oh the places you'll go

Dallas surprises as a top 10 housing market for new grads

Housing is one less thing to worry about for college grads in Dallas.

College grads living in Dallas already have a lot on their minds this summer with job searching and career building, but at least they won't have to worry as much about where to put down roots: Dallas is the No. 6 best U.S. market for new graduates in 2024, according to a new report by Zillow.

Zillow compared the rent affordability, job market, and demographics across the 100 largest U.S. metros to determine the best housing markets for recent graduates.

Dallas' real estate market has dramatically improved as a prospect for new graduates since 2023, when it previously ranked No. 25 nationwide in a separate report by ApartmentAdvisor.

The top five housing markets are located in Phoenix, Arizona (No. 1); Albuquerque, New Mexico (No. 2); Colorado Springs, Colorado (No. 3); San Antonio, Texas (No. 4); and Portland, Oregon (No. 5).

Based on Zillow Rentals Data, the median rent price in the city is $2,025 per month. Moreover, the report found Dallas rent prices add up to 31.6 percent of a graduate's annual income. This allows residents the flexibility to explore all of what the city has to offer, or to put money away for a future down payment, says Zillow economic research data scientist Anushna Prakash.

"Zillow's best markets for new grads are great places to kickstart a career and take the first steps of adulthood," said Prakash. "For renters who don't mind a housemate or two, renting a room can help save some extra cash and might even introduce lifelong friends."

Concessions – like a free month of rent or free parking – are another big factor that boosted Dallas' ranking, as nearly half (48.7 percent) of all rental listings in the city offer concessions.

Besides Dallas and San Antonio, Austin was the only other Texas city to make it into the top 10 in the nationwide housing market analysis.

The top 10 housing markets for new graduates in 2024 are:

No. 1 – Phoenix, Arizona
No. 2 – Albuquerque, New Mexico
No. 3 – Colorado Springs, Colorado
No. 4 – San Antonio, Texas
No. 5 – Portland, Oregon
No. 6 – Dallas, Texas
No. 7 – Raleigh, North Carolina
No. 8 – Denver, Colorado
No. 9 – Spokane, Washington
No. 10 – Austin, Texas

The full report can be found on zillow.com.

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rent report

Here's how much rent prices have dropped in Dallas-Fort Worth since 2025

Photo by TOM on Unsplash

Rent prices are on the decline in most DFW cities.

Rent prices are falling statewide, and prices in certain Dallas-Fort Worth cities have declined by nearly 8 percent since last year, according to a new national rent report from Zumper.

The Zumper National Rent Report tracked year-over-year and month-over-month rent price changes in 100 U.S. cities for both one- and two-bedroom units using the most recent data available from May 2026.

Plano had the fourth-steepest rent decrease in Texas, with prices for one-bedroom units dipping 7.5 percent year-over-year to $1,360. Two-bedroom rent has dropped 5.5. percent from last year to $1,900.

In Dallas, one-bedroom rent prices fell 5.6 percent to $1,350, and two-bedroom rent is down 6.4 percent since last year to $1,900.

Arlington was the only major Texas city where rent prices increased from May 2025 to May 2026. One-bedroom rent increased nearly 3 percent to $1,090, and two-bedroom rent increased 2.1 percent to $1,480.

The cost for a single-bedroom apartment in Irving is $1,280, or the same price as it was a year ago, the report found. Two-bedroom units are 3 percent cheaper than they were last year, at $1,610.

In Fort Worth, respective rent costs for one- and two-bedroom units come out to $1,240 and $1,560.

Rent prices elsewhere in Texas
San Antonio saw the steepest drop in rent prices statewide, with one-bedroom rents falling by 10.4 percent to $950. Two-bedroom units have declined 6 percent year-over-year to $1,250.

These are the rent prices for other Texas cities in May 2026:

Austin: $1,420 for one-bedroom units; $1,860 for two-bedroom units
El Paso: $810 for one bedroom; $1,130 for two bedrooms
Houston: $1,130 for one bedroom; $1,430 for two bedroom

The report also revealed that four of the 10 U.S. metros offering the most concessions are located in Texas. Austin leads nationally with more than a third of rental units "dangling incentives to fill space," followed by San Antonio, Houston, then Dallas. A separate rent report from real estate data firm CoStar found Dallas-Fort Worth had the fifth highest apartment vacancy rate in the U.S. in March, meaning residents may be able to save on their rent depending on the financial incentives offered by landlords.

Additionally, these same markets offering generous rent concessions are also among the 10 U.S. metros with the largest population growth, which Zumper says signals ongoing tension between tenants and their landlords regarding prices.

"So while Texas absorbed a significant share of the 2023-2025 supply wave, inventory still has to lease up before landlords regain pricing power, and the steady inflow of new residents says the demand is there," the report said. "It’s just a question of when supply stops outrunning it."

From 2023 to 2024, Texas gained nearly 73,000 net new renters, making it the No. 1 magnet for renters nationwide.

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