renter friendly

San Antonio neighbor leads U.S. in housing and cost of living, says report

San Marcos topped the list for its cost of living and housing, the report said.

Getty Images

Texans looking for their next apartment or house to rent have many options to choose from, but only one city tops RentCafe's annual ranking of the cities with the best balance of housing and cost of living: San Marcos.

San Marcos ranked No. 55 overall in RentCafe's "Best Cities for Renters to Live in" report, but it came in No. 1 for the category that compares housing options and cost. The apartment rental marketplace annually compares 150 U.S. cities based on their quality of life, local economy, and more.

Charleston, South Carolina, maintained its position as the No. 1 best city for renters for the second consecutive year. Rounding out the top five top rental markets are Atlanta, Georgia (No. 2), Sarasota, Florida (No. 3), McKinney, Texas (No. 4), and Scottsdale, Arizona (No. 5).

Located halfway between Austin and San Antonio, San Marcos boasts the biggest apartments in Texas, with the average apartment size spanning 996 square feet. About 21 percent of all apartments in San Marcos were built within the last five years, the report found. Plus, the city's cost of living is 9.6 percent lower than the national average. These two metrics combined took the No. 1 spot of the whole report, meaning that renters in San Marcos are getting more for their money than anyone else on the list.

Like other cities that made the rankings, some other standout characteristics for San Marcos were its "small town feel" and its community-focused residents, according to RentCafe. No coincidence that it was also ranked one of the fastest growing college towns in 2023.

However, for whatever makes up for San Marcos' cost of living, the city loses in the "quality of life" category. RentCafe says San Marcos has the worst quality of life out of all U.S. cities, ranking No. 106, without much of an explanation why. The city also ranked toward the bottom of the rankings in the "local economy" category, landing at No. 122.

Meanwhile, San Antonio ranked the No. 65 best city for renters in 2024, tumbling from its former rank as No. 55 in 2023.

Here's how San Antonio performed in the study's three main categories out of all 150 cities:

No. 29 – Housing and cost of living rank
No. 40 – Quality of life rank
No. 124 – Local economy rank

San Antonio's cost of living has dropped 8.7 percent below the national average, RentCafe said, but only 15 percent of the city's apartments