Rent Report

Here's how many Texans are paying too much for rent, report reveals

For almost half of Texas renters, 30 percent of their income goes to housing.

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Millions of Texas renters, both current residents and new arrivals, suffer from wallet whiplash.

A new report from the Texas Affiliation of Affordable Housing Providers shows 45 percent of the state’s renters spend more than 30 percent of their income on housing. Renters occupy more than 4.2 million Texas households, representing nearly half of the state’s residents.

Worse yet, 81 percent of extremely low-income households in Texas spend more than 50 percent of their income on housing, the report says. For that income group, Texas has a shortage of 864,000 affordable homes.

Thirty percent is the standard financial benchmark for spending too much income on rent, while 50 percent puts a renter in the “severely cost-burdened” bucket.

“To sustain growth and secure future prosperity, Texas will need more than 320,000 additional affordable homes [rented and owned] to address workforce housing affordability and meet the demands of a growing population,” says the report.

“Today, the state is creating thousands of new jobs,” the report adds, “but housing supply has not kept pace with demand, driving up housing costs and constraining continued economic growth.”

Not surprisingly, people who live in or move to three of Texas’ biggest metro areas get hit with the state’s highest apartment rental rates. Here’s Apartments.com’s list of the 10 most expensive places for renters in Texas, based on apartments whose average size ranges from 713 square feet in Austin to 771 square feet in Plano:

1. Frisco — $1,477 per month
2. Plano — $1,461 per month
3. Austin — $1,417 per month
4. Dallas — $1,413 per month
5. McKinney — $1,363 per month
6. Grand Prairie — $1,327 per month
7. Irving — $1,318 per month
8. Garland — $1,237 per month
9. Fort Worth — $1,217 per month
10. Houston — $1,183 per month

San Antonio boasts some of the lowest average rent among Texas’ 10 most affordable markets: $1,075 per month. Mesquite, a Dallas-Fort Worth suburb, also fits into that category, with average monthly rent of $1,052.

Earlier this month, Gov. Greg Abbott announced more than $114 million in grants to help develop or rehabilitate properties, providing more than 4,400 affordable rental units.

“As our state grows, we must ensure that Texans have access to the affordable housing they need to thrive,” Abbott says.

rent report income cost burden affordability rent prices

ZIP-ing to TX

This Dallas neighbor is the No. 2 hottest ZIP code to move to in 2026

Facebook/Visit McKinney

McKinney is booming.

A new migration report has reaffirmed Texas as one of the hottest destinations for movers during the first half of 2026, and one Dallas suburb is attracting more movers than almost any other ZIP code in America.

Nearly 5.3 million moves were recorded throughout the U.S. during the first six months of the year, according to MovingPlace's new 2026 mid-year migration report. An astounding eight of the top 10 U.S. ZIP codes attracting the most movers are based in Texas, with McKinney's 75071 ZIP code ranking No. 2 nationally for the highest number of moves during that timeframe.

Over 2,800 moves have been recorded in 75071, which stretches east from North Coit Road at University Drive to U.S. Highway 75. The ZIP code is bordered by Virginia Parkway to the south and goes as far north as McKinney North/Celina Koa Holiday RV park.

McKinney has blossomed into a bustling hub for North Texas families over the last several years, and frequently tops annual lists of the best Texas cities to move to.

"[McKinney] remained one of the country’s most active moving destinations, benefiting from the continued expansion of the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex," the report said. "The city’s combination of highly rated schools, master-planned communities, and access to major employment centers has made it a consistent draw for families moving within North Texas and relocating from other states."

The city boasts a population of about 69,400 residents, a median household income of $132,447, and it has also been crowned the No. 1 real estate market in America for three years in a row. According to MovingPlace's data, its median home price sits at $448,500.

Other hot ZIPs in Dallas-Fort Worth

Aubrey's 76227 ZIP code ranked No. 9 nationally on MovingPlace's top 10 list of the hottest ZIP codes by total move volume so far in 2026. The city's population has surpassed 55,000 residents with 2,335 new moves recorded during the first half of the year.

The report designates Aubrey as one of the "most active emerging communities" in North Texas thanks to "continued development along the US-380 corridor." Homes for sale in the 76227 area have a median price of just under $335,000.

"The area has become increasingly popular among buyers looking for newer construction, larger lots, and more attainable prices compared with established DFW suburbs," the report said.

In MovingPlace's per-capita rankings — which compared the ZIP codes where new residents moved at the highest rate relative to the existing population — two more North Texas ZIPs emerged among the top 10: 75114 in Crandall and 75166 in Lavon.

Crandall's 75114 ZIP code has the second-highest moves per capita in the U.S., the report found, and Lavon had the fourth-highest rate of moves per capita nationally. Both far-flung Dallas suburbs benefit from newer residential communities at "relatively attainable" price points. Median home prices in Crandall are $275,100, whereas Lavon's median home prices are a pricier $385,000.

Crandall was also named the top Texas ZIP in MovingPlace's separate list of the hottest ZIP codes in every state by move volume per capita, which "skews toward small vacation towns and fast-growing suburbs."

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