In Search of the Next Austin
A few months ago, a friend of mine mentioned that he’d love to move to Austin. Of course he would - who wouldn’t? It’s warm, affordable, and liberal. The problem - in my view - is exactly this. It seems everybody and their mother are moving to Austin. Since 1990, the city has doubled in population to 965,000 people, and the Greater Austin area has tripled to 2.2 million. This rapid growth has led to a transformation of the region’s economy from a hodgepodge of energy, agriculture, and education to one of the most high-tech ones in the country. The so-called ‘Silicon Hills’ have been consistently ranked in the top-5 for business growth, providing opportunity for startups and Fortune 500 firms alike. In fact, several companies - most notably Tesla - have recently fled Silicon Valley for the scrubby hills of central Texas, driving further growth and framing the city as “The Next Big Thing”.
The unfortunate consequence of this growth (and any growth) is the erosion of the city’s culture. While Austin has much to offer besides its culture, the low-key atmosphere that once defined the city is being replaced by white-collar professionalism. In contrast to many cities, an abundance of land has caused the region’s housing market to remain relatively competitive. However, this housing is all suburban, and property prices near the cultural hub of the city have absolutely skyrocketed.
I don’t say all this to just dunk on Austin. I’ve never been there, and by all accounts, it’s still a phenomenal place. But I think that, for those in search of ‘the Austin vibe’, there are better options. Cities with everything Austin has to offer, but are still relatively under-the-radar. Of course, the point of this article is that these cities may eventually become gentrified and “normalized” in the same way Austin is now, but you’ll get an authentic atmosphere for a while and then a potential for large investment gains.
Key Factors
To identify the next Austin, I think it is important to identify several attributes that made Austin such an attractive city for growth. This will not be an extensive list, nor will it be particularly nuanced or even justified, but it is what I will use to evaluate other cities.
Existing Population. I think it is crucial to realize that Austin was not a small, quirky college town before its recent growth. Although it was not the 11th most populous US city that it is today, the Greater Austin region still had nearly 850,000 people in 1990. Admittedly, the geographic size of the region means only about half were ‘Austinites’ - but still, that population ensured the city had a developed infrastructure, economy, and government. These are essential for future growth, especially in business growth.
Vibrant, indie culture. I will admit that I don’t know the culture of the city in any great detail. However, nearly every person I’ve met who has been to Austin agrees that the city is magnetic. Austin’s official motto is "The Live Music Capital of the World ", and it posts the most music venues per capita in the country. It hosts numerous entertainment events each year, including Austin City Limits, SXSW (South by Southwest), and the Austin Film Festival. Combined with a thriving food scene (home to Tex-Mex and Texas BBQ), there is good reason to see why longtime residents are so passionate about “Keeping Austin Weird”. Living in the city is just plain fun.
Education. Smart people are crucial to business growth. Whether it be incubating the startup ideas in thousands of dorm rooms, or attracting big firms in the digital age, few things are enticing to investors as a steady stream of college grads. With over 50,000 students at any time, the University of Texas provides the brainpower needed to launch the city forward.
Geography. Austin is helped by its physical landscape. Sitting on the prairies of central Texas, the city has copious amounts of land to expand onto. Not only does this allow for more people, it is crucial for keeping housing affordable, especially for young professionals the city needs. The city also has numerous large lakes and a river that provide numerous opportunities for water relaxation and recreation. It also means the city is not under the same drought pressure as other Western US cities. Finally, the city itself is the 3rd greenest city in the US, and the Hill Country to the west offer an attractive spot for hiking and outdoor recreation.
Climate. The most significant trend in US demographics is the migration of people to warmer climates. Arizona, Texas, Florida, whatever… it is clear that people want to live in warmer places. With an annual average high temperature of over 80 degrees, Austin certainly checks this box.
