Austin has several major medical centers, including the Ascension Seton Medical Center and the Dell Seton Medical Center at the University of Texas, as well as the top-ranked St. David’s HealthCare System. These hospitals often used travel nurses to fill skilled positions. This demand creates a thriving industry for travel nurse housing in Austin.
Learn what you need to know before taking an assignment at one of the city’s medical facilities.
Travel Nurse Housing Options in Austin
As a travel nurse, you’ll discover multiple options for housing in the Austin area. You’ll want to assess your needs and budget to find the best fit. When considering accepting an assignment at one of the city’s many medical facilities, take a look at what is available in the following housing markets.
Corporate Housing
If you want to move into a furnished and fully outfitted home or apartment, then one of Austin’s corporate housing companies could be an excellent choice. These companies provide turnkey living arrangements geared toward temporary professionals.
The buildings are often located near major business and medical centers. Many of these furnished housing units have utilities already established, so you can bring your luggage and settle right in.
Corporate housing is unbeatable for its convenience. You’ll likely be surrounded by other professionals who are in the area temporarily, making it a great way to meet new people. However, this convenience often comes at a premium price.
Long-Term Hotels
At the opposite end of the spectrum, you have long-term hotels. These are also fully furnished, and many have kitchen supplies ready for you. Shared laundry facilities, fitness rooms, and grills are common at extended-stay hotels.
Along with long-term residents, you may also find a steady stream of leisure travelers in the mix, which can make it harder to connect with your neighbors.
There is a sharp difference in the atmosphere between a long-term hotel and corporate housing. This option caters more to construction crews, budget-conscious professionals, and families who are new to the area and still searching for more permanent living solutions.
However, if you are on a tight budget or need something quick while you find another type of travel nurse housing in Austin, an extended-stay hotel could be a viable option.
Apartments
If you want something that feels like home, consider renting one of Austin’s available apartments. These can be furnished or unfurnished but you will pay more for the former.
Multifamily units make up around 40% of all housing in the city, and there are many new projects in development. That means that, even with the city’s growing population, you should be able to find an apartment near your work.
RV Parks
More travel nurses are opting to embrace RV living. It allows you to bring your home from one assignment to the next, without the hassle of having to pack and unpack, or even move furniture. This is also an affordable way to stretch your housing budget during assignments.
Many RV parks have amenities such as laundry facilities, pet areas, and Wi-Fi. Some have storage units onsite, which is convenient for busy professionals. This is also a great way to connect with others who are visiting the area for short-term assignments.
Austin RV Park offers safe, secure lodging right in the heart of Austin. It has well-maintained spacious sites with full hookups, plus all of the amenities you expect in an RV park. Be sure to ask about discounted pricing for long-term stays that helps make Austin RV Park one of the more affordable options for travel nurse housing in Austin.
Shared Housing
Shared housing can mean several different things, and each one has its own pros and cons. For many, this means using a service such as Airbnb to locate a place to rent a room in a shared space.
It can also mean connecting with someone who wants to add a roommate to their lease. If the medical facility you will be working at has an active travel nurse program, you can often find a roommate through them.
This can be a very affordable way to experience living in a new place, but you will not have complete privacy. You will need to plan on sharing the kitchen, laundry room, and sometimes bathrooms. You may want to perform checks of reviews or references to help ensure your safety.
Key Factors To Consider When Choosing Travel Nurse Housing in Austin
You have many things to think about when choosing the right travel nurse housing in Austin, TX. For some nurses, keeping costs down is most important, while others focus more on connecting with locals. No matter your situation, try to keep the following factors in mind when comparing short-term housing for traveling professionals.
Cost
Your budget should be a primary consideration when looking at travel nurse housing in Austin. Renting a home in Austin, TX, can be costly. According to RentCafe, the average rent for an apartment in Austin was $1,696 as of November 2024.
The largest percentage of renters paid between $1,000 and $1,500 per month for an approximately 900-square-foot apartment.
Some options are more affordable than others. For example, you can rent an oversized site in an RV park for about half of the average apartment rent while a furnished corporate apartment might cost you several thousand dollars a month.
You can also get creative in ways to keep costs down. Sharing an apartment with a roommate on a similar travel assignment is a great way to manage rent. However, if you are traveling with a partner or family, this might not be a great choice.
Keep in mind that many employers offer a housing stipend as part of a travel nurse compensation package. That money is usually not considered earnings, so you may not owe taxes on it, although you’ll want to discuss that with a financial professional.
