3 Texas cities ranked among most affordable in the U.S. for renters

TEXAS — According to Redfin, a national real estate brokerage firm, the top three most affordable cities for renters in the country are in Texas. The firm released its study in 2025, which also lists the median incomes needed to afford the average rent.

Renters living in the Sawyer Heights neighborhood near downtown Houston say apartments in that area come with a hefty price tag.

“It’s not cheap to live in this city, especially with income the way it is,” said Evan Camp, a renter.

Jacinto Cepeda shares his sentiment, adding you get what you pay for.

“It’s just increasing in price if you want to live somewhere nicer or a little bit safer, I would say, it’s definitely on the pricier side,” Cepeda said.

However, Redfin’s report ranking the top 10 most affordable metros for renters across the country shows renters in the Houston metro area may be better off compared to other Texans. Austin, Houston and Dallas took the top three spots, respectively.

The study analyzes Census Bureau data on median incomes and average rent costs, based on the affordability criteria of renters spending no more than 30% of their income on rent.

“In the most recent American Community Survey, we found that, for the first time, the majority of renters in Harris County in Houston are cost-burdened, meaning they spend more than 30% of their income on rent,” said Dr. Stephen Sherman, an associate director of research at the Kinder Institute for Urban Research at Rice University.

Sherman says while some may consider Houston rent as more reasonable than New York City and Los Angeles, Harris County incomes have not kept up with inflation.

“When you start to look at how that compares to people’s incomes, how high eviction rates are, the quality of multifamily building here, you start to see that that cheery story has some cracks and fissures,” he said.

The Redfin study shows the typical U.S. renter earns nearly $9,000 less than the income needed to afford the median apartment. It shows a median rent in the Houston metro of $1,239, meaning the affordability required for annual income needed is closer to $50,000. As of December 2024, Houston’s median renter income was roughly $58,000, which was nearly $9,000 more than needed to cover the rent. Sherman says that means nearly half of renters don’t make enough.

“Apartment rents and home prices, as well, have stabilized, but when you look at incomes, especially after adjusting for inflation, they’ve actually gone down,” said Sherman, adding this is while expenses like groceries and gas have gone up. “Everything is a trade-off. You can find affordable places to live in Houston, but it might be in an older building in dire need of repairs.”

Cepeda said walkability is one thing he appreciates about the Heights area.

“It’s just a matter of where you’re willing to live where you’re willing to live, and how you’re willing to live is the most important thing,” he said.