ZIP Code · TX

ZIP 78738

Part of Austin, TX

Pop. 31,019·Travis County·17th most expensive ZIP in Texas

Median rent (all units)

$2,373/mo

Year-over-Year

+0.6%

Month-over-Month

+0.6%

vs US Median

+$441

Reported rents

Rising (Monthly)

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Most AffordableMost Expensive

ZIP 78738 · $2,373

More expensive than 76% of US ZIP codes · National median $1,932/mo

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Compare your rent to the local median.

Medians by bedroom

Rent by unit size

Studio

$1,780

1 BR

$1,880

2 BR

$2,230

3 BR

$2,830

4 BR+

$3,320

Research median

$2,230/mo

Bedroom estimates are gross rents that include essential utilities (electricity, water, gas, sewer, trash).

Rent trends

12-month history

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Last updated: October 17, 2026

From the history

What the numbers show

Cheapest month to sign

February. Asking rents in ZIP 78738 usually run 1.2% below trend in February and 1.1% above it in July, about $55 a month apart at today's median. Based on 5 years of data.

Compared with the peak

Rent in ZIP 78738 is 6.5% below its high of $2,538 in June 2022, at $2,373 as of September 2026.

Past year vs. the rest of Texas

Rent in ZIP 78738 changed +0.6% over the year to September 2026. Across the 629 Texas ZIP codes Zillow tracks, the typical change was +1.2%.

Recent direction

Rent rose in 4 of the last 12 months.

What a typical income covers

30% of the median household income ($183,048) is $4,576 a month. That covers HUD's Fair Market Rent for up to a 4-bedroom ($3,320).

Rank in Austin

34th cheapest of 37 ZIP codes in Austin.

Cheaper nearby

ZIP 78736, 4 miles away, rents for 39% less ($1,438/mo), about $11,200 a year in savings.

From Zillow's monthly rent index (ZORI) for ZIP 78738. 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.

Annual cost

$28,476/yr

At $2,373/mo median

Location

CityAustin

StateTX

CountyTravis County

Rent Market Meter

Balanced Market

Renter's MarketBalancedLandlord's Market

Rents are roughly steady, with neither renters nor landlords holding a strong edge right now.

Based on rent-price momentum (+0.6% YoY, +0.6% MoM), not inventory.

Demographics

Who lives here

ZIP 78738 (Austin, TX) is majority owner-occupied, has a large share of families with children, has a median income above the national average, 75% of residents hold a bachelor's degree or higher.

Population

31,019

Median income

$183,048

Median age

43.4

Renters

24.7%

Age distribution

26.7%

33.4%

16.2%

Under 1826.7%

18–3412%

35–5433.4%

55–6411.7%

65+16.2%

Gender

50.4%

49.6%

Male50.4%

Female49.6%

Race & ethnicity

70.7%

12.3%

White70.7%

Black3%

Hispanic11.9%

Asian12.3%

Other2%

Education (25+)

14.6%

75%

No HS diploma2%

HS diploma8.4%

Some college14.6%

Bachelor's+75%

Housing tenure

75.3%

24.7%

Owner75.3%

Renter24.7%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2024 5-Year Estimates

2021 vs 2026

How ZIP 78738 in Austin, TX has changed in 5 years

Rent

$2,137 → $2,373

up 11.0%

Income

$143,639 → $183,048

up 27.4%

Population

26,806 → 31,019

up 15.7%

Renter share

22.5% → 24.7%

+2.2 pts

Bachelor's+

74.1% → 75%

+0.9 pts

Median age

42 → 43.4

+1.4 yrs

Rent in ZIP 78738 in Austin, TX has climbed 11.0% since 2021, going from about $2,137 per month to roughly $2,373 today. Median household income grew from $143,639 to $183,048 between 2021 and 2024, a 27.4% shift. Income growth outran rent by about 16.4 percentage points, easing the affordability math somewhat compared with 2021. Headcount in the area went from 26,806 to 31,019 between 2021 and 2024, a 15.7% change. About 24.7% of households rent today, against 22.5% in 2021. Taken together, the five-year picture in ZIP 78738 in Austin, 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.

Community

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About renting in ZIP 78738

Last updated: October 17, 2026

ZIP code 78738 covers Austin, TX. The median rent here is $2,373/mo as of October 2026. A 1-bedroom rents for a median of $1,880/mo. A 2-bedroom rents for a median of $2,230/mo.

At 16% of local median household income ($183,048/yr), ZIP 78738 ranks as affordable compared to the national benchmark of 30%. Rents have increased 0.6% over the past year.

FAQ

Frequently asked questions

How much income do you need to rent in ZIP 78738?

To keep rent at or below 30% of gross income, you would need to earn at least $95,000/year (about $46/hour full-time) to afford the median rent of $2,373/mo in ZIP 78738. The local median household income is $183,048/yr, so the typical household meets that bar.

Is rent going up or down in ZIP 78738?

Rent in ZIP 78738 has risen 0.6% over the past year as of September 2026. It sits 6.5% below its high of $2,538 in June 2022.

When is the cheapest time to rent in ZIP 78738?

Asking rents in ZIP 78738 are usually lowest in February, about 1.2% below their yearly trend, and highest in July, about 1.1% above it. At today's median that is a gap of roughly $55 a month. This pattern comes from 5 years of Zillow rent data.

How does ZIP 78738 compare to other ZIPs in Texas?

ZIP 78738 is one of the pricier among Texas ZIP codes for rent, ranking #17 of 693 at $2,373/mo. Over the year to September 2026, rent in ZIP 78738 changed +0.6%, against a typical +1.2% across the 629 Texas ZIP codes Zillow tracks.