Rents are 2% above what Amarillo's 10-year trend predicts — running hotter than its own history.
Rent by unit size
These are HUD Fair Market Rents, the payment standard for a Housing Choice Voucher (Section 8). They often differ from the $1,305 market median above, and that is expected: FMR is the 40th percentile of standard-quality units and counts gross rent, so it includes essential utilities such as electricity, water, gas, sewer, and trash. The market median is asking rent, which usually excludes utilities. HUD sets FMR once a year; market rent here updates monthly.
Source: HUD Small Area Fair Market Rents. Read the methodology →
12-month history
Last updated: October 17, 2026
What the numbers show
February. Asking rents in Amarillo usually run 0.6% below trend in February and 0.5% above it in July, about $14 a month apart at today's median. Based on 10 years of data.
Rent in Amarillo is at its highest level since Zillow's records here began in April 2016.
Rent in Amarillo changed +7.8% over the year to September 2026. Across the 224 Texas cities Zillow tracks, the typical change was +1.0%.
From 2019 to 2024, rent in Amarillo rose 29.8% while median household income rose 25% ($52,725 to $65,912). Rent outpaced income.
Rent in Amarillo is 42% higher than in March 2020. Across the US, rent is up 37.3% over the same stretch.
Rent has risen 8 months in a row, and rose in 11 of the last 12 months.
30% of the median household income ($65,912) is $1,648 a month. That covers HUD's Fair Market Rent for up to a 2-bedroom ($1,226); a 3-bedroom is $1,684.
The priciest of 7 ZIP codes in Amarillo, 79119 ($1,769/mo), costs 1.6 times the cheapest, 79106 ($1,086/mo).
From Zillow's monthly rent index (ZORI) for Amarillo. The seasonal pattern compares Zillow’s seasonally adjusted and unadjusted series. Income is the Census median household income (5-year estimates). Fair Market Rents are HUD’s, which include utilities.
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Who lives here
Amarillo, TX is majority owner-occupied, has a large share of families with children, has a median income below the national average, 26.6% of residents hold a bachelor's degree or higher.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2024 5-Year Estimates
How Amarillo, TX has changed in 5 years
Rent in Amarillo, TX has increased 33.2% since 2021, going from about $980 per month to roughly $1,305 today. On the earnings side, the typical household in Amarillo, TX now reports about $65,912, up from $55,174 in 2021. Rent outpaced income growth by roughly 13.7 percentage points, which means renters are spending a larger slice of each paycheck on housing than they did in 2021. Educational attainment has shifted as well, with the share of adults holding a bachelor's degree or higher climbed from 24.3% to 26.6%. For context, the 2021 to 2026 window covers an unusually volatile run for US rents nationally, and Amarillo, TX reflects that arc in its own way.
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At $1,305/mo, how Amarillo rent compares to typical pay (30% rule).
Amarillo rent by bedroom count
Median rent for each apartment size in Amarillo. Click any size for full breakdown.
Tips for renters in Amarillo
Last updated: October 17, 2026
The median rent in Amarillo is $1,305/mo as of October 2026. A studio apartment averages $860/mo while a 2-bedroom runs $1,226/mo. One-bedroom apartments average $1,007/mo and 3-bedroom units go for $1,684/mo.
At 24% of local median household income ($65,912/yr), Amarillo ranks as affordable compared to the national benchmark of 30%. Rents have increased 7.8% over the past year.
Frequently asked questions
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How does Amarillo rent compare to other cities in Texas?
At $1,305/mo, rent takes ~24% of Amarillo's median household income ($65,912/yr). The standard benchmark is 30%.
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Estimated from ZIP-level data
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