At $1,189/mo, rent takes about 19% of the local median household income, comfortably within the 30% benchmark.
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 $1,189 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 Universal City usually run 1% below trend in December and 1.1% above it in August, about $25 a month apart at today's median. Based on 5 years of data.
Rent in Universal City is 7.5% below its high of $1,285 in January 2023, at $1,189 as of September 2026.
Rent in Universal City changed -0.8% over the year to September 2026. Across the 224 Texas cities Zillow tracks, the typical change was +1.0%.
Rent rose in 5 of the last 12 months.
30% of the median household income ($74,811) is $1,870 a month. That covers HUD's Fair Market Rent for up to a 3-bedroom ($1,850); a 4-bedroom is $2,180.
From Zillow's monthly rent index (ZORI) for Universal City. 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
Universal City, TX is majority owner-occupied, 33.6% of residents hold a bachelor's degree or higher.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2024 5-Year Estimates
How Universal City, TX has changed in 5 years
Five years ago, renters in Universal City, TX paid around $1,071 a month. That figure now sits near $1,189, up 11.0% from the 2021 baseline. Local incomes tracked alongside that move, going from a median of $64,115 in 2021 to $74,811 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 Universal City, TX adding about 510 residents over the five-year window, up 2.6% on net. The renter share has eased from 44.4% to 42.5%, with owner-occupied housing accounting for the remainder. Bachelor's-degree-or-higher attainment moved from 31% to 33.6% across the same window. These shifts give renters and would-be renters a longer baseline for sizing up today's listings against the Universal City, TX market of 2021.
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Can you afford rent in Universal City on your salary?
At $1,189/mo, how Universal City rent compares to typical pay (30% rule).
Universal City rent by bedroom count
Median rent for each apartment size in Universal City. Click any size for full breakdown.
Tips for renters in Universal City
Last updated: October 17, 2026
The median rent in Universal City is $1,189/mo as of October 2026. A studio apartment averages $1,090/mo while a 2-bedroom runs $1,460/mo. One-bedroom apartments average $1,200/mo and 3-bedroom units go for $1,850/mo.
At 19% of local median household income ($74,811/yr), Universal City ranks as affordable compared to the national benchmark of 30%. Rents have decreased 0.8% over the past year.
Frequently asked questions
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Is rent going up or down in Universal City?
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How does Universal City rent compare to other cities in Texas?
Which nearby cities are cheaper to rent in than Universal City?
At $1,189/mo, rent takes ~19% of Universal City's median household income ($74,811/yr). The standard benchmark is 30%.
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Estimated from ZIP-level data
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