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How Is the Greater Austin Rental Market Doing in 2026? May Data & Landlord Insights

AustinMarket GuideTexas

Updated June 5, 2026 · By The Doorstead Team

Your monthly guide to rental conditions in Greater Austin. This is our June 2026 report, covering May 2026 rental data: what rents looked like last month, what's driving the market, and what it means if you own a rental home.


Greater Austin Rental Market Snapshot — May 2026

Here's where Greater Austin rents stand as of May 2026, across all property types — apartments, condos, townhomes, and single-family homes.

Greater Austin median rent sits at $2,026 in May 2026, down 3.8% from a year ago and taking an average of 50 days to lease — a combination that puts real pricing pressure on landlords even as the summer leasing window opens.

MetricValueChange
Median Rent (All Types, Greater Austin)$2,026+0.1% MoM
Avg. Days on Market50 days
Rent Growth YoY-3.8%

Source: Doorstead market data, aggregated from public records and online rental listings, all rental property types, May 2026.


What's Driving Greater Austin Rental Market Conditions Right Now

Greater Austin Rental Supply and New Construction

Greater Austin added over 60,000 new apartment units between 2023 and 2025, and another 10,000–13,000 units are still scheduled to deliver in 2026, including 352 luxury apartments at Waterline on Rainey Street and the first phases of the 1,700-unit Brodie Oaks redevelopment at South Lamar and Loop 360. The pipeline is shrinking fast, though: construction starts hit a ten-year low in 2024, under-construction inventory fell 55% year-over-year, and deliveries are projected to drop 60–74% from their peak. That means the supply pressure weighing on rents today is likely a short-term problem, not a permanent one.

Why People Rent in Greater Austin

The Domain, East Austin's Plaza Saltillo corridor, and Mueller keep pulling in tech workers, healthcare staff, and UT-affiliated renters who need walkable access to major campuses and transit, and at a 6.53% mortgage rate, buying is simply out of reach for most of them. Austin's job market has cooled to a "no hire, no fire" pace, so robust employment-driven household formation has slowed, but international migration is still filling that gap across the broader metro. Right now, May through August is the core leasing window, when families and students time their moves, so demand is concentrated into a tight seasonal stretch.

What This Means for Greater Austin Landlords

Price aggressively to lease by mid-July: the blended median rent sits at $2,025.73 (down 3.8% year-over-year) and homes are averaging 50 days on market, so a unit priced even slightly above comparable listings will burn through the summer leasing window and sit vacant into the slower fall months. Landlords who are near the Domain, Mueller, or the East Austin MetroRail stops have the most pricing leverage right now and should lean into that proximity in their listings.


Greater Austin Rent by City — May 2026

Cedar Park leads Greater Austin in leasing speed at 36 days on market, followed closely by Pflugerville (40 days) and Buda (41 days), making the northwest and southwest suburbs the tightest rental markets in the region right now. Austin itself sits at the opposite end of the table with 64 days on market and a 0.3% month-over-month increase, the softest leasing conditions of any city in the dataset. Most suburbs are clustering between 36 and 58 days, with Cedar Park, Pflugerville, and Buda clearly outperforming, while Georgetown, Kyle, Manor, and San Marcos are lagging behind the pack at 54 days or more.

CityMedian Rent2BR Median3BR MedianAvg. DOMMoM Change
Austin, TX$2,566$2,865$5,65064 days+0.3%
Round Rock, TX$2,093$1,535$2,03344 days+0.1%
Cedar Park, TX$2,100$1,549$2,18036 days+0.0%
Georgetown, TX$2,050$1,548$2,05054 days+0.1%
Leander, TX$2,150$1,549$2,05050 days+0.0%
Pflugerville, TX$2,050$1,499$2,03540 days+0.0%
Kyle, TX$1,725$1,399$1,82556 days+0.1%
Hutto, TX$2,000$1,429$1,95043 days+0.1%
San Marcos, TX$1,550$1,199$1,77561 days+0.0%
Buda, TX$2,100$1,599$2,10041 days+0.0%
Manor, TX$1,899$1,475$1,90058 days+0.2%
Source: Doorstead market data, aggregated from public records and online rental listings, all property types, May 2026. Median Rent is across all property types.
  • Austin, TX: The Domain in North Austin anchors tech-worker demand with Apple, Amazon, and Indeed campuses plus MetroRail access, while East Austin draws UT grad students and healthcare workers to corridors like Plaza Saltillo and East 6th. Even so, at 64 days on market and a 6.6% YoY rent decline to $2,566, Austin proper is sitting on more supply than demand can absorb, and owners pricing above comps will feel that gap most.

