Austin may be too close to San Antonio but has 1.2 million in the region.

McAllen/Brownsville area has a population of over half a million.

Data: http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0884086.html

Yes, Austin is WAY too close to San Antonio. Mcallen is fine, though.
Zinc, destroyer of Newbs. :shoot

Austin is too close to San Antonia.

As for McAllen, I saw that Reynosa was a bigger city just over the Mexican border. I added that instead.