Since the Great Recession, a strong, steady pace of job creation has attracted thousands of new residents to the Texas capital. This growth has subsequently provided numerous job options for locals, pushing the area’s unemployment rate to 3 percent, one of the lowest in the country. Sinking unemployment, along with wages that have grown faster than the national rate, have spurred robust household formation trends over the last few years, benefiting the local housing market. Rents vs. Mortgages While the volume of apartment deliveries remains elevated compared to historical averages, favorable demographics and a shift in residents’ attitude toward homeownership keep demand for units strong. Rising home prices, especially within the city of Austin, have many residents looking to apartment living, as the concept of homeownership is fiscally out of reach. At the end of last year, the average effective rent of approximately $1,200 per month was $750 less than the monthly mortgage payment on a median-priced home, a disparity that has nearly doubled since 2012. As a result, the area’s homeownership rate has plummeted, clocking in at just over 50 percent in the third quarter of 2017, down from a high of 71 percent in 2006. As the renter …
