Mike Mandel the Chief Economist at Business Week has an interesting post on his personal blog about house price values in major metro areas. In way that the web only can, there are also interesting comments and cross links to a separate blog that summarizes data on salaries.

If you feeling the squeeze here in Austin, maybe this is the reason for it. Salaries are increasing only a little more than 1% per year before inflation, and one of the lowest; house prices which many see as the bellweather of the Austin economy and many would argue the reason for so much [unwanted?] change, are also significantly lagging.

The areas with most growth? Those around significant development areas for guns and oil, Austin-Round Rock-San Macros, Killeen-Temple-Fort-Hood and Odessa, Texas are all discussed. Read through to the comments on both blog entries, I learned something… A Wonk isn’t just a cuddly creature from The Adventures of Wonk by Muriel Levy