Blue city in a red state. Recent electoral trends have made it clear that professionals - especially young professionals - want to live in blue areas. They want places with good schools and environmental protections, and are generally supportive of equality and diversity. On the other hand, businesses are interested in places with low taxes and low regulation. These are typically red areas. A balance is achieved, then, when companies move to blue cities in red states. States control taxes and regulation much more than cities, giving companies a friendly environment, while cities can take additional measures to protect equality, schools, and the environment. This balance has been extremely helpful for Austin’s growth, and so I’d expect it to be similarly beneficial in other cities.
A reason to exist. I include this primarily as a reason to exclude certain candidate cities rather than attributing it as a crucial factor to Austin’s growth. In addition to UT, Austin is home to the state legislature and is situated sort of centrally between the states 3 other main urban areas - DFW, Houston, and San Antonio. It makes sense that Austin would emerge as a place. Cities like College Station, TX or Logan, UT have nearly everything above, but it just makes no sense for people and companies to move there. They don’t offer anything that a closer, bigger city does (Houston and SLC, respectively).
Again, these factors are just a starting point, and not every city on the list will have every factor (I will create a follow-up article of ‘honorable mentions’ that are close, but ultimately do fail too many of these factors). Nor do these factors constitute a full list of what may determine “the next Austin”. Additionally, I should say that I will not be including already-prominent cities, even if I think they have the potential for Austin-level growth. This means places like Seattle, Portland, and Raleigh don’t count. I don’t have a strict definition, but basically any place with a pro sports team is off the list. Finally, I’m compiling this list from what I know and what I can find, not based on a host of personal experience. My explanations will be my reasoning, not a comprehensive investigation of the city.
10. Columbia, SC
The South Carolina discourse is generally dominated by Charleston and Greenville-Spartanburg, and, indeed, the conventional wisdom is that GSP is the hip, trendy part of the state. While this might be true now, I think Columbia has more things going for it that make it more likely to become “the next Austin” in the long-run. Most importantly, the city is home to the state’s flagship university, the University of South Carolina. Although Charleston and Upstate (Greenville-Spartanburg) both have universities, none come close to the dominance that USC has in the state, graduating nearly 10,000 students yearly. An underdeveloped economy pushes these graduates to other cities, but fostering the budding insurance and health sciences industries here could keep bright minds in the city. A smaller, greener city may also be able to pry away young families away from Atlanta and Charlotte, both only a few hours drive from Columbia.
Located in the heart of the South, it should come as no surprise that the climate is perfect to keep warm year-round. The city is also centrally located in the state, offering a reasonable 90 minute drive for those with special attachments to either other city. This convenient location also affords some of the recreation advantages of the other locations. With sunny beaches and Appalachian hikes both within reach, as well as a host of parks and lakes around the city itself, outdoor recreation is just as good as in Austin.
The city does well to make the list, as opposed to other South Carolina cities, but it is held back from a higher ranking, because it is still in many ways a remnant of the Old South. The region is currently seeing growth, but only after seeing a decline from 1970 through 1990. As a silver lining, this has kept house prices down, and the sparse plains of central SC do offer sizeable room for growth. More problematically, the region has been stunted by its polarization. Racial tensions of course run deep in this part of the country, and the region is extremely polarized between the haves and have-nots. Urban Columbia has recently seen successful revitalization efforts, but the level of culture and entertainment is still lacking compared to other cities. That said, the presence of the university offers an enthusiastic base to kickstart a larger cultural scene.
9. Eugene, OR
To be honest, I’m surprised that Eugene is not growing at a faster rate, even if it has grown 35% since 1990. The growing desire for green spaces and recreation is offered in absolute spades in Eugene. Home to Nike, the US National Track and Field championships, and essentially the birthplace of the sport of running, the city is synonymous with outdoor activity. The pine trees that bedeck the surrounding mountains also permeate the city, making the city the greenest in the US. The small streets additionally give the 375,000-person metro a small town feel, an attractive quality to entice growth.
Like ‘Old Austin’, Eugene is in a word eclectic. The food and drink scene is quintessential Oregon, emphasizing fresh fruits and vegetables on the plate and microbrews in the glass. It also boasts “a vibrant arts community for a city of its size”. Although it does not currently host any notable music festivals, the natural setting and engaged community could easily see such a festival attract a sizeable crowd. Austin didn’t host any music festivals until the 1980s, either. Launching one could easily see the city follow Austin’s trajectory and vault into the national arts conversation.
