Moving to Austin: What to Know Before You Pack the Truck

Moving to Austin, Texas means choosing a district first, then handling a short list of state deadlines: register your vehicle within 30 days, and swap your out-of-state driver license within 90 days. Austin had 1,002,632 residents on July 1, 2025, according to the US Census Bureau's Vintage 2025 estimate, and the four central districts newcomers ask about most are Downtown, South Congress, Sixth Street and Rainey Street.

This guide covers those districts, getting around, the weather hazards on the city's own risk list, and the official steps. It does not cover suburbs outside the city limits.

Which Austin district should you live near: Downtown, South Congress, Sixth Street or Rainey Street?

The four districts sit within a few miles of each other, but they feel different at 11 p.m. Pick by noise tolerance and by how often you want to walk to dinner.

Downtown

Downtown Austin takes in several entertainment districts, including the 2nd Street District and Historic Sixth Street, and Visit Austin's downtown page lists ACL Live at the Moody Theater, with almost 3,000 seats, among its venues. Visit Austin also notes you can walk from Sixth Street to Rainey Street in under ten minutes. Downtown suits people who want to skip a car for daily errands and accept high-rise living and event crowds.

South Congress

South Congress, called SoCo, is a pedestrian-friendly avenue of boutiques, coffee, cocktails and restaurants, with live music seven days a week according to Visit Austin. The Continental Club, at 1315 South Congress Avenue in Austin, says it has hosted live music every night of the week. SoCo is the choice for people who want a walkable strip but a calmer, more residential feel than downtown after dark.

Sixth Street

Sixth Street is a downtown strip of bars, restaurants and entertainment venues. It closes to through traffic Thursday through Saturday nights, and The Driskill Hotel, built in 1886, is the landmark Visit Austin lists on Historic Sixth Street. Living on or beside it means late-night noise on weekends. Most newcomers visit it rather than rent on it.

Rainey Street

Rainey Street was a quiet residential street of historic bungalows before the renovated houses became bars and restaurants. It sits at the edge of downtown by Lady Bird Lake, and the restaurant Emmer & Rye cooks at 51 Rainey Street. It suits people who want lake access and the downtown core within minutes on foot.

How do the four compare?

• Downtown: walkable errands, event crowds, mostly apartments and condos.
• South Congress: a shopping and dining avenue with live music nightly, residential streets nearby.
• Sixth Street: the loudest option, closed to cars Thursday through Saturday nights.
• Rainey Street: bungalow bars and lakeside, a ten-minute walk from Sixth Street.

Visit each on a weekday evening and a Saturday night before signing a lease. The difference is large.

How much does it cost to live in Austin?

Housing is the biggest variable, and it moves too fast for a fixed number to stay true. For current citywide medians, open the US Census Bureau's QuickFacts table for Austin city, which lists median gross rent and median home value from the latest five-year American Community Survey. Those are whole-city medians, so asking rents in the central districts above can run higher.

The fixed costs are easier to pin down. As listed by the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles in November 2026, bringing a car costs a $50.75 base registration fee plus $1 for TexasSure, before county fees, along with a $90 new-resident fee or the sales-tax difference. Transit costs are in the next section.

The Texas Comptroller lists the state sales tax at 6.25 percent, with local jurisdictions able to add up to 2 percent for a combined maximum of 8.25 percent.

How do you get around Austin without a car?

CapMetro, the regional transit agency, runs buses, the Rapid routes, the Pickup on-demand shuttle in limited zones and commuter rail on Route 550. As listed on the CapMetro fares page in November 2026, a standard local single ride is $1.25 and a reduced fare is $0.60. A standard monthly pass is $41.25 per calendar month.

CapMetro also caps fares: after two paid rides in a service day, the rest are free, so the daily cost tops out at $2.50 for a standard fare. Pay by tapping a phone or contactless card on the bus scanner, or buy passes in the Umo app. CapMetro revises fares from time to time, so confirm current amounts on capmetro.org.

From Austin-Bergstrom International Airport, CapMetro Route 20 reaches downtown and the University of Texas campus in about 35 minutes, from the lower-level stop outside baggage claim. Route 483 Night Owl covers the airport after midnight.

Most newcomers outside the central districts still end up with a car, which brings the next section.

What are the Texas steps after you arrive?

Texas sets separate clocks for your car, your license and your vote. Do them in the order below, because the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) asks for your vehicle registration before it issues a license.

1. Register your vehicle within 30 days

The Texas Department of Motor Vehicles (TxDMV) gives new residents 30 days from moving to register a vehicle. Travis County, which includes Austin, is one of the emissions-inspection counties, so a passing emissions inspection comes first. Texas requires liability insurance of at least $30,000 per injured person, $60,000 per accident and $25,000 for property damage. Then visit your county tax assessor-collector office with proof of insurance and ownership, and complete Form 130-U if it is your first Texas registration.

