AUSTIN — Love it or loathe it, Californians are migrating to the capital for a range of reasons, from quality of life to job opportunities. In the interactive panel, “Making the Move from California to Austin,” residents from both areas debated the pros and cons of life in Austin.
Led by local software developer and journalist Jason Levitt and Chair of Urban Transportation Commission and CEO of Less Networks Richard MacKinnon, roughly 25 people, half from the West Coast state and half from Austin, engaged in conversation about what would make the move worth it.
The panelists, who have both spent time working in the Bay Area, devised a chart, highlighting the various nationally recognized lists the city tops, like Forbes magazine’s “Best Cities for Jobs,” which ranked Austin as No. 1 last year, and shared it with audience members.
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Austin ranked first in job growth against 50 other metro areas from February 2008 to February 2009, seeing the only positive growth rate among its counterparts.
Several of those from California were entrepreneurs seeking a viable shot at starting or relocating their business to the city. By a show of hands, the West Coast counterparts were convinced Austin life could be an upgrade, but desired to know more about the mechanics behind the city, such as the quality of public education, price of real estate, transportation, the recession’s impact and general cost of living.
For Los Angeles resident James Swanick a sense of community is what will likely draw him to call Austin home. Swanick hopes to start his own wine-import company soon.
“I come from a place where people value your importance on what you do and not who you are,” he said. “It’s very fake and very shallow. I want to live somewhere with people who are friendly, laid-back and accepting. Even in the few days I’ve been here, talking to the locals, I know Austin has these qualities.”
California vs. Austin: How They Stack Up
Some of the points mentioned during the interactive panel:
- Austin has a competitive business lifestyle, low regulatory overhead and is “very friendly” from a business-governance point of view.
- The software community is smaller than that of California, but Austin beats the West Coast in gaming and hardware.
- Many recent college graduates work at companies for less, but city also lacks a large pool of experienced employees.
- Funding for high-tech companies not as strong as California
- Potential pay cut to Austin offset by lower cost of living
- Low recession impact
- No state income tax, but higher property tax