Roommate city
San Antonio now houses more adults with roommates than ever before
As rental prices escalate, a rising number of San Antonians are cohabitating in order to cut costs. According to a report released by real estate website Zillow, San Antonio has more adults with roommates, whether a friend or a parent, than ever before.
The median rent in Alamo City is $1,335, which translates to 37.2 percent of adults live together, up from 23.6 percent in 2000. Although San Antonio's median rent is fairly low compared to other Texas cities, it has the highest share of doubled-up households.
The trend is seen elsewhere in Texas, including Austin, Houston, and Dallas-Fort Worth. Austin has the highest median rent at $1,690, driving an increase in adults living together from 23 percent in 2000 to the current 30.4 percent.
Thirty percent of Dallasites have a roommate, up from 22.6 percent in 2000, and 32.8 percent of Houstonians share a home, up from 24.3 percent in 2000. In DFW, the median rent runs $1,596; Houston is slightly lower: $1,532.
Texas is in line with the national average, as Zillow says 30 percent of U.S. adults have roommates, up 8 percentage points since 2000. Nationwide, renters can expect to spend 28.8 percent of their monthly income on a rental payment, or $1432.
"As rents have outpaced incomes, living alone is no longer an option for many working-aged adults," says Zillow's Aaron Terrazas. "By sharing a home with roommates — or in some cases, with adult parents — working adults are able to afford to live in more desirable neighborhoods without shouldering the full cost alone."
Two metros with some of the nation’s most expensive rents — Los Angeles and Miami — have the greatest share of doubled-up households. LA is at 45.5 percent, while Miami is at 41 percent.
