The Texas City that Stayed Affordable. San Antonio Rent Prices in 2026

Among the major Texas metros, San Antonio is the one that stayed affordable. San Antonio's median rent is $1,365 as of June 2026, and it fell about 1.2% over the year. Compare that to Austin's $1,567 or Dallas's higher numbers and the gap is the whole story. A household on San Antonio's $65,056 median income spends about 25% of gross pay on rent, right at the standard guideline.

The city stayed cheap, and got cheaper

San Antonio never caught the same speculative fever that hit Austin 80 miles up the highway. New apartment supply kept pace with demand, and the result is a median rent that slipped over the past year instead of climbing. For renters, a falling number in a big city is rare, and it gives you a stronger hand at renewal time than almost anywhere else in Texas.

The I-35 corridor suburbs

Heading northeast toward Austin, the suburbs cost more but stay reasonable. Schertz at $1,790 and Converse at $1,711 sit above the city, drawing renters who want newer construction and access to both metros. Cibolo at $1,649 pairs its rent with a high $122,365 median income, dropping the burden to about 16%, one of the most comfortable ratios in the region, and its rent fell over the year.

New Braunfels and the Hill Country

New Braunfels at $1,560 sits between San Antonio and Austin and saw rent fall about 2.5% over the year, a notable drop for a town that spent the last decade on every "best places to live" list. West of the city, Boerne at $1,416 in the Hill Country posted one of the larger declines in the area at more than 3%, with a $84,541 median income that keeps the rent-to-income ratio near 20%.

For San Antonio renters

If your priority is keeping rent low in a major Texas city, San Antonio is the answer, and 2026 is a good time to sign. Rents are falling across the city and several suburbs, supply is healthy, and Texas charges no state income tax on top of it. For the lowest absolute rent, stay in the city or look at Boerne. For the best income-to-rent balance, Cibolo leads. Run a side-by-side with the RentDataNow compare tool, or see San Antonio on the cheapest-rent rankings.