Rents are 13% below what San Marcos'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 $1,433 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
December. Asking rents in San Marcos usually run 1.4% below trend in December and 1.8% above it in July, about $46 a month apart at today's median. Based on 10 years of data.
Rent in San Marcos is 6.5% below its high of $1,533 in March 2024, at $1,433 as of September 2026.
Rent in San Marcos changed +0.8% 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 San Marcos rose 26.6% while median household income rose 27% ($40,370 to $51,281). Income kept ahead of rent.
Rent in San Marcos is 17.8% higher than in March 2020. Across the US, rent is up 37.3% over the same stretch.
Rent has risen 2 months in a row, and rose in 6 of the last 12 months.
30% of the median household income ($51,281) is $1,282 a month. That covers HUD's Fair Market Rent for up to a studio ($1,220); a 1-bedroom is $1,300.
From Zillow's monthly rent index (ZORI) for San Marcos. 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 Marcos, TX is majority renter-occupied, skews toward younger working-age adults, has a median income below the national average, 38.3% of residents hold a bachelor's degree or higher.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2024 5-Year Estimates
How San Marcos, TX has changed in 5 years
Across the past five years, the going rent in San Marcos, TX has shifted from $1,253 to $1,433, up 14.4% since 2021. Local incomes tracked alongside that move, going from a median of $42,500 in 2021 to $51,281 more recently. With wages climbing faster than rent over the same window, renters here have a bit more breathing room than they did five years back. Census counts show San Marcos, TX adding about 6,085 residents over the five-year window, up 9.4% on net. The renter share has eased from 73.8% to 69.2%, with owner-occupied housing accounting for the remainder. Bachelor's-degree-or-higher attainment moved from 34.8% to 38.3% across the same window. These shifts give renters and would-be renters a longer baseline for sizing up today's listings against the San Marcos, TX market of 2021.
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Can you afford rent in San Marcos on your salary?
At $1,433/mo, how San Marcos rent compares to typical pay (30% rule).
San Marcos rent by bedroom count
Median rent for each apartment size in San Marcos. Click any size for full breakdown.
Tips for renters in San Marcos
Last updated: October 17, 2026
The median rent in San Marcos is $1,433/mo as of October 2026. A studio apartment averages $1,220/mo while a 2-bedroom runs $1,540/mo. One-bedroom apartments average $1,300/mo and 3-bedroom units go for $1,960/mo.
At 34% of local median household income ($51,281/yr), San Marcos ranks as moderate compared to the national benchmark of 30%. Rents have increased 0.8% over the past year.
Frequently asked questions
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How does San Marcos rent compare to other cities in Texas?
At $1,433/mo, rent takes ~34% of San Marcos's median household income ($51,281/yr). The standard benchmark is 30%.
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Estimated from ZIP-level data
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