Where Should You Live When Starting at KPMG’s Austin Office?

1. Start With KPMG’s Downtown Austin Location

KPMG’s Austin office is at 111 Congress Avenue, Suite 1900, in Downtown Austin. The location puts a new hire close to Lady Bird Lake and directly on one of Austin’s best-known north-south corridors. Grant considers this an exceptional office location because it sits near several of the neighborhoods he most often recommends to recent graduates.

For a KPMG new hire, Grant would immediately compare South Congress, Downtown, South Lamar, Mueller and Riverside rather than choosing an apartment only because it is closest to the office.

2. Grant’s Neighborhood Ranking for KPMG Austin Recent Grads

Grant’s overall ranking is 1) South Congress, 2) Downtown, 3) South Lamar, 4) Mueller, 5) Riverside.

South Congress is Grant’s number-one choice. In his experience, it combines the authentic Austin feel with shops, restaurants, nightlife, outdoor gathering places and a strong recent-grad social environment. Downtown ranks second because it is exceptionally close to KPMG and packed with restaurants, music and entertainment. South Lamar is another strong lifestyle choice, especially with Zilker Park nearby. Mueller offers a newer, mixed-use environment with Aldrich Street as a central activity area. Riverside is Grant’s value play: it can cost less and remain convenient to work, but it does not offer the same walkability or social environment as his top choices.

3. How Much Should the Commute Matter?

Grant’s traffic-dependent planning estimates are roughly Downtown 15 minutes, South Congress 15–20+ minutes, South Lamar 25–30 minutes, Mueller 15–20 minutes and Riverside 10–15 minutes. These are planning estimates rather than guaranteed drive times.

The biggest issue is not always mileage. Crossing Lady Bird Lake during the morning commute can materially slow trips from South Congress and South Lamar, and Austin traffic can change quickly. Even so, Grant considers all five neighborhoods reasonable choices for a KPMG employee and views a commute around 30 minutes as acceptable in Austin when the lifestyle tradeoff is worthwhile.

4. Where Is the Best Social Life?

For meeting people and building a social network, Grant ranks South Congress first, South Lamar second, Downtown third, Mueller fourth and Riverside fifth.

South Congress is his clear favorite because the corridor itself gives a newcomer restaurants, boutiques, nightlife and outdoor gathering places. South Lamar combines its own restaurants and activity with access to Zilker Park. Downtown offers major entertainment and live music, including the Sixth Street area; Grant personally gravitates more toward West Sixth. Mueller has a walkable mixed-use feel around Aldrich Street, while Riverside is better viewed as a convenient value location from which a renter can reach Austin’s stronger social districts.

5. Hybrid Work Does Not Change Grant’s List

Grant would keep essentially the same neighborhood recommendations whether a KPMG employee is in the office frequently, visiting client sites, or working hybrid. His reason is simple: KPMG’s Downtown location is already central to the neighborhoods he likes most.

A hybrid employee does not need to move much farther away simply to get a better lifestyle. South Congress, Downtown, South Lamar and Mueller already provide strong social environments, while Riverside provides a lower-cost alternative.

6. What Should a KPMG Austin New Hire Budget?

Grant’s off-season starting one-bedroom planning ranges, roughly for September through February, are approximately South Congress $1,800–$2,000; Downtown $2,000–$2,200; South Lamar $1,800–$2,000; Mueller $1,700–$1,900; Riverside $1,600–$1,800. He cautions that Austin pricing can change dramatically, particularly during the March-through-August leasing season, so current rents and specials should always be reconfirmed.

Grant’s philosophy is “first the head, then the heart.” Start by comparing the numbers, especially effective rent after concessions. Then look at the bigger value of the property: resident events, amenities, location, walkability and how easy the building makes it to have a social life. A community that costs a little more can still be the better value if it gives a new resident substantially more connection and convenience.

7. Traffic, Parking and Airport Access

Grant warns new Austin renters about two recurring traffic issues: crossing Lady Bird Lake during rush hour and relying on I-35. Both can turn geographically short trips into longer drives.

Parking also deserves attention. Downtown parking can be challenging and employees should understand their KPMG parking options before choosing an apartment. South Congress and South Lamar can become crowded because of the amount of neighborhood activity. Mueller generally feels easier for parking in Grant’s experience because it is more spread out.

Austin-Bergstrom International Airport is southeast of central Austin. Riverside is directionally the most airport-convenient of Grant’s five choices, while South Lamar is farther west. Grant still would not choose a neighborhood solely around airport access because all five remain practical enough to keep in the comparison.

8. One Focused Tour Is Better Than Multiple Trips

Grant recommends making the apartment search a single focused tour day, usually with about three to seven apartments. HomeBase narrows the list before the renter arrives and places the appointments in geographic order so the renter is not wasting the day backtracking across Austin.

For someone leasing remotely, HomeBase makes the shortlist even tighter—Grant calls it the “greatest hits” approach. The renter can combine live virtual tours, HomeBase’s current feedback and detailed apartment videos from the Best Austin Apartments YouTube channel to narrow the decision without making repeated trips to Austin.

9. Start as Soon as the KPMG Offer Is Accepted

Grant encourages a new hire to contact HomeBase immediately after accepting the KPMG offer, even when the start date is nine to twelve months away. HomeBase can explain neighborhoods, narrow the apartment list and even plan or complete tours well before an apartment is available for the exact move date.

Grant uses roughly 70 days before move-in as a planning guideline for when many apartment options begin becoming actionable for the target date, although each property controls its own availability and application window.

When possible, Grant recommends moving to Austin two to four weeks before the first day at KPMG. That gives the new hire time not only to arrange utilities and settle into the apartment, but also to learn the neighborhood and begin building a social network before work starts.

10. Grant’s Recommended First Tour and How HomeBase Helps

Grant’s ideal KPMG Austin tour is about five or six apartments, arranged geographically. He would include one or two South Congress communities, one South Lamar community, one Downtown community, one Mueller community and, if the renter wants another value comparison, one Riverside community.

The goal is not to see every apartment in Austin. It is to compare the strongest neighborhoods and buildings efficiently enough that one or two clear favorites emerge by the end of the day.

For KPMG recruiters, HomeBase can serve as the relocation handoff. Instead of recruiters having to answer detailed questions about Austin neighborhoods, apartment lists, tours and relocation logistics, HomeBase handles that housing guidance directly with the new hire. The goal is for the employee to arrive in Austin settled, energized and already beginning to build social connections—while the recruiter gets more time back to focus on recruiting.