11, 1978. The housing stock is predominantly attached — high-rise condominiums, mid-rise apartments and loft conversions — with only a small number of detached houses surviving in the Judges Hill and Bremond Block areas.
Lady Bird Lake forms the southern edge. The Ann and Roy Butler Hike-and-Bike Trail runs about 10 miles around the reservoir, including a boardwalk along the south shore, and is maintained by the Austin Parks and Recreation Department with nonprofit partners. The Congress Avenue Bridge shelters a colony of Mexican free-tailed bats estimated at roughly 1.5 million, which emerge at dusk from mid-March through November. Waterloo Park — 11 acres with about 1.5 miles of trails and the 5,000-seat Moody Amphitheater — opened on August 14, 2021 as the first completed phase of the 35-acre Waterloo Greenway along Waller Creek. The Austin Convention Center closed in April 2025 and was demolished; a 620,000-square-foot replacement is under construction on the site and is scheduled to open in early 2029.
Living in Downtown
Downtown is an attached-housing district: condominium towers, mid-rise apartments and converted lofts make up nearly all of the residential stock, and buildings typically assign a fixed number of structured parking spaces per unit rather than providing driveways. Austin City Hall stands at 301 West Second Street and the Travis County courthouse complex sits along Guadalupe Street, so city, county and state offices are all inside the district boundary.
Public school students are zoned to Austin ISD, which covers the entire neighborhood polygon. The campuses serving different parts of downtown are Matthews and Bryker Woods elementary schools, O. Henry and Kealing middle schools, and Austin High School and McCallum High School.
Everyday errands are handled by ground-floor retail; the Downtown Austin Alliance counted more than 740 active retail storefronts in its 2026 report. Getting around combines CapMetro bus and rail service converging on the downtown station, short trips on foot, and driving, with Interstate 35 along the eastern edge and Cesar Chavez Street running east-west beside the lake. The Austin Convention Center rebuild will continue to affect traffic and sidewalk access around Second, Third and Trinity streets until the new building opens in 2029.
Things to Do in Downtown
- Texas State Capitol: The 1888 Capitol at the head of Congress Avenue stands 302.64 feet tall on 22 acres of grounds. A National Historic Landmark since 1986. Free self-guided and guided tours; grounds open daily.
- Ann and Roy Butler Hike-and-Bike Trail: About 10 miles of trail circling Lady Bird Lake, including a boardwalk along the south shore. Maintained by Austin Parks and Recreation with nonprofit partners. Free, open daily.
- Congress Avenue Bridge bat colony: A colony of Mexican free-tailed bats estimated at roughly 1.5 million roosts under the bridge and emerges at dusk from mid-March through November. Free to watch from the bridge and the adjacent lakeshore.
- Sixth Street Historic District: Listed on the National Register of Historic Places on December 30, 1975. A concentration of late-19th-century commercial buildings now occupied by live music venues, bars and restaurants.
- Waterloo Park and Moody Amphitheater: An 11-acre park with about 1.5 miles of trails and a 5,000-seat outdoor amphitheater, opened August 14, 2021 as the first phase of the 35-acre Waterloo Greenway along Waller Creek.
- Congress Avenue Historic District: Created on August 11, 1978, the district covers the avenue running south from the Capitol to Lady Bird Lake, lined with historic commercial frontages, shops and restaurants.
Major Employers in Downtown
- State of Texas (Government): The Capitol and the surrounding Capitol Complex of state agency offices occupy the northern end of the district, making state government the largest employment concentration downtown.
- City of Austin (Government): Austin City Hall is at 301 West Second Street, with municipal departments and council offices in and around the building.
- Travis County (Government): The county courthouse complex and county administrative offices sit along Guadalupe Street in the western half of downtown.
- Google (Technology): Google occupies the 35-story, 804,000-square-foot tower at 601 West Second Street under a lease running to 2038; the company confirmed its move into the building in 2025.
- Ascension Dell Seton Medical Center at The University of Texas (Healthcare): Opened in 2017 at 1500 Red River Street, the hospital is Central Texas's Level I trauma center and the primary teaching hospital for UT Austin's Dell Medical School.
Downtown Schools
Downtown Austin lies entirely within the Austin Independent School District. Because downtown spans several attendance zones, the campuses serving it differ by address: Matthews and Bryker Woods elementary schools, O. Henry and Kealing middle schools, and Austin High School and McCallum High School.
School District: Austin Independent School District
Public Schools
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the boundaries of Downtown Austin?
Downtown Austin is generally bounded by Lamar Boulevard on the west, Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard on the north, Interstate 35 on the east, and Lady Bird Lake on the south. It lies within the 78701 postal area in Travis County.
What school district serves Downtown Austin?
Austin ISD covers the entire downtown polygon. Campuses serving different parts of the district are Matthews and Bryker Woods elementary schools, O. Henry and Kealing middle schools, and Austin High School and McCallum High School.
How many people live in Downtown Austin?
The Downtown Austin Alliance's 2026 State of Downtown report counted 13,976 residents in 14,164 residential units, alongside 131,775 people working in the district on a typical day.
What kind of homes are in Downtown Austin?
The stock is almost entirely attached housing — high-rise condominiums, mid-rise apartments and loft conversions — with a small number of detached historic houses in the Judges Hill and Bremond Block areas. Current listings are shown on the Market Overview tab.
When can you see the Congress Avenue Bridge bats?
The colony of Mexican free-tailed bats under the Congress Avenue Bridge, estimated at roughly 1.5 million, emerges at dusk from mid-March through November. Viewing from the bridge and the lakeshore is free.
What is happening with the Austin Convention Center?
The original 365,000-square-foot building closed in April 2025 and was demolished. A 620,000-square-foot replacement is under construction on the same site and is scheduled to open in early 2029.
