America Added Millions of Households—but Austin’s Growth Is in a League of Its Own

Real Estate News & Market Insights:

America added millions of households over the past decade. But one metro is in a league of its own: Austin, TX, has added 51% more households in the same time.

Nationally, households grew about 13% from 2014 to 2024, according to a new analysis by the National Association of Realtors®.

“Growth surged during the [COVID-19] pandemic, but even now, Austin is still expanding about 2.5 times faster than the U.S. overall,” Nadia Evangelou, principal economist and author of the study, tells Realtor.com®.

“That tells you this isn’t a short-term boom—it’s sustained economic momentum. It’s strong job growth, business expansion, and long-term opportunity all working together. That combination keeps pulling people in, and that translates directly into steady housing demand.”

In her analysis, Evangelou points out that some metro areas change their geographic coverage when the Office of Management and Budget updates metro delineations. This analysis concentrated on metro areas with unchanged geographic coverage over the 10-year period.

All about Austin

The Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX, metro went from 703,976 households in 2014 to 1,061,155 in 2024—an increase of 357,179, according to NAR.

“What makes Austin especially unique is that its growth isn’t dominated by just one age group,” Evangelou points out. “Yes, young professionals are moving in for jobs. But we’re also seeing growth among families and older households. That multigenerational mix creates a more stable and resilient housing market.”

With multiple generations driving the market, housing demand and price points are well-represented across all tiers. The median listing price in the Austin metro is $455,000, according to Realtor.com data. But for first-time homebuyers, that presents an affordability obstacle.

The report reveals households headed by people in their late 20s and 30s grew significantly—21.7%. NAR describes it as “the classic years for household formation. That’s when people move for jobs, form families, and step into the housing market for the first time.”

“We know that Austin is an attractor for younger people. We have the University of Texas here. And for a lot of people, that’s their first experience, is coming to the University of Texas,” Vaike O’Grady, Unlock MLS research adviser in Austin, tells Realtor.com. “Many of them stay, which we’re very grateful for.”

The strong growth in that age group keeps demand competitive for rentals and starter homes.

“The builder population has been focused on trying to provide housing that will serve those younger, first-time homebuyers or first-time move-up homebuyers,” O’Grady says. “So we’re seeing more product offering at below $300,000.”

O’Grady notes the widespread growth among all age groups and family types.

“You have demand for the younger folks, or perhaps where folks are relocating for apartments, and then we’ve got demand certainly from move-ups and retirees as well. So really, it’s across the board, the types of housing that would serve those audiences,” she says.

“It’s certainly the 25 to 39 age group that is a key component of Austin.”

The NAR study also shows households between the ages of 35 and 44 make up 22.7% of the share, followed by those aged 45 to 55 (17.7%) and 55 to 64 (14.2%).

“Some of that I attribute to what we call baby changers,” O’Grady adds. “So if the kids are there and they start to have children, the grandparents want to be close by. I say some of that is just the natural aging of the population.”

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