Apple Is Going Suburban Rather Than Urban in Austin

Apple has plans to build a new campus and expand its Texas workforce. The decision to expand to an Austin suburb points to both regional and national trends and outcomes.

2 minute read

January 3, 2019, 9:00 AM PST

By Camille Fink


Austin Texas

RoschetzkyProductions / Shutterstock

Sarah Holder takes a closer look at Apple’s plan to expand in Austin, Texas. The company has announced that it will add 5,000 new employees and a 133-acre campus in North Austin, less than a mile from its existing facilities.

The decision reflects a pattern seen with other tech companies expanding operations in places where significant numbers of employees are located. "That means Apple is the latest example of like flocking with like—tech companies choosing to settle in places they’ve already identified as talent centers," says Holder.

Apple’s new facility in Austin is also far from the city center, and part of the trend of the suburban tech campus. These campuses often operate as self-contained worlds with little public transportation access, and this can exacerbate inequality in a region, notes Holder:

The geography of jobs varies by city, [Yonah Freemark] says, but it often follows a predictable path: When campuses and corporations are placed on highways, wealthier people with access to cars also have easier access to employment, whereas other low-income or non-white people are more reliant on transit, and therefore shut out of the game in cities without comprehensive connections. 

Holder points out that Apple is getting tax incentives and rebates from the county and state, though not as massive as what Amazon will be receiving for its new headquarters, and it could become the largest private employer in Texas. Its expansion in Austin and tech industry growth in other target areas — such as New York and Washington, D.C. — also reflect the growing gap between winner and loser cities.

Friday, December 14, 2018 in CityLab

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Cover CM Credits, Earn Certificates, Push Your Career Forward

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

July 2, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Aerial view of town of Wailuku in Maui, Hawaii with mountains in background against cloudy sunset sky.

Maui's Vacation Rental Debate Turns Ugly

Verbal attacks, misinformation campaigns and fistfights plague a high-stakes debate to convert thousands of vacation rentals into long-term housing.

July 1, 2025 - Honolulu Civil Beat

Former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo walking down city street.

Cuomo Is the Candidate of Both NIMBYs and Developers. What Gives?

In the New York City mayoral race, odd bedfellows align to preserve the housing status quo.

June 23, 2025 - Benjamin Schneider

Large spinning swing ride at Chicago's Navy Pier.

The Subversive Car-Free Guide to Trump's Great American Road Trip

Car-free ways to access Chicagoland’s best tourist attractions.

30 minutes ago - Streetsblog Chicago

Aerial view of downtown San Antonio, Texas at night with rotating Tower of the Americas in foreground.

San Antonio and Austin are Fusing Into one Massive Megaregion

The region spanning the two central Texas cities is growing fast, posing challenges for local infrastructure and water supplies.

1 hour ago - Governing

Large building under construnction in downtown Charlottesville, Virginia at sunset.

Charlottesville Temporarily Has No Zoning Code

A judge ordered the Virginia city to throw out its newly revised zoning code, leaving permitting for new development in legal limbo.

2 hours ago - Charlottesville Tomorrow