🇺🇸 North America

FIRE Number for Austin, United States

Name: Austin, United States
Address: Austin, United States

United States

Live Music, No State Income Tax, and Year-Round Sunshine

FIRE Score Based on safety, healthcare, infrastructure & expat friendliness

Austin combines a vibrant cultural scene with zero state income tax, making it a compelling domestic FIRE destination. The city offers world-class dining, outdoor recreation along the Colorado River, and a booming tech economy if you ever want to un-retire. While housing costs have risen sharply, Austin still undercuts coastal cities and rewards careful budgeting with an exceptional quality of life.

Lean FIRE, FIRE, and Fat FIRE for Austin

Needed to retire here is the portfolio that, in a historical backtest, would have lasted your retirement at your chosen confidence and length. Status is the verdict for your portfolio. The 4% rule benchmark is shown underneath each figure for reference only. Cost estimates are for a one-person household — adjust household size below.

Household size

Costs scale by category, not a flat multiple — housing is largely shared; food and healthcare scale per person.

Use my own healthcare cost

Lifestyle	Needed to retire here	Monthly Cost
Lean FIRE	$786K	$2,620/mo
FIRE	$1.45M	$4,840/mo
Fat FIRE	$5.64M	$18,790/mo

Cost data: Q3 2026 · High confidence

Cost of Living Breakdown for Austin

Cost and FIRE figures are for a one-person household — adjust household size in the controls above.Showing costs for 2 adults.

Lean FIRE Lifestyle

$786K

A cheapest-acceptable older studio or one-bedroom in a central-adjacent area like East Riverside — and Austin's steep 2024–2026 rent softening means the Lean housing line lands lower than the city's reputation suggests. A car is essential and summer A/C spikes the electric bill, but Texas's zero state income tax means every dollar of the withdrawal stays put. Free live music on 6th Street and swimming at Barton Springs keep entertainment near-free. The ACA Silver premium stays low only if annual income is kept under the 2026 ~$62,600 subsidy cutoff — Texas has no state subsidy.

FIRE Lifestyle

$1.45M

A high-quality place in Travis Heights or Zilker, or a nicer downtown unit, with regular dinners at Uchi and Emmer & Rye and weekend trips to Fredericksburg wine country. A late-model SUV, boat rentals on Lake Travis, and season tickets are all easy, and healthcare is a padded Gold plan near the ~$62,600 ACA subsidy cutoff. With no state income tax, this is a comfortably affluent Austin life with a real travel budget.

Fat FIRE Lifestyle

$5.64M

A premium Westlake or Tarrytown home, household help several days a week, and occasional private-chef evenings alongside the city's best restaurants. Dining is anywhere, travel is first class, and a boat lives on Lake Travis, alongside premium club-level seats at UT games and donor-level support for local institutions. Texas's zero income tax keeps the full budget intact — roughly $225k a year — in a city with a relaxed pace and standout food and music.

Retirement Confidence

The 4% rule is a great starting point. Here we go a step further and test your plan against real market history.

Enter your portfolio on the homepage to backtest a retirement in Austin against market history.

How this is calculated

This is a real historical backtest. We run your plan through every retirement-length window in US market history (1871–2022): a 75% stock / 25% bond portfolio, rebalanced annually, with withdrawals raised each year for that period's actual inflation. The success rate is the share of those historical start years in which the money lasted the full length without running out.

Your confidence level sets the bar: at Balanced (90%), a survival rate of 90% or more reads "You can retire here", within 10 points below is "Close - worth a closer look", and lower is "Not quite yet". The same level sizes the "Needed to retire here" target. Retirement length also drives it - early retirees planning 40–50+ years see lower survival than the 30-year baseline.

Healthcare, Visa & City Overview

climate Warm

healthcare Excellent

english Widely spoken

safety Safe

visa Easy

Timezone

CST (UTC-6)

Currency

USD

Language

English

Avg. Temperature

68°F / 20°C

Internet

200+ Mbps average

Airport

Austin-Bergstrom International (AUS)

Frequently Asked Questions About Retiring in Austin

What is the FIRE Number for Austin, United States?

The FIRE Number for Austin ranges from $786K (Lean FIRE lifestyle) to $5.64M (Fat FIRE lifestyle). A FIRE retirement requires a portfolio of approximately $1.45M, based on estimated monthly costs of $4,840 and a 4% safe withdrawal rate.

How much does it cost to retire in Austin?

Monthly living costs in Austin range from $2,620 (Lean FIRE) to $4,840 (FIRE), covering housing (market rent), dining, groceries, healthcare, transportation, entertainment, and utilities.

What is healthcare like in Austin for retirees?

Healthcare in Austin costs approximately $470 to $640/month depending on coverage level. Typical coverage at the Lean FIRE budget: A subsidized ACA marketplace Silver plan, assuming annual income stays under the 2026 subsidy cutoff of about $62,600 for a single person; Texas did not expand Medicaid and offers no state subsidy above that line, so the full price runs about $925 a month. Priced for an early retiree aged 45-55; older retirees should budget more.

What is the weather like in Austin?

Subtropical with hot summers and mild winters. The average temperature is 68°F / 20°C.

How safe is Austin for retirees?

Austin is generally safe for retirees, scoring 6 out of 10 in our safety ratings.