Rents are 10% below what Desoto'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 $2,131 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
January. Asking rents in Desoto usually run 0.6% below trend in January and 1% above it in August, about $34 a month apart at today's median. Based on 11 years of data.
Rent in Desoto is 1% below its high of $2,153 in July 2025, at $2,131 as of September 2026.
Rent in Desoto changed -0.1% 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 Desoto rose 38.5% while median household income rose 15.7% ($71,578 to $82,782). Rent outpaced income.
Rent in Desoto is 37% higher than in March 2020. Across the US, rent is up 37.3% over the same stretch.
Rent has risen 6 months in a row, and rose in 7 of the last 12 months.
30% of the median household income ($82,782) is $2,070 a month. That covers HUD's Fair Market Rent for up to a 2-bedroom ($1,890); a 3-bedroom is $2,370.
Duncanville, 5 miles away, rents for 29% less ($1,509/mo), about $7,500 a year in savings.
From Zillow's monthly rent index (ZORI) for Desoto. 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
Desoto, TX is majority owner-occupied, 30.1% of residents hold a bachelor's degree or higher.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2024 5-Year Estimates
How Desoto, TX has changed in 5 years
Since 2021, the typical rent in Desoto, TX has climbed from $1,715 to $2,131, a 24.3% change over five years. Local incomes tracked alongside that move, going from a median of $79,570 in 2021 to $82,782 more recently. That spread, with rent up faster than earnings, points to a tougher affordability environment than five years ago. These shifts give renters and would-be renters a longer baseline for sizing up today's listings against the Desoto, TX market of 2021.
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At $2,131/mo, how Desoto rent compares to typical pay (30% rule).
Desoto rent by bedroom count
Median rent for each apartment size in Desoto. Click any size for full breakdown.
Tips for renters in Desoto
Last updated: October 17, 2026
The median rent in Desoto is $2,131/mo as of October 2026. A studio apartment averages $1,540/mo while a 2-bedroom runs $1,890/mo. One-bedroom apartments average $1,610/mo and 3-bedroom units go for $2,370/mo.
At 31% of local median household income ($82,782/yr), Desoto ranks as moderate compared to the national benchmark of 30%. Rents have decreased 0.1% over the past year.
Frequently asked questions
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At $2,131/mo, rent takes ~31% of Desoto's median household income ($82,782/yr). The standard benchmark is 30%.
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