If you’re considering a personal move, business relocation, or business start-up in the area, here are some tips and tidbits that might “seal the deal” for you — organized in no particular order, but all ten highly relevant:

• Diversity & Synergy Greater Austin is a five-county region thriving on a balance of technology, business services, education and government.
• Workforce Generation Nearly 1.5 million residents, almost half between ages 18 and 44, and a median age four years younger than the national median.
• Academic Strength Eight colleges and universities, with renowned academic programs and enrollment of over 118,000 students. Some 43 percent of adults in the city of Austin and 39 percent of adults in the metro hold a bachelor’s or advanced degree.
• The University of Texas at Austin World-class programs in bioengineering, computer science, engineering, business, nanotechnology, bioinformatics and pharmaceutical research. Seven doctoral programs ranked in the nation’s top 10, and 22 others ranked in the top 25.
• University/Corporate Collaboration UT’s associated programs include the Austin Technology Incubator, IC² and the Office of Technology Commercialization. Austin Community College offers customized training for employers.
• Business Friendly State No personal or corporate state income tax. Texas is a right-to-work state with minimal union activity.
• Attractive Location Options The five-county region’s commercial real estate market offers exceptional value, with an office vacancy rate above 20 percent and falling rental rates.
• Transportation Infrastructure A modern new international airport, along major highway shipping routes to Southwest business centers, Canada and Mexico.
• Exceptional Quality of Life Ranked fourth among Travel & Leisure magazine and America Online’s Most Loved Cities. A young, creative, culturally rich community set among the lush hills, lakes and rivers of the Texas hill country.
• Housing Costs Although it seems that housing costs are rising faster than other expenses in Austin, actual costs are still competitive when compared to cities now attracting similar industries and people. All areas of Austin have pockets of good residential properties, and new developments in and around the city have added a variety of beautiful, accessible and competitively priced neighborhoods