Rents are 11% below what San Antonio'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 $1,381 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 San Antonio usually run 0.8% below trend in January and 0.8% above it in August, about $22 a month apart at today's median. Based on 11 years of data.
Rent in San Antonio is 4.1% below its high of $1,440 in March 2023, at $1,381 as of September 2026.
Rent in San Antonio changed -0.9% 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 San Antonio rose 20.7% while median household income rose 24% ($52,455 to $65,056). Income kept ahead of rent.
Rent in San Antonio is 15.5% higher than in March 2020. Across the US, rent is up 37.3% over the same stretch.
Rent has risen 3 months in a row, and rose in 3 of the last 12 months.
30% of the median household income ($65,056) is $1,626 a month. That covers HUD's Fair Market Rent for up to a 2-bedroom ($1,543); a 3-bedroom is $1,959.
The priciest of 54 ZIP codes in San Antonio, 78205 ($2,016/mo), costs 2.1 times the cheapest, 78214 ($964/mo).
Universal City, 14 miles away, rents for 14% less ($1,189/mo), about $2,300 a year in savings.
From Zillow's monthly rent index (ZORI) for San Antonio. 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
San Antonio, TX is roughly split between renters and owners, has a median income below the national average, 29% of residents hold a bachelor's degree or higher.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2024 5-Year Estimates
How San Antonio, TX has changed in 5 years
Compared with 2021, rent in San Antonio, TX has increased by $139 per month, settling near $1,381 after starting the period at $1,242. On the earnings side, the typical household in San Antonio, TX now reports about $65,056, up from $55,084 in 2021. Income growth outran rent by about 6.9 percentage points, easing the affordability math somewhat compared with 2021. Headcount in the area went from 1,434,540 to 1,479,835 between 2021 and 2024, a 3.2% change. For context, the 2021 to 2026 window covers an unusually volatile run for US rents nationally, and San Antonio, TX reflects that arc in its own way.
Discussions about San Antonio
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Can you afford rent in San Antonio on your salary?
At $1,381/mo, how San Antonio rent compares to typical pay (30% rule).
San Antonio rent by bedroom count
Median rent for each apartment size in San Antonio. Click any size for full breakdown.
Tips for renters in San Antonio
Last updated: October 17, 2026
The median rent in San Antonio is $1,381/mo as of October 2026. A studio apartment averages $1,147/mo while a 2-bedroom runs $1,543/mo. One-bedroom apartments average $1,266/mo and 3-bedroom units go for $1,959/mo.
At 25% of local median household income ($65,056/yr), San Antonio ranks as affordable compared to the national benchmark of 30%. Rents have decreased 0.9% over the past year.
Frequently asked questions
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Which nearby cities are cheaper to rent in than San Antonio?
At $1,381/mo, rent takes ~25% of San Antonio's median household income ($65,056/yr). The standard benchmark is 30%.
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Estimated from ZIP-level data
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