Rent affordability

How much rent can you afford in Texas?

By brightplaceUpdated Sources: Census ACS, Apartment List, IRS, Tax FoundationHow we calculate

At Texas's median household income of $79,721, the 30% rule leaves about $1,742 a month for rent after about $251 in utilities, internet, and renters insurance. 1-bedroom medians run from $667 in the McAllen metro to $1,425 in the Midland metro. Each of the 46 city pages below adds its metro's rent and local utilities.

Your income

Starts from a published median. Nothing you type is saved.

Car payment, loans, childcare. Leave rent out.

The apartment
Bedrooms

Leave blank to use your max rent.

Parking, pets, and feesOptional

Amenity, trash, or package fees billed each month.

Application, admin, or pet fees. Added to move-in cash.

Max rent in Texas

$1,742/mo

30% of gross income is $1,993 a month. Utilities, internet, and renters insurance take $251, which leaves $1,742 for rent.

Metro 1-bedroom medians here run from $667 to $1,425. Pick a city below to compare one with your max.

Take-home
$5,409/moAfter estimated federal tax, state tax, and FICA.
Move-in cash
$3,484First month and a one-month deposit, at your max rent.
Landlord screen
$2,214/moHighest rent if a landlord wants income of 36× the rent.

Monthly budget

Where take-home pay of $5,409 goes at your max rent of $1,742. Each slice is its share of take-home.

  • Rent32%$1,742
  • Electric, gas, water3%$158
  • Internet2%$76
  • Renters insurance<1%$17
  • Left over63%$3,416

Housing comes to $1,993 a month, 30% of gross income and 37% of take-home. That leaves $3,416 for food, transportation, savings, and everything else.

Rent by metro in Texas

Cities in the same metro share its median rent, as of August 2026. Each city page compares that rent with your max and adds local utilities and Census figures for the city.

Household income in Texas

The U.S. Census Bureau's 2024 American Community Survey 1-year estimates put median household income in Texas at $79,721. That was up 2.2% from $78,006 in 2023. The margin of error on the 2024 figure is $564. The estimate covers income of everyone age 15 or older in the household, in 2024 inflation-adjusted dollars.

Household utility bills in Texas

These are typical monthly bills for all household types in Texas, not an apartment quote. The rent calculator uses a smaller apartment estimate for electricity, gas, water, sewer, and trash, plus the internet row. The all-household core of those housing bills is $459 a month.

Typical monthly utility bills in Texas
BillMonthly
Electricity$173
Natural gas$71
Water$68
Sewer$84
Trash$63
Internet$76

Methodology and sources

Updated . Max rent is 30% of gross monthly income minus estimated utilities, internet, and renters insurance. If you enter other bills, max rent also keeps housing plus those bills within 36% of gross income, a debt-to-income ratio lenders generally consider good. Take-home pay uses 2026 federal brackets, Texas's 2025 single-filer income tax brackets, and FICA. Metro rents are Apartment List estimates. City pages add Census American Community Survey 5-year estimates. See how Texas's metros compare in the rent affordability rankings. None of this is tax, legal, or housing advice.