Rents are 8% below what Harker Heights'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 $1,459 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 Harker Heights usually run 0.6% below trend in January and 0.5% above it in August, about $16 a month apart at today's median. Based on 11 years of data.
Rent in Harker Heights is at its highest level since Zillow's records here began in January 2015.
Rent in Harker Heights changed +1.6% 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 Harker Heights rose 40.6% while median household income rose 8.5% ($74,839 to $81,190). Rent outpaced income.
Rent in Harker Heights is 40.8% higher than in March 2020. Across the US, rent is up 37.3% over the same stretch.
Rent has risen 4 months in a row, and rose in 8 of the last 12 months.
30% of the median household income ($81,190) is $2,030 a month. That covers HUD's Fair Market Rent for up to a 4-bedroom ($1,910).
Killeen, 6 miles away, rents for 14% less ($1,259/mo), about $2,400 a year in savings.
From Zillow's monthly rent index (ZORI) for Harker Heights. 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
Harker Heights, TX is majority owner-occupied, has a large share of families with children, 30.2% of residents hold a bachelor's degree or higher.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2024 5-Year Estimates
How Harker Heights, TX has changed in 5 years
Rent in Harker Heights, TX has climbed 25.3% since 2021, going from about $1,164 per month to roughly $1,459 today. Household income in the area moved from $73,775 to $81,190 across the same window, up 10.1% versus 2021. Rent outpaced income growth by roughly 15.2 percentage points, which means renters are spending a larger slice of each paycheck on housing than they did in 2021. Headcount in the area went from 32,320 to 34,128 between 2021 and 2024, a 5.6% change. About 38.3% of households rent today, against 44.5% in 2021. Educational attainment has shifted as well, with the share of adults holding a bachelor's degree or higher slipped from 32.7% to 30.2%. Reading these numbers side by side helps frame whether current listings in Harker Heights, TX look reasonable against where the market sat half a decade ago.
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Can you afford rent in Harker Heights on your salary?
At $1,459/mo, how Harker Heights rent compares to typical pay (30% rule).
Harker Heights rent by bedroom count
Median rent for each apartment size in Harker Heights. Click any size for full breakdown.
Tips for renters in Harker Heights
Last updated: October 17, 2026
The median rent in Harker Heights is $1,459/mo as of October 2026. A studio apartment averages $900/mo while a 2-bedroom runs $1,140/mo. One-bedroom apartments average $900/mo and 3-bedroom units go for $1,590/mo.
At 22% of local median household income ($81,190/yr), Harker Heights ranks as affordable compared to the national benchmark of 30%. Rents have increased 1.6% over the past year.
Frequently asked questions
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How does Harker Heights rent compare to other cities in Texas?
Which nearby cities are cheaper to rent in than Harker Heights?
At $1,459/mo, rent takes ~22% of Harker Heights's median household income ($81,190/yr). The standard benchmark is 30%.
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Estimated from ZIP-level data
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