Austin is one of the top places to live in the US not by an ocean (we do have many lakes in the area though with great boating).....we have no state income taxes, but property taxes can be high in some areas. Climate and lifestyle are brilliant in this town with many things to do and a lot of parks and outdoor activities.....the town ALWAYS has something going on. The Austin downtown area is pretty clean and very easy to get around on foot/bike (and I am from the Minneapolis area which has a great downtown imo). I almost like Austin as much as Las Vegas. Vegas just has a lot of cool things to do (that I like to do) and I love the desert climate so it has a slight edge for me over Austin (Austin is way better for raising kids though imo).