Rents are 6% below what Pasadena'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 $1,361 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
August. Asking rents in Pasadena usually run 0.5% below trend in August and 0.6% above it in November, about $15 a month apart at today's median. Based on 10 years of data.
Rent in Pasadena is 1.5% below its high of $1,382 in March 2025, at $1,361 as of September 2026.
Rent in Pasadena changed +1.3% 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 Pasadena rose 26.6% while median household income rose 18% ($55,039 to $64,927). Rent outpaced income.
Rent in Pasadena is 25.9% higher than in March 2020. Across the US, rent is up 37.3% over the same stretch.
Rent rose in 4 of the last 12 months.
30% of the median household income ($64,927) is $1,623 a month. That covers HUD's Fair Market Rent for up to a 2-bedroom ($1,400); a 3-bedroom is $1,870.
The priciest of 4 ZIP codes in Pasadena, 77505 ($1,429/mo), costs 14% more than the cheapest, 77504 ($1,251/mo).
From Zillow's monthly rent index (ZORI) for Pasadena. 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
Pasadena, TX is roughly split between renters and owners, has a large share of families with children, has a median income below the national average, 16.2% of residents hold a bachelor's degree or higher.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2024 5-Year Estimates
How Pasadena, TX has changed in 5 years
The median rent in Pasadena, TX stood at $1,159 in 2021 and currently runs about $1,361, reflecting a 17.4% increase over the period. Median household income rose from $61,182 to $64,927 between 2021 and 2024, a 6.1% shift. That spread, with rent up faster than earnings, points to a tougher affordability environment than five years ago. The population has contracted by 1.7% since 2021, moving from about 151,964 residents to roughly 149,433. Taken together, the five-year picture in Pasadena, TX reflects how housing costs and the people paying them have evolved through a stretch that included a pandemic, a hot rental market, and a recent cooling phase.
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Can you afford rent in Pasadena on your salary?
At $1,361/mo, how Pasadena rent compares to typical pay (30% rule).
Pasadena rent by bedroom count
Median rent for each apartment size in Pasadena. Click any size for full breakdown.
Tips for renters in Pasadena
Last updated: October 17, 2026
The median rent in Pasadena is $1,361/mo as of October 2026. A studio apartment averages $1,123/mo while a 2-bedroom runs $1,400/mo. One-bedroom apartments average $1,173/mo and 3-bedroom units go for $1,870/mo.
At 25% of local median household income ($64,927/yr), Pasadena ranks as affordable compared to the national benchmark of 30%. Rents have increased 1.3% over the past year.
Frequently asked questions
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Which nearby cities are cheaper to rent in than Pasadena?
At $1,361/mo, rent takes ~25% of Pasadena's median household income ($64,927/yr). The standard benchmark is 30%.
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Estimated from ZIP-level data
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