Is There Enough Housing to Support Apple’s Second Campus?

Apple’s Dec. 13 announcement of its new 166-acre campus in northwest Austin means the hire of as many as 15,000 employees. The question is whether the Robinson Ranch area has enough housing for the workers.

Austin Board of Realtors President Steve Crorey said the area can absorb thousands of employees. He told Community Impact, however, that a focus should be be on infrastructure, increased traffic and more diverse housing product on Austin’s northwest side.

While Williamson County, where the new campus will be built, might have room for housing, the current inventory is low. As of October 2018, the Austin-Round Rock MSA had 2.9 months of inventory, with Round Rock down to 1.9 months. Six months is considered a healthy amount.

Cindi Bell, president-elect for the Williamson County Association of Realtors, added that suburbs impacted by the development include Round Rock, Pflugerville and Hutto. Also impacted could be Leander and Liberty Hill.

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