  • Round Rock, TX: Round Rock has built a reputation as one of the metro's go-to suburbs for jobs, schools, and quality of life, which gives it a renter pool that skews toward stable, long-term households. At 44 days DOM and a YoY rent change of exactly 0.0%, it's the closest thing to a balanced market in Greater Austin right now, with landlords able to price at current levels without the concession pressure hitting the urban core.

  • Cedar Park, TX: At 36 days DOM, Cedar Park is leasing faster than any other city in this table, a standout number in a market where the metro average sits at 66 days. Rents are roughly flat month-over-month at $2,100, though the 6.7% YoY decline shows the broader correction hasn't spared this suburb. Landlords here are losing ground on price year-over-year, but homes are moving, so accurate pricing is rewarding right now.

  • Georgetown, TX: Georgetown's 54-day DOM is on the slower side relative to neighbors like Round Rock and Cedar Park, suggesting renters have enough options here to take their time. The 3.2% YoY rent decline to $2,050 is more moderate than Austin proper's drop, but month-over-month movement is only +0.1%, so the spring bounce is modest at best.

  • Leander, TX: Leander sits in the middle of the pack with 50 days DOM and a median rent of $2,150, holding slightly above Cedar Park and Round Rock on price while moving at a comparable pace. The 2.1% YoY decline is one of the shallower drops in Greater Austin, which points to a market absorbing new supply more gradually than the urban core.

  • Pflugerville, TX: Pflugerville's 40-day DOM is one of the faster leasing paces in the table, second only to Cedar Park, suggesting rental demand here is absorbing available inventory without much friction. The 4.7% YoY decline to $2,050 still stings compared to last spring, but with rents roughly flat month-over-month, the floor may be stabilizing.

  • Kyle, TX: Kyle carries the second-lowest median rent in this table at $1,725, making it one of the more affordable options in the southern corridor of Greater Austin. The 56-day DOM and a 3.1% YoY decline indicate it's neither leasing especially fast nor holding price well, so owners should treat accurate pricing as the primary lever for reducing vacancy.

  • Hutto, TX: Hutto's 43-day DOM is solid for a northeastern suburb, and at $2,000 median rent with a 2.4% YoY decline, it's sitting toward the softer end on price but moving homes at a healthy clip. The minimal MoM movement of +0.1% signals price stability rather than recovery, so owners here are competing on condition and price rather than riding any upward trend.

  • San Marcos, TX: San Marcos carries the lowest median rent in this table at $1,550 and logs 61 days on market, one of the slower leasing paces alongside Austin proper. The 3.7% YoY decline and flat month-over-month movement reflect a market that absorbed significant supply and has not yet seen spring demand close that gap.

  • Buda, TX: Buda's 41-day DOM matches the faster end of the leasing spectrum in Greater Austin, even as median rent holds at $2,100 with essentially no month-over-month movement. The 4.3% YoY decline puts meaningful pressure on returns, but the leasing pace suggests well-priced homes in Buda are not sitting, which gives owners a workable window this summer.

  • Manor, TX: Manor shows +0.2% MoM growth, the strongest month-over-month gain in this table, though starting from a median rent of $1,899 and with 58 days DOM, it's not yet translating into fast leasing. The 5.0% YoY decline underscores how much ground was lost over the past year, and that slow absorption means owners should focus on competitive pricing rather than banking on seasonal momentum.


Greater Austin Rent by Bedroom Count and Property Type — May 2026

Rent by Bedroom Count in Greater Austin

The median rent for a 3-bedroom home in Greater Austin is $2,323, stepping up from $1,604 for a 2-bedroom. Across all bedroom sizes, rents range from $1,092 for a studio to $2,483 for a 4-bedroom, a spread of $1,391. The relatively modest $160 gap between 3-bedroom and 4-bedroom rents suggests demand is concentrated in the 3-bedroom tier, where renters get the most space per dollar and landlords face the broadest pool of qualified applicants.

