How much is rent in Houston, TX?

The median 2-bedroom in Houston rents for $1,562 a month with utilities, $1 less than the US median. A 1-bedroom runs $1,315 and a 3-bedroom $1,943.

By Sol Lakein, founder of Slower Sundays. Updated November 2026.

$1,5622-bedroom¹US: $1,563
$1,3151-bedroom¹US: $1,362
$62,480Income for a 2-bed at 30%²A year
22%Share of typical income³For a 2-bedroom

Rent in Houston by number of bedrooms

Median rent, utilities included, next to the US median.¹

Studio$1,314/mo
Houston
$1,314
US
$1,365
Income to keep it at 30%: $52,560²
1 bedroom$1,315/mo
Houston
$1,315
US
$1,362
Income to keep it at 30%: $52,600²
2 bedrooms$1,562/mo
Houston
$1,562
US
$1,563
Income to keep it at 30%: $62,480²
3 bedrooms$1,943/mo
Houston
$1,943
US
$1,760
Income to keep it at 30%: $77,720²
4 bedrooms$2,284/mo
Houston
$2,284
US
$2,153
Income to keep it at 30%: $91,360²

Work out what rent you can afford · Full cost of living in Houston

Where rent costs less than Houston

32 of the cities we cover have a lower median 2-bedroom rent. The cheapest and the closest:¹

City	2-bedroom rent	Less than Houston
Paducah, KY	$886	$676/mo
Terre Haute, IN	$901	$661/mo
Muncie, IN	$919	$643/mo
San Antonio, TX	$1,460	$102/mo
Asheville, NC	$1,492	$70/mo
Columbus, OH	$1,528	$34/mo

Rent in Houston: questions people ask

How much is rent in Houston?

Median rent with utilities, all units: $1,550 a month. By size: studio $1,314, 1 bedroom $1,315, 2 bedrooms $1,562, 3 bedrooms $1,943, 4 bedrooms $2,284 (Census ACS, 2025).

How much do you need to make to afford rent in Houston?

To keep a 2-bedroom at 30% of income, about $62,480 a year. For a 1-bedroom, $52,600.

What share of income goes to rent in Houston?

A year of median 2-bedroom rent equals 22% of the median household income of $86,853 (Census ACS, 2025).

Where is rent cheaper than Houston?

Of the cities we cover, Paducah, KY ($886), Terre Haute, IN ($901), Muncie, IN ($919) have the lowest median 2-bedroom rent.

Rent elsewhere in Texas

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Notes on the numbers

1Rent: Census ACS 2025 1-year, table B25031, median gross rent by number of bedrooms (rent plus utilities the renter pays), 2025. Covers all renters, including long-time tenants, so new leases often cost more. $3,500+ is the highest figure the Census publishes. Census table
2Income to keep rent at 30%: a year of rent divided by 0.3, the common rule of thumb. Our arithmetic.
3Household income: Census ACS 2025 1-year, table B19013, median household income, 2025. Census table

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