The city is not all just a hippie commune, though. Eugene is home to the University of Oregon and its 22,000 students. The university is exceptionally strong in computer science and biology, enticing high-tech growth. The city was actually ranked 3rd in 2019 for tech job growth. It is also worthwhile to mention that the state’s other university - Oregon State University - is located less than an hour north, giving another large source of students to draw from.
Nike’s success in Eugene has shown that the city’s location far from…well, anything, is still tenable. In the age of big tech, this should be even less of a problem. On the other hand, its location at the southern edge of the Willamette Valley makes its climate incompatible for those seeking warmer lands. The climate statistics actually show it’s not that bad, with a monthly average high between 47 and 82 degrees all year and nearly as much sun annually as Austin. That said, the winters are definitely greyer and rainier than anywhere further south, and Oregon’s reputation as a grey and rainy place is likely to work against natural growth here.
As a final point, although the state government is blue and extremely concerned with conservationism, it has been fairly moderate on taxes and in general is fairly pragmatic. It is certainly a friendlier environment than neighboring California, which it is likely to draw business away from.
8. Richmond, VA
Yes, perhaps this is a little bit of home state bias. It is also based a little more on personal experience than other cities. But I do think it makes a solid case for itself and warrants a place on this list.
There’s obviously a number of things working against Richmond. Like Columbia, it is squeezed between two larger metros - Washington and Hampton Roads. Unlike Columbia, and unfortunately for Richmond, the Washington metro is gigantic and will dominate Richmond in any future. Looking even more broadly, Richmond is situated in a transition zone between the Northeast and the South, occupying a position that’s not strongly connected to either. The city is also, at best, moderately educated and contains neither of Virginia’s two top-tier, big-name universities. Furthermore, the city is somewhat crime-ridden, run-down, and uninspiring. And when it does inspire, it usually inspires images of the Confederacy. Richmond is by far the biggest “shithole” on this list.
In spite of that perception and all of its ugly qualities, Richmond has seen sizable growth in recent times. In 1990, Greater Richmond and Greater Austin actually had very similar populations. Since then, the area has grown by 50% - far less than Austin, obviously, but enough to show it has a solid population base. While much of this growth has been suburban, it has brought alongside it a growth and revitalization of the city itself. The city has begun taking advantage of its transitional location, fashioning itself as the perfect mix of North and South. The food scene is home to lots of “fusion” upstarts ; the weather is warm and sunny year round, but still seasonal ; the work ethic is to work tough, but no need to rush. In my opinion, the greatest quality is that it has the variety of goods and services as any northeastern city, but the prices of the south.
With regards to recreation, the city is definitely weaker than other cities on this list, but serviceable enough to remain viable. The city straddles the James River, wide enough to offer boating and even whitewater kayaking, and both Chesapeake Bay and oceanfront beaches are only an hour east. The city doesn’t have the established music scene that Austin did, but the scene is definitely there. Murals paint the sides of buildings and music emanates from small eateries in the evenings, and it reminds me just a little of New Orleans almost.
The education situation is also not as terrible as it first appears. Virginia Commonwealth University - located right in downtown Richmond - is home to 30,000 students. Other prominent universities like University of Virginia and William & Mary are only an hour away, and with both towns being fairly small, Richmond seems like a natural place for graduates to end up. Several prominent corporations already have significant operations in Richmond, including Capital One and 6 other Fortune 500 companies. Virginia has consistently ranked among the best states for business in recent years, and Richmond ranked high within that. The city is still grungy and a little bit run-down, but I think that is what will make it appealing to the groups of people that a city needs to become “the next Austin”.
7. Fort Collins, CO
Anyone who knows Colorado will not be surprised to see Fort Collins on this list. In reality, the whole Front Range is exploding in population, and so I was hesitant to put Fort Collins in, but I think it is separate enough from the Denver metro that it can be in the running for “the next Austin”.
