A new apartment analysis by RentCafe has confirmed renters living in San Antonio can get a spacious apartment for $1,500 a month.
San Antonio renters willing to spend $1,500 can get an apartment spanning an average of 1,012 square feet, which is 151 square feet bigger than the overall average — at any price — in the area. The overall average size is 861 square feet and would cost $224 less per month. San Antonio is home to the ninth-largest apartments for the price in the state of Texas.
The study examined data from RentCafe's sister site, Yardi Matrix, to determine the average size and price per square foot for a $1,500 monthly budget in 200 of the largest American cities.
According to the study's findings, the national average size of an apartment costing $1,500 in rent spans 729 square feet.
For the biggest bang for your buck in Central Texas, head to Killeen, where $1,500 nets the No. 8 largest apartment in the state, with a spacious 1,045 square feet. But steer clear of Austin, which (once again) tolerated the least space for the price. Apartments in Austin only stretch to an average of 759 square feet for a $1,500 monthly budget.
In the national ranking of the largest U.S. cities with the greatest average apartment space, Wichita, Kansas claimed the No. 1 spot with apartments spanning 1,359 square feet. San Antonio cracked into the top 25, landing at No. 21 nationally. Killeen ranked No. 22 in the national comparison of the top 100 small U.S. cities.
San Antonio renters may want to consider San Marcos, as it recently ranked as the No. 1 suburb with the best cost of living and housing nationwide. RentCafe says the average apartment size in San Marcos is 1,005 square feet for $1,759 a month as of March 2024.
Apartment sizes around Texas
Renters in the Rio Grande Valley city of McAllen are still getting the most bang (i.e. square footage) for their buck in Texas for the second consecutive year. McAllen renters can find 1,423-square-foot apartments for just $1,500 a month. Brownsville (located 60 miles east of McAllen) is home to the third-largest apartments in Texas for the same budget, with a 1,285-square-foot average apartment size.
Across North Texas, Dallas and Fort Worth renters will notice a 103-square-foot difference between apartments, at 815 and 918 square feet, respectively. Residents can use their monthly budget more wisely in suburbs like Mesquite, with apartments covering 969 square feet.
Among Texas' other largest cities, Houston is close behind San Antonio, with $1,500 scoring an apartment that spans 983 square feet.