Austin City Foot Traffic

The average monthly foot traffic per venue for Austin in the last 12 months was 15,835, this is a 7.8% decrease from the previous 12 months. Though foot traffic in Austin is decreasing overall, zip code 78660 has seen a steady increase. Pflugerville, North Austin and Great Hills neighborhoods experienced the highest total foot traffic for Austin. These 3 neighborhoods constitute over 21% of the total foot traffic experienced from 09/01-2022-08/30/2023. Conversely, the Barton Creek, Richland Estates, and The Hilscher neighborhoods experienced the lowest total foot traffic for the same period of time.

Methodology – Austin foot traffic data was pulled from the Foot Traffic Trend Value module on a monthly basis. The metric Person Count was averaged by zip code by month and simple linear regression was applied to generate trend lines for Foot Traffic. When visualizing the data, the total foot traffic by zip code was plotted on a map and colored by total foot traffic. To analyze specific points of interest, data is aggregated at the Census Block Group geographic level. Additionally, Census Track level data can be used to investigate the surrounding area to any point(s) of interest.

Austin saw the highest average monthly foot traffic (19,096) April 2022 through October 2022 with June 2023 having the lowest average foot traffic of 13,674 average visitors. July 2022 had the highest average foot traffic (21,059) for the total time frame analyzed (06/01/2021-08/30/2023). When considering only the past 12 months, the foot traffic pattern changes displaying no seasonality. Further analysis would provide insights into this change in visitor behavior.

Methodology - The metric Person Count was summed by zip code by month to generate Foot Traffic. To analyze change in foot traffic by quarter, Person Count was summed by zip code by quarter and the percent change was calculated between quarters.

Utilizing the North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) codes available in the foot traffic trend value module, consumers can gain valuable insights on 105 unique industry sectors found in Austin. The top industries include: Supermarkets, General Merchandise Stores, Book Stores, Hardware Stores, and Children’s Clothing Stores. While the industry specific foot traffic patterns generally mirror the overall foot traffic pattern of Austin, there is a notable difference in the hardware industry. While the foot traffic trend in Austin is decreasing, the hardware store industry is experiencing an increase in average monthly foot traffic. Additionally, there was a larger than expected increase in foot traffic in the hardware store industry in March 2023. Deeper analysis of foot traffic data for specific brands in the hardware store industry could illuminate potential causes for this uptick.

Methodology – The NAICS codes were grouped to create broader Industry level classifications. The PersonCount metric was then averaged by industry by month to calculate foot traffic. The data was then visualized for individual industries.

Foot Traffic data is available for 1,112 unique brands in Austin allowing consumers to create detailed brand analysis as well as head-to-head comparisons between two or more brands. The most highly trafficked brands in Austin include: H-E-B Grocery, McDonald’s, Walmart, Target, and Starbucks. Taking a deeper dive into the foot traffic data available for the 8 Walmart locations in Austin, we find that 0% or 0 locations are experiencing an increase in foot traffic. For the time period 09/01/2022-08/30/2023, North Austin has the highest average foot traffic pattern with 249,720 visits per month. The North Austin area had the highest total foot traffic for Austin Walmart locations with 2,746,925 visits. This can be explained by the zip code 78753 being home to 2 Walmart locations in total. The total foot traffic at the 1030 Norwood Park Blvd location is decreasing, it is the most visited Walmart boasting approximately 18.8% of all Walmart foot traffic in Austin. Conversely, the 11923 US Highway 290 E location accounts for only 6.57% of the total Austin Walmart foot traffic.

Methodology – The Austin data was filtered to only consider the brand Walmart. The metric Person Count was summed by zip code by month to calculate Foot Traffic. To analyze change in Foot Traffic by quarter, Person Count was summed by zip code by quarter and the percent change was calculated between quarters. For location level data, Person Count was summed by Street Address. Foot Traffic Percentage was calculated by taking the sum of foot traffic for street address and dividing the resulting value by the total Foot Traffic for Austin in the selected date range.