Fort Collins is similar to Eugene in that it is a great place to be outdoors. The city is extremely walkable, and the local cycling culture (and infrastructure) is first-class for an American city. Most notably, the city is at the base of the Rocky Mountains, providing easy access to adventure activities year-round. Although the Fort Collins music and art scene is fairly limited, the city still retains a classic small, college-town feel with the community coming together around cowboy culture, outdoor recreation (duh!), and the 20 breweries based here. It’s a different culture than Austin for sure, but it’s one that attracts people in the same way. In fact, just like Austin, the city has already doubled in population since 1990 to 170,000 people, and it shows no signs of stopping.
Fort Collins is anchored by Colorado State University. Although not as prestigious as its counterpart, UC-Boulder, the school is still a tier-1 research university and teaches a healthy 35,000 students per year. Various tech firms - especially ones specializing in communications - have already started up or moved to the ‘Silicon Mountains’, and should they see success, national corporations may also move in. However, this tech growth has been primarily south of Fort Collins in the Denver suburbs, and so the industry has much room to expand in this city.
Frankly, Fort Collins would be primed to be number 1 on this list if not for a few main problems. These certainly won’t affect growth, but it may prevent the city from becoming “the next Austin”. First, the city may just be too close to Denver to serve as a worthwhile place for business relocation. Denver is already a booming metro, and it may be more beneficial to simply relocate there. While house prices are absolutely skyrocketing in Denver, the situation isn’t much better in Fort Collins at the moment. It’s difficult for young professionals to establish themselves here. The silver lining is that Fort Collins has much more room to expand and build eastward, while Denver has already done so. The other main problem with Fort Collins is that it is not warm year-round. While summer weather rivals anywhere in the country, winters are fairly cold and very snowy. Many people won’t be deterred by this, but it contributes to why the city is not ranked higher on this list.
6. Boise, ID
One of the biggest surprises of the 2020 census was Idaho’s explosive growth. The state saw a nearly 3% increase in 2019-2020 alone, and much of this was concentrated around the state’s only major city, Boise. The region has been growing for a while, though, more than doubling its population since 1990 to around 765,000 people today. When we look further, it’s not hard to see why.
Sitting at the base of the Rockies, Boise is another foothills town with geography galore. It has mountains - big and small - in addition to large parks, the Snake River, and a lake to the east of the city. The metro area also sees a tighter mesh between urban landscapes and farmland than most other US cities. This keeps a little bit of a conservative, old-timey feel to Boise. The valley will also afford Boise much room to expand if it continues to explode. Boise’s regional location is not perfect, but it is well-situated to receive transplants from Washington and California, making it a prime target for relocation.
Although neither of the state’s flagship universities, Boise State University is the largest and most advanced in the state. Its rigor is below schools in other cities on this list, but it does have a strong engineering and materials science department. In addition, it is greatly expanding its computer science program and now works closely with the city’s tech companies. Besides Spokane, there are no other large cities in the Inland Northwest, and inbound firms will be able to cash in on and monopolize this talent.
One problem with Boise is that it is definitely the coldest city on this list. While summers are actually quite hot (the July avg. high is 92 degrees), winter average highs are in the 30s and see fairly little sun. This climate won’t deter all folk, but there are similar cities with better climates. Boise’s culture is also average, at best. It prides itself on its rock and indie music scene, as well as its various festivals celebrating the city’s Basque heritage, but the atmosphere is still better described by gun-toting soccer moms than vibrant music.
Boise is also prevented from earning a higher spot on this list because of its politics. The state has extreme libertarian, Republican leanings, and while Boise is definitely more moderate, the metro still has a red tilt. On one hand, the low-tax, low-regulation environment should be very attractive to businesses. The state also has the lowest legal minimum wage, which should boost entrepreneurship in the area. On the other hand, the state might be too Republican for its own good. Its reputation as hyper-conservative, nationalist, and homophobic might deter socially-conscious firms, like many in Washington and California. Earlier this year, the state made headlines when its Lieutenant Governor enacted controversial laws while the Governor was out-of-state, prompting a public, intraparty fight between the two factions. Of course, one event won’t prevent growth, but it isn’t great for the optics of selling itself as a laid-back, future-oriented city.
