I never lived alone, but I was always very selective about my roommates. There are a lot of young professionals and students living in Austin, but there are also a lot of wild musicians party types (they can make for awesome friends and house parties but terrible roommates). I never had more than 1 roommate and lived in fairly nice places. Not sure what you could find solo at that rate. I had a large breed dog (German Shepherd) so most apartment complexes were off limits for me. Similar to most areas, landlords in Austin cower away from Pitts, Shepherds, Rotts, and a number of other so-called aggressive breeds. (In case anyone is traveling with a four-legged companion).