TxDMV lists base registration at $50.75 plus $1 for TexasSure, so $51.75 before county fees, along with a $90 new-resident fee or the difference between your previous state's sales tax and Texas's, whichever applies. A $200 annual fee applies to electric vehicles of 10,000 pounds or less at renewal.

2. Swap your driver license within 90 days

DPS lets you drive on a valid, unexpired out-of-state license for up to 90 days after moving to Texas. You surrender the old license, and if it came from a US state, territory or Canada, you skip the knowledge and skills exams. For drivers 18 and older, a license expired no more than two years also qualifies for the exam waiver. Check the DPS Moving to Texas page for fees and appointment rules before you go.

3. Register to vote

The Texas Secretary of State says you must be a US citizen, live in the county where you register and be 18 or older (registration is possible at 17 years and 10 months). You complete the online application, print it and mail it to the Travis County voter registrar. You are not registered until the mailed form arrives. Check the deadline for each election at VoteTexas.gov.

4. Start your utilities

Austin Energy is a department of the City of Austin. New customers start service through the City of Austin Utilities site, coautilities.com, or by calling 512-494-9400.

What weather should newcomers in Austin plan for?

Flooding comes first: the City of Austin's emergency management hazard risk index calls it the most serious hazard for the Austin area, a threat across the whole city year-round. Wildfire, tornado, winter storm and extreme heat are also on that list.

• Flood: flooding can occur anywhere in Austin, not just in creek or river floodplains. Check road closures at atxfloods.com. Never drive around a barricade.
• Wildfire: homes that survive a major wildfire usually do so because owners prepared ahead. Look up your address on the city's wildfire resources and the Wildfire Coalition site.
• Tornado: the city warns a tornado can devastate a neighborhood in seconds. Know your shelter spot before storm season.
• Winter storm: the city says storms range from a few hours of moderate snow to a blizzard. Check road conditions at drivetexas.org.
• Extreme heat: older adults, young children and people who are sick are most at risk, and the city ties most heat illness to overexertion.

City preparedness resources are at readycentraltexas.org, and the site has a weather page for current conditions. Ask any landlord whether a unit has flooded and where the water shutoff is.

What do newcomers find out the hard way?

In the Greater Austin Area, 75 percent of flood fatalities are automobile related, according to the City of Austin's hazard page. Dry creek crossings can become impassable fast, so a barricade means turn around.

Second, traffic and parking around Sixth Street change on Thursday through Saturday nights, when the street closes to through traffic. Plan rides and parking for those nights.

Third, explore before you commit. Zilker, East Austin and Mueller are all inside the city and worth a weekend visit. The list of Austin areas shows them all.

What should you do in your first 90 days in Austin?

Work through this checklist in order and you will hit every state deadline.

• Week 1: start City of Austin utilities and renter or homeowner insurance.
• Before day 30: pass the emissions inspection, buy Texas-minimum liability insurance and register your vehicle at the Travis County tax office.
• Before day 90: surrender your out-of-state license at DPS and get a Texas license.
• Any time: mail your voter registration to the Travis County voter registrar.
• Before the first storm: bookmark atxfloods.com and drivetexas.org, and learn your tornado shelter spot.
• First weekend: walk Sixth Street to Rainey Street, then eat on South Congress.

How we chose

We kept to official sources: TxDMV, DPS, the Texas Secretary of State, the Texas Comptroller, CapMetro, the City of Austin, the US Census Bureau and Visit Austin. Costs are dated in the text, and most district notes come from Visit Austin's entertainment-district pages. See also where to eat in Austin for your first meals.

Last verified: November 2026.

Frequently asked questions

How long do you have to get a Texas driver license after moving to Austin?

You have up to 90 days. The Texas Department of Public Safety lets you drive on a valid, unexpired out-of-state license for that period. Register your vehicle first, since DPS asks for it.

How long do you have to register your car in Texas after moving?

The Texas Department of Motor Vehicles gives new residents 30 days to register a vehicle. Travis County requires an emissions inspection first, plus liability insurance and a visit to the county tax assessor-collector.

Can you live in Austin without a car?

Yes, in the central districts. CapMetro buses, Rapid routes and Pickup serve the city, and downtown, South Congress and Rainey Street are walkable. Check the CapMetro fares page for current amounts.

What is the biggest weather risk in Austin?

Flooding. The City of Austin's emergency management hazard risk index calls it the most serious hazard, and it can happen anywhere in the city, not only near creeks. Wildfire, tornado, winter storm and extreme heat are also on the city's list.

How do you register to vote after moving to Austin?

Complete the online application on the Texas Secretary of State site, then print, sign and mail it to the Travis County voter registrar. The online form alone does not register you; the mailed paper copy does.