5. Knoxville, TN
I promise not every town is a foothills town. But I think there’s a reason these types of places are getting popular, and Knoxville is no exception. Although becoming more homogenized now, Knoxville, as the hub of East Tennessee, has historically displayed a fierce contrast to the rest of the state. In fact, it was at odds with the whole South. The region’s hilly topography prevented the establishment of plantations, and, combined with the liberal, less-religious Scots-Irish immigrants, the region rejected the racist platform of Southern Democrats. This area has remained a strong Republican bastion since antebellum days, the city itself voting Democrat only 5 times since 1880 (3 were for FDR). This Republican streak isn’t necessarily what makes Knoxville so attractive, but how it stands in cultural contrast to the rest of the state reminds me the quirky, liberal island of Austin in the sea of red Texas.
Looking more concretely, the city is anchored by the 31,000 students at the University of Tennessee, more than enough to support the development of a tech sector. It’s also worth mentioning that one of the most prominent national labs - Oak Ridge - is located nearby, as well. The city also has a long history with manufacturing and infrastructure (the TVA being notable), offering the unique potential to attract both white- and blue-collar workers. Tennessee has consistently been rated among the top states for business growth due to a series of conservative, but pragmatic governments, but most of this growth has generally gone to Nashville. However, as Nashville gets mainstream and expensive, I think Knoxville is the natural place to look next.
Like other mountain towns on this list, Knoxville offers an abundance of opportunities for recreation. It is literally the gateway to the Great Smokies, but green spaces are abound in the city, too. Extensive work by the TVA during the Great Depression has also created numerous large lakes around the region, making lakeside living more prominent than you may expect for the mountains. Although the city does retain a bit of a country-club vibe, the entertainment scene is excellent. Knoxville is the home of bluegrass and old-school country music (Dolly Parton!), and music critics have even called the city “Austin without the hype”.
With that kind of label, why isn’t this number 1? Well, it very well could be. I just have a feeling it will guard against massive growth due to its conservative, isolationist, country-club atmosphere. East Tennessee hasn’t really grown that much since 1990, and I don’t think that’s necessarily a coincidence. I’m also concerned about its physical prospects for growth. The city lies in a region full of hills and valleys, making land space tighter than in other cities. This space has been significantly filled-in over the 200+ years of the city’s existence, and so it may not be able to affordably accommodate a large influx of people.
4. Reno, NV
Perhaps a bit of a surprise here, perhaps not, but I put Reno at number 4, because it has all the potential in the world. I think it offers everything that Boise does, but is situated in a much better location.
Again like Boise, I may be a little late to the game here, as the Reno metro has also doubled in population since 1990. Around 260,000 people now live in the Reno-Tahoe area, making true its moniker “The biggest little city in the world”. The city has historically been supported by the tourism industry both to the casinos in the city itself and to nearby mountains + Lake Tahoe. This economy is not super conducive for ‘regular’ corporations, but it does make Reno a nice place to end up. Especially given California’s housing crisis nearby, I wouldn’t be shocked at all to see an influx of the indie types into Reno in the coming decade. This would be a much needed addition to a city that really lacks an authentic culture.
An extremely helpful point for Reno is that it is directly up the highway from the Bay Area. This has allowed numerous tech companies to set up operations here that require the abundance of land that the area offers. Tesla has already established its Gigafactory here, and Switch, Amazon, and Apple have all begun building data centers at the massive Tahoe Reno Industrial Park. The region has also become an important player in the energy industry, especially in the development of solar power. Current growth in Austin is being driven by an exodus of Californians, and so Reno can easily serve as a place to start afresh without moving halfway across the country.
In addition to being convenient for companies, its proximity makes it convenient for college graduates from elite institutions like Stanford, UC Berkeley, and UC Davis who may not want to (or be able to) afford starting a career in the Bay Area. In addition, Reno is already home to the University of Nevada, a top-tier institution with excellent engineering programs. A steady stream of tech-oriented minds is just waiting to make Reno into something big.
