Austin, MN — Momentum Score, Home Values & Best-For

All states·Minnesota·Austin

Mower County · Austin · population 26,690

Affordability
Austin, MN
Image: Wikipedia · Austin, Minnesota
OverviewCost of livingMoving guide
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76
Rising
Momentum score · 0–100

Where Austin stands

At or near all-time high. home values up 6.0% in the last year. rents up 10.9% in the last year.

Median home $189,187
1-year +6.0%
5-yr CAGR +6.5%
vs 5-yr peak +0.0%
Population +0.5%/yr

Home value trajectory · last 10 years

Zillow ZHVI · monthly
peak 2026-04$189k$82k$120k$158k$197k201620182020202220242026

Lifestyle scores

🚶
Walkability
32/100
Very car-dependent
Estimated from population density. Higher = denser, more amenities within walking distance.
🚉
Public transit
15/100
Transit limited
Curated list of major US transit systems + population-based estimate. Higher = real subway/rail/bus options.
💻
Remote work fit
74/100
Strong remote-work fit
Composite of city size, housing cost, state tax structure, and region's remote-work track record.

Scores are heuristic estimates from population density, state, and known transit/walkable cities. Not based on a paid Walk Score / Transit Score API — see methodology for the formula.

Rent trajectory · last 5 years

Zillow ZORI · monthly
$992/mo$0$532$1,06520242026

Home value vs rent · indexed to 100

Both rebased at first month of ZORI data (~2015)
Home valueRent1191348010012014020242026

Rent vs buy

Price-to-rent ratio: 15.9
Lean buy

At a 15.9 price-to-rent ratio, Austin is in the 'depends on horizon' zone. Buy if you'll be there 5+ years and value flexibility on the home; rent if you might move, want zero maintenance friction, or expect rates to drop.

How the momentum score breaks down

methodology →
Home YoY
78 · w22%
Home 5-yr CAGR
72 · w22%
Distance from peak
90 · w18%
Population growth
55 · w16%
Rent YoY
85 · w12%
Home 10-yr CAGR
81 · w10%
Long thesis

Austin offers a $189,187 median home with +6.5% annualized 5-year appreciation. Affordability + positive trend is one of the better risk/reward setups in US residential — small downside, room to compound.

Short thesis

Austin's bear case is the boring one: the cycle is real and any market that's run hard can stall. Watch for slowing population growth, rising days-on-market, or builder discounts as the early warning signals.

About Austin

Austin is a city in Mower County, Minnesota, with an estimated population of 26,690. The median home value in Austin is $189,187 as of 2026-04, up 6.0% over the last 12 months. Over the last five years, home values have averaged +6.5% annual growth, with prices at or near the 5-year peak. Rents in Austin average $992 per month, up 10.9% year-over-year. The composite momentum score is 76 of 100 (Rising). The market is healthy with prices supported by underlying demand.

▲ Bull case

●Trend still working: prices up 6.0% in the last 12 months — buyers are still chasing inventory.
●Affordable AND rising: median home $189,187 with positive recent direction — rare combination most of the country can’t offer.
●Healthy 5-year run: +6.5% annualized over 5 years, outpacing US inflation.
●Held the highs: currently +0.0% from the 5-year peak — this market refused to give back gains.
●Hot rental market: rents up 10.9% YoY — landlords have pricing power, supports new investment math.

▼ Bear case

●Rental squeeze: rents up 10.9% YoY — tenants face tough renewals. Affordability deteriorating fast.
○Local nuance: city-level data smooths over neighborhood differences. School zones, HOA rules, and street-level character matter — visit before deciding.

About Austin (Wikipedia)

Austin is a city in and the county seat of Mower County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 26,174 at the 2020 census. The town was originally settled along the Cedar River and has two artificial lakes, East Side Lake and Mill Pond. It was named for Austin R. Nichols, the area's first European settler. It is part of the Rochester–Austin combined statistical area.

Source: Wikipedia · this summary is contributed and licensed under CC-BY-SA.

Playbook

Buyer

You're not in a frenzy but you're not getting bargains either. Make a competitive offer with normal inspection terms. Don't lowball — the listing will move with or without you.

Seller

Price at fair market value; expect movement in 30-45 days. Don't get clever with terms (rent-back, contingencies) — buyers in a Rising market have options.

Investor

Appreciation tailwind exists but cash flow requires discipline on price. Run the numbers conservatively and confirm rent comps before committing.

Local safety & alerts

No active National Weather Service alerts for Mower County right now.

NWS active alerts (MN)Minnesota Emergency ManagementHow to prepare (NWS)

Public-safety links are official .gov sources, not curated by us. Mower County routes NWS alerts; check the state EM portal for non-weather emergencies.

Cities like Austin

Fergus Falls, MN71 · RisingAlbert Lea, MN71 · RisingNorth Mankato, MN70 · RisingDuluth, MN73 · Rising

Run the numbers for Austin

ToolCan I afford Austin?Income → city shortlistToolROI on a Austin rentalCap rate, cash-on-cash, DSCRToolCompare Austin to anywhereSide-by-side up to 3 citiesToolAustin cost-of-livingEquivalent income elsewhere

Sources: Zillow ZHVI (home values), Zillow ZORI (rents), US Census ACS + place population. Updated when source agencies publish revisions.

Climate & natural-disaster risk

Winter (Jan)
22° / 4°
avg high / low
Summer (Jul)
82° / 62°
avg high / low
Sunny days/yr
198
~54% of year
Annual precip
28″ rain
45″ snow
Disaster risk (1=very low, 5=very high)
Hurricane
Very low
Tornado
High
Wildfire
Very low
Earthquake
Very low
Flood
Low

State-level averages from NOAA Climate Normals (1991-2020) and FEMA National Risk Index. City-level conditions can vary significantly within a state.

Current weather

Loading current conditions…

7-day forecast on weather.gov →

Find rentals & listings

Open current Austin listings on the major real-estate sites.

Links open the live search on the destination site — results are always current.

Local news & community

Updated 2026-05-21 from Google News + Reddit RSS. Headlines link to original sources.

Local sports teams

Major professional teams the Austin area cheers for. Detailed stats, schedules, and player pages on intherafters.com.

Local economy & environment

Humidity
71%
Humid climate
Median household income
$84,300
Minnesota state median
Top industries (state-level)
Medical DevicesFinanceManufacturing

Humidity is annual average relative humidity (NOAA). Income is Census ACS 5-year estimate. Industries are largest employment sectors statewide (BLS); the local mix in a given city may vary.

Cities similar to Austin

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