Rents are 9% below what Little Elm'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 $2,268 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 Little Elm usually run 0.9% below trend in January and 0.9% above it in July, about $41 a month apart at today's median. Based on 11 years of data.
Rent in Little Elm is 0.7% below its high of $2,284 in March 2023, at $2,268 as of September 2026.
Rent in Little Elm changed +1.8% 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 Little Elm rose 30.9% while median household income rose 20.7% ($98,803 to $119,219). Rent outpaced income.
Rent in Little Elm is 31.2% higher than in March 2020. Across the US, rent is up 37.3% over the same stretch.
Rent has risen 5 months in a row, and rose in 7 of the last 12 months.
30% of the median household income ($119,219) is $2,980 a month. That covers HUD's Fair Market Rent for up to a 2-bedroom ($2,630); a 3-bedroom is $3,300.
Aubrey, 7 miles away, rents for 24% less ($1,734/mo), about $6,400 a year in savings.
From Zillow's monthly rent index (ZORI) for Little Elm. 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
Little Elm, TX is majority owner-occupied, has a large share of families with children, has a median income above the national average, 44.2% of residents hold a bachelor's degree or higher.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2024 5-Year Estimates
How Little Elm, TX has changed in 5 years
Compared with 2021, rent in Little Elm, TX has increased by $351 per month, settling near $2,268 after starting the period at $1,917. Local incomes tracked alongside that move, going from a median of $101,693 in 2021 to $119,219 more recently. Headcount in the area went from 45,124 to 54,820 between 2021 and 2024, a 21.5% change. About 29.9% of households rent today, against 31.4% in 2021. Educational attainment has shifted as well, with the share of adults holding a bachelor's degree or higher climbed from 39.8% to 44.2%. These shifts give renters and would-be renters a longer baseline for sizing up today's listings against the Little Elm, TX market of 2021.
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Can you afford rent in Little Elm on your salary?
At $2,268/mo, how Little Elm rent compares to typical pay (30% rule).
Little Elm rent by bedroom count
Median rent for each apartment size in Little Elm. Click any size for full breakdown.
Tips for renters in Little Elm
Last updated: October 17, 2026
The median rent in Little Elm is $2,268/mo as of October 2026. A studio apartment averages $2,140/mo while a 2-bedroom runs $2,630/mo. One-bedroom apartments average $2,240/mo and 3-bedroom units go for $3,300/mo.
At 23% of local median household income ($119,219/yr), Little Elm ranks as affordable compared to the national benchmark of 30%. Rents have increased 1.8% over the past year.
Frequently asked questions
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Which nearby cities are cheaper to rent in than Little Elm?
At $2,268/mo, rent takes ~23% of Little Elm's median household income ($119,219/yr). The standard benchmark is 30%.
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Estimated from ZIP-level data
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