Although situated near Lake Tahoe and the Sierra Nevada, climate is not that big of a problem here. The city can get cold in the winter, but the average high is still 47 degrees in December. In addition, the region is fairly dry, and sees nearly 30% more annual sun than Austin. The biggest barrier for Reno is the lack of culture. The casinos offer a nice starting point, but it needs an injection of something more if it is to become a vibrant, “weird” place like Austin. If it can do this, though, it has everything else going for it, though.
3. Tucson, AZ
It’s no secret that like half of the Midwest has moved to Arizona recently in search of a sunny retirement. But I feel like this conversation has been largely focused on the Phoenix valley, largely passing over the state’s second large metro of Tucson. The metro already has over 1 million people, but, like Richmond, I’m including it on this list because I feel it’s been so overlooked. Plus, I think we’re only seeing the beginning of its growth.
By far the biggest advantage Tucson has over other cities is its climate. There is no better large city in the US for those seeking sun and warmth. The city even beats Austin in this regard, with a annual average high of 84 degrees and over 3,800 hours of sun (Austin has 2,600). The city obviously has no lakes or large rivers given its desert climate, but the mountains north of the city and the scrub desert south offer plenty of variety for those seeking outdoor activity. Being outdoors is also feasible year-round, something that can’t be said for most other places on this list.
The city is also home to the University of Arizona. While it is not the behemoth that ASU is, it is still home to 46,000 students. Its physics and astronomy program may be the best of any public university, and combined with another top-tier geology/minerology department, it should be extremely attractive to manufacturing-focused tech firms. A number of aerospace companies, including Raytheon and Bombardier, have already established themselves in Tucson. So too have over 150 optics-involved ventures. I think it’s inevitable that semiconductor, transistor, and battery-manufacturing companies will move in here soon.
The culture of the city is classic Southwest. It’s nothing special, but the year-round warmth does allow for more cultural events than most cities. Moreover, the good weather will create significant opportunities for an influx of musicians and artisans to cultivate a more vibrant urban landscape.
2. Fayetteville, AR
Fayetteville consistently challenges for the top spot on any “best places to live” article these days. There’s a reason Northwest Arkansas has grown from 220,000 people in 1990 to about 530,000 today. In fact, one article even concluded that Fayetteville is “the next Austin”.
While other cities on this list may see growth driven by economic potential first, I think Fayetteville is much more likely to follow Austin’s path, first attracting people and then companies afterward. The city has been described as “a combination of a Southern city and college town”, offering a relatively unique atmosphere, all things considered. It’s as if someone distilled the best things about Knoxville into a forgotten pocket of America. For those seeking to move away from the hustle and bustle of California or New York, there are few better spots than here.
Although relatively small until recently, 6 Fortune 500 companies are based in Northwest Arkansas, including Wal-mart, J.B. Hunt, and Tysons Foods. Firms here have had a mutually beneficial relationship University of Arkansas’ strong business and agriculture schools. The university also has a strong biology program, but with 30,000 students, any corporation will have plenty of brainpower to choose from. Fayetteville is also helped by Arkansas’ relatively diminutive presence in the national economic scene. Little Rock is the only other large city in Arkansas, but it offers very little in terms of economic prospects. As such, there is great potential for Fayetteville to emerge as a regional hub of sorts.
The city is relatively warm year-round, but still has distinct seasons. It is situated in the Ozark mountains, a range old enough to create interesting landscapes and green spaces, but be tame enough to build on. Fayetteville also has a strong college-town feel, much like early Austin. Other parallels include “a prominent arts and music scene, fairly progressive residents, an emphasis on local small businesses, and a community focus on environmental activism”. The city also has a top-10 BBQ scene. Yet, in spite of its vibrant culture, it hasn’t been described by any specific thing. The city can remain welcoming to all sorts of new artisans, while also being able to focus on perhaps carving out a unique niche for itself, like Austin did with Southwest Country.
