This is the first in a series of three articles aimed at uncovering the number of residences in Downtown Austin. So, how many dwellings are there? This seems like a simple question, doesn’t it? I’ve never been able to get a satisfying answer – one that doesn’t try to determine the number of residents using a multiplier, is not rounded up or down, and that clearly indicates what is currently being lived in or is ready for occupancy (not under construction).
You may ask, “why don’t you just search Google?” Well, I did. I searched Google for “how many dwellings are in Downtown Austin”. I used other iterations and synonyms of those search terms and could not find a satisfying answer. Much of the data available is old and/or disparate. The last U.S. Census was in 2000. The next is in 2010. Because I am your loyal Downtown Austin Realtor (plug!), I am uniquely suited to discover and share with you my count, building by building, of the number of Downtown Austin condos and apartments.
The official Downtown Austin Blog count of Downtown Austin dwellings after the jump.
2,380 condos + 1,574 rentals = 3,954 dwellings
As of today, I count 3,954 existing dwellings in Downtown Austin. This should be accurate to within 3-5%. This is a count of every door that opens to a completed, ready to be lived in, Downtown Austin condominium or apartment.
A few notes on what is included and what isn’t. I’ve included buildings that do not fall within Downtown Austin’s boundaries; however, these buildings are geographically close and trade on the same Downtown amenities. There were just two: Bridges On The Park (condo) and 300 N. Lamar (rental). Those counts are indicated below, so you can amend the count if you are a purist. What’s missing is a count of the few houses we have. Most of these are concentrated in the Northwest quadrant of Downtown, known as “Old Austin.”
Buildings included:
Name, Count
360, 430
555, 98
706 west, 8
austin city lofts, 82
avenue lofts, 39
brazos lofts, 39
brazos place, 72
*bridges on the park, 105
brown building, 90
cambridge tower, 169
greenwood tower, 112
milago, 240
nokonah, 95
penthouse condos, 81
plaza lofts, 60
posada del rey, 57
railyard condos, 112
sabine on 5th, 80
shore, 192
towers of town lake, 183
villas on town lake, 56
westgage towers, 85
*300 n Lamar, 126
404 rio grande, 140
904 west, 22
amli downtown, 220
amli on 2nd, 231
burke hendricks house, 4
gables west ave, 239
hickory hill apts, 10
house park, 20
legacy on the lake, 187
littlefield quarters, 24
monarch, 305
north cottage, 5
red river flats, 120
regency, 47
*indicates not technically inside the boundaries of Downtown Austin. I find this map of emerging Downtown districts more practical.
According to a recent report (pdf) from Charles Heimsath at Capitol Market Research, Downtown Austin has 5,900 residents. We’ve easily added another 500-700 residents to Downtown (AMLI on 2nd is nearly leased up, the Monarch is over 50% leased up, and closings began at 360, Sabine, and the Shore) since that report was completed last spring. One trend that I am happy to see is the emergence of Austin’s urban family. Finding anything with more than two bedrooms could be a challenge in Downtown Austin until recently. In an upcoming article I’ll talk more about the emergence of Austin’s urban family and look for the number of dwellings, completed and under construction, with three or more bedrooms.
Good work.