Profile: Social Statistics
Residential construction activity was fairly steady in the Rural Capital Area (RCA) throughout the early 2000s, averaging 8,300 housing permits a year between 2001 and 2005. In 2006, the RCA saw a spike in housing permits, near the end of the national real estate bubble, with 11,200 permits issued. Housing construction dropped after this peak, until recently, with an annual average of 10,279 permits issued over the last ten years. However, 2021 witnessed the highest activity level in history with 16,589 units permitted.
Figure 1: Housing Permits (Units), Rural Capital Area, 2003-2023
The Rural Capital Area has seen consistent growth in the dispersal of benefits including Social Security, Supplemental Security, and Veterans Benefits. The total number of Social Security and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) recipients grew 47% in the most recent 10-year period. During this period, total Social Security payments grew 127%.
Figure 2: Growth in Recipients of Social Security & Disability Benefits, Rural Capital Area vs. U.S., 2013-2023
Figure 3: Growth in SSI Recipients, Rural Capital Area vs. U.S., 2013-2023
Even with a slight data adjustment due to reporting differences in the FBI’s new online data system, the Austin metropolitan area has a low murder rate when compared to the U.S. as a whole (the average of all metro areas), though 2016 saw a spike upward. In 2022, the Austin metropolitan area experienced just 3 murders per 100,000 population, less than half the national rate of 6.5. Note: the Austin, TX Metro average excludes Lee County as the county does not report statistics to the data source.
Figure 4: Murder Rate (Per 100,000 Population), Austin, TX Metro vs. U.S., 2012-2022
Incidents of larceny and theft in the Austin metro are much smaller than the U.S. level. Between 2012-2022 the high was 393 in 2012 and the low was 208 in 2018. In 2022 there were 292, only 21% of the national average.
Figure 5: Larceny/Theft Rate (Per 100,000 Population), Austin, TX Metro vs. U.S., 2012-2022