If the city were to have any question mark regarding its potential to be “the next Austin”, it would be the prominence of hillbilly culture. The Ozarks have long been dominated by these types, and a prominent culture of Trumpism, anti-intellectualism, and even white nationalism exists in Northwest Arkansas. With an influx of people primarily from blue states, I don’t foresee this becoming a problem, especially in Fayetteville itself, but it could turn off one or two folks. Even so, I think the city is well-positioned to become “the next Austin”.
1. Gainesville, FL
Call me crazy, but if I were a betting man, I would put my money on Gainesville becoming “the next Austin”. I also think it’s a little more under-the-radar than Fayetteville, and so you might get a few more years of authenticity here. Plus, I get to be different.
Every criterion I specified that made Austin what it is can be applied to Gainesville, I believe. The only possible question is whether it has a reason to exist, given Florida’s numerous other large metro areas. But I think Florida is going to continue growing at a high clip, and all other metros besides Miami have weaknesses that might makes Gainesville more attractive. I won’t go into those, but let’s look at why I think this city is so exciting.
To start, the fact that Gainesville is positioned close to 4 other large metros (Miami, Tampa, Orlando, Jacksonville) is exceptional. It can draw talent from those feeling priced out or overcrowded while allowing them to remain decently close to friends and family. It’s also great for businesses, which will be able to distribute to (or attract clients from) all of these different cities. It also offers the best prospect for a Florida city to create a strong link with Atlanta, although this would be many years away still.
Gainesville is also home to the University of Florida. Not only does it have over 50,000 students, but it is a top-5 public university in the country with strong programs in pretty much everything. The university is particularly strong (ie. top-10 for all US universities) in both biotechnology and medicine. The idea of a science and tech hub in the Southeast is extremely appealing, and with the Research Triangle already getting expensive, Gainesville offers a great prospect for this. Plus, doesn’t the ‘Silicon Swamps’ have a great ring to it?
Furthermore, the economic situation is phenomenal. Numerous guides have explicitly commented on Gainesville’s low cost of living, even near the city center. House prices are below the nationwide average. Cost of living is low, helped by the city’s huge investment in solar power, for which it ranks 5th globally (and 1st in the US) for installed capacity. Florida also has zero state income tax, and with Republicans establishing a hold on the state government, other taxes are likely to stay low, as well. On the flip side, the region is solidly blue, and the city is governed by a progressive ideology. Admittedly, the job market is extremely oversaturated with college graduates, but this serves to underscore the potential for future businesses. Evidently, college grads want to stay in Gainesville, and underemployment means plenty of brains to employ.
But the city isn’t only for smart college grads. The entertainment scene is phenomenal, even for a college town. Gainesville is famous for its vibrant downtown, with music emanating from the bars and restaurants throughout the night. Having spawned bands like Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, The Eagles, and Crosby, Stills, and Nash, it’s not hard to see why it has been called “the best city to start a band”.
Like much of Florida, the geography is great. The monthly average high stays between 67 and 90 degrees year round, and cold weather is rare. Its inland location also offers protection from flooding and hurricanes that tend affect the state’s coastal cities. The city’s immediate vicinity is fairly lacking in terms of outdoor recreation, but the large swath of lakes and swamps to the east are more interesting that one might expect. Additionally, beaches on both the Atlantic and Gulf coasts of Florida are less than 90 minutes away. The Gulf coast region to the west of the city, in particular, is perhaps the most pristine and untraversed in all of Florida. It foregoes the loud, crowded beaches of Miami and Clearwater for a quieter, greener experience close to what Hemingway wrote about many years ago. Of course, some people will prefer the conventional beaches, and that’s fine, but the more natural, almost-hipster surroundings around Gainesville are much more in line with what I would expect from “the next Austin”.
In spite of all this, the population of Gainesville is only around 150,000 people. North Central Florida, which includes Gainesville as well as counties outside the metro, only comprises 350,000 residents, about half of a congressional district. The city still has an authentic, small-town feel, since it is one! And while I think it truly is “the next Austin” for all the reasons I described above, it still has a long ways to go before it loses its authenticity. That’s exactly what I was searching for in this article. Mark my words - in 10-20 years, Gainesville will be THE place to be.