Agency Assistance
Many staffing agencies assist in helping travel nurses find housing in Austin, TX. If you are fortunate enough to have this available, be sure to carefully consider the options provided. Some of the most common include:
- Discounted application fees and deposits
- Full-service apartment-finding services
- Short-term lease contracts with apartment buildings
Agencies often get a discounted rate for contracting multiple apartments or homes with a management company, and they will pass those savings on to you.
Space
Travel nursing housing in Austin can range from a single room in a shared space to a single-family house. You should determine how much space you need early in your search. Questions to ask during this process include:
- Will I need to bring furniture? If you are bringing furniture from home, you want to find a space where it fits comfortably. This is one of the reasons that many traveling professionals prefer staying in a furnished apartment or at one of Texas’ great RV parks.
- What am I bringing with me? If you plan to bring a bare minimum of extras, you can probably get away with a studio or small apartment. However, if you tend to travel with a lot of gear, look for a palace with ample storage space.
- Who is traveling with me? Families and couples generally need more space than a single traveling professional.
Keep in mind that the more space you have, the more furniture and personal items you will need to fill it. That can substantially increase moving costs.
Length of Stay
Travel nurse assignments can range from a few weeks to a year or longer. Hospitals often bring nurses in to cover periods of high volume, such as during flu season. Others use travel nurses to fill parental leave for permanent staff. No matter how long you plan to work in Austin, your length of stay will almost certainly affect the type of housing you choose.
Extended-stay hotels and Airbnbs can be excellent choices for short-term assignments, especially for a single person. They are fully furnished, have basic amenities, and are relatively affordable. Nurses traveling with family members may find this too cramped for more than a couple of weeks.
Single-family homes, townhomes, and apartments are excellent choices for long-term stays. Here you will have all the conveniences of home and a lot more privacy. They are also great for families who need a bit more space to spread out.
If you have an RV, staying in an RV park works well for most length assignments. You will have all of your own things with you, and can easily move from one assignment to the next. Weekly, monthly, and seasonal rates make this an affordable and convenient option.
Location
The greater Austin metro area is about 4,200 square miles, so there is space downtown or in a quiet suburb. For many, the ideal travel nurse housing in Austin will be near their place of work. There are lots of ways to get around Austin, which makes it easy to stay further away and use public transit for the daily commute.
If you have a family that will be traveling with you, then school options can greatly affect the location you choose. Because extended assignments can last for a year, you may take travel assignments that will require you to relocate your children to a school for an entire school year.
Safety
Anyone traveling and living alone wants to look for a safe place to stay. Unfortunately, that can be a challenge in places like Austin, where crime rates are higher than average. You can mitigate the risks of living in the city by choosing travel nurse housing in Austin that performs resident screenings.
Apartment buildings and most private landlords will do screenings, while hotels and Airbnbs often skip it. Austin RV Park conducts comprehensive background screenings for people staying more than 30 days, which makes it a great choice if you want security while living near downtown Austin.
Transportation
Austin’s Capital Metro Bus System offers robust transportation options throughout the metro area. It links directly to the region’s major bus networks, including MetroRapid limited-stop, MetroFlyer, MetroExpress, and UT Austin Shuttles.
MetroRail trains serve a 32-mile line that runs into downtown from as far as Leander, TX. It is an excellent option for those who want to stay in a nearby suburb without worrying about driving in Austin traffic every day.
With over 1,600 bus stops and nine train stations, the CapMetro system is convenient and affordable. You can easily plan your trip and buy passes on the CapMetro app. There are also private taxis and ride-hailing services to help you get around the city.
Pros and Cons of a Housing Stipend vs. Agency Housing
Many travel nurse assignments offer either a housing stipend or agency-provided housing. In some cases, you can choose which you prefer. Before making a decision, consider the pros and cons of each situation.
Taxes
Housing stipends are often non-taxable, so you can see more of it in your take-home pay. However, it is often balanced with a lower taxable compensation package. Talk to a financial planner or tax specialist to see which one is more favorable for your situation.
Cost-effectiveness
There can be major financial benefits to taking a stipend. For example, if your agency offers a $2,000 per month stipend and you can get a shared room or RV spot for under $1,000 per month, you can keep the rest to offset other living expenses.
Convenience
Agency-supplied housing usually wins this one. You don’t have to worry about finding a suitable apartment, filling out paperwork, or leaving deposits. One exception would be if you choose to bring an RV, which takes most of the hassle out of moving from place to place.
Safe, Affordable Travel Nurse Housing in Austin
Austin RV Park is a safe, affordable option for travel nurse housing in Austin, TX. Our spacious sites offer full hookups, Wi-Fi, and gravel pads. Our gated community also offers mailboxes, pet areas, and storage on-site to make your stay comfortable and convenient. Contact us to book your stay today.