Rents are 15% below what Austin's 10-year trend predicts — a better deal than its own history suggests.
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 $1,586 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: September 25, 2026
What the numbers show
January. Asking rents in Austin usually run 1.1% below trend in January and 1.1% above it in July, about $35 a month apart at today's median. Based on 11 years of data.
Rent in Austin is 10.8% below its high of $1,779 in July 2022, at $1,586 as of August 2026.
Rent in Austin changed +0.1% over the year to August 2026. Across the 222 Texas cities Zillow tracks, the typical change was +0.8%.
From 2019 to 2024, rent in Austin rose 19.8% while median household income rose 30.9% ($71,576 to $93,658). Income kept ahead of rent.
Rent in Austin is 11.8% higher than in March 2020. Across the US, rent is up 36.8% over the same stretch.
Rent has risen 3 months in a row, and rose in 4 of the last 12 months.
The priciest of 36 ZIP codes in Austin, 78701 ($3,104/mo), costs 2.5 times the cheapest, 78753 ($1,264/mo).
From Zillow's monthly rent index (ZORI) for Austin. The seasonal pattern compares Zillow’s seasonally adjusted and unadjusted series. Income is the Census median household income (5-year estimates).
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Who lives here
Austin, TX is majority renter-occupied, skews toward younger working-age adults, has a median income above the national average, 59.6% of residents hold a bachelor's degree or higher.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2024 5-Year Estimates
How Austin, TX has changed in 5 years
Five years ago, renters in Austin, TX paid around $1,453 a month. That figure now sits near $1,586, up 9.2% from the 2021 baseline. Household income in the area moved from $78,965 to $93,658 across the same window, up 18.6% versus 2021. With wages climbing faster than rent over the same window, renters here have a bit more breathing room than they did five years back. Census counts show Austin, TX adding about 34,881 residents over the five-year window, up 3.7% on net. Bachelor's-degree-or-higher attainment moved from 55.1% to 59.6% across the same window. Reading these numbers side by side helps frame whether current listings in Austin, TX look reasonable against where the market sat half a decade ago.
Discussions about Austin
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Can you afford rent in Austin on your salary?
At $1,586/mo, how Austin rent compares to typical pay (30% rule).
Austin rent by bedroom count
Median rent for each apartment size in Austin. Click any size for full breakdown.
Tips for renters in Austin
Last updated: September 25, 2026
The median rent in Austin is $1,586/mo as of September 2026. A studio apartment averages $1,697/mo while a 2-bedroom runs $2,135/mo. One-bedroom apartments average $1,808/mo and 3-bedroom units go for $2,721/mo.
At 20% of local median household income ($93,658/yr), Austin ranks as affordable compared to the national benchmark of 30%. Rents have increased 0.1% over the past year.
Frequently asked questions
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How does Austin rent compare to other cities in Texas?
At $1,586/mo, rent takes ~20% of Austin's median household income ($93,658/yr). The standard benchmark is 30%.
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Estimated from ZIP-level data
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