Bedroom Count in Greater AustinMedian Rent (May 2026)
Studio$1,092
1-Bedroom$1,144
2-Bedroom$1,604
3-Bedroom$2,323
4-Bedroom$2,483
Source: Doorstead market data, aggregated from public records and online rental listings across all property types, Greater Austin, May 2026.

Rent by Property Type in Greater Austin

Single-family homes lead the Greater Austin market at a $2,264 median rent, $239 (11.8%) above the blended metro median of $2,026. Condos and townhouses cluster closer to that midpoint, while apartments sit far below at $1,271, dragging the low end of the range down by $755. On speed, single-family stands out again: 35 days on market versus the blended 50, while apartments lag badly at 113 days. For owners of single-family rentals, that combination of higher rent and faster lease-up is the strongest position in the current market.

Property Type in Greater AustinMedian RentAvg. Days on MarketMoM Change
All Property Types (Blended)$2,02650 days+0.1%
Single Family$2,26435 days+0.2%
Condo$1,67450 days+0.2%
Townhouse$2,00548 days+0.1%
Apartment$1,271113 days+0.1%
Source: Doorstead market data, aggregated from public records and online rental listings, Greater Austin, May 2026.

Data Sources & Methodology

  • Rental market data: Median rents, days on market, listing counts, and rent change figures. Sourced from county public records, deed and tax assessor data, and rental listings on publicly accessible platforms.
  • Doorstead Platform Data: Internal leasing outcomes from Doorstead-managed rental homes across all property types, including days to lease. Trailing 12 months.

Data refreshed monthly. Doorstead benchmarks reflect managed properties only and may not be representative of the broader Greater Austin rental market.


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FAQ

What is the average rent in Greater Austin right now?

The Greater Austin median rent across all property types sits at $2,026 as of May 2026, down 3.8% year over year.

How long does it take to rent a home in Greater Austin?

On average, homes in Greater Austin are taking 50 days to lease right now. That figure masks a wide spread across property types and submarkets, so your actual leasing timeline depends heavily on what you own and where it's located.

Is Greater Austin a good rental market for landlords right now?

It depends on what you're renting and where. Blended rents are down 3.8% year over year and average days on market sit at 50, which means landlords pricing at yesterday's rents are sitting on vacancies longer than they need to. The landlords finding traction are pricing to today's market and leaning toward single-family product, which is leasing meaningfully faster than the blended average.

What is the average rent for a single-family home in Greater Austin?

Single-family rentals are commanding a $2,264 median rent across Greater Austin, with three-bedroom homes coming in slightly higher at $2,323. That's a noticeable premium over the $2,026 blended median, which pulls in apartments and smaller units.

How quickly are single-family rental homes leasing in Greater Austin?

Single-family homes are averaging 35 days to lease, well ahead of the 50-day blended average for all property types. Price correctly and present the home well, and a month-long lease-up is a realistic target in this segment.

Which Greater Austin suburbs have the best single-family rental demand right now?

Cedar Park is the fastest-moving submarket at 36 days to lease, followed closely by Pflugerville at 40 days. The city of Austin itself is sitting at 64 days, which is nearly double Cedar Park's pace and a clear sign of softer demand closer to the urban core. If you own in a faster suburb you have pricing leverage; if you own in Austin proper, aggressive pricing upfront will save you more in lost rent than a slightly higher asking price ever would, and a free rent estimate from Doorstead is a quick way to calibrate where you should land.

Should I rent out my Greater Austin home or sell it?

Selling converts your appreciation into cash today; renting lets you stack cash flow, continued appreciation, and rent growth over time. Greater Austin's blended median rent is $2,026 and trending down 3.8% year over year, so this isn't a market where rents are doing the heavy lifting for you right now, which makes your mortgage payment, purchase price, and tax basis far more important inputs than any market-wide figure. Run the full picture through Doorstead's rental investment calculator, which projects cash flow, appreciation, rent growth, and 10-year equity pre- and post-tax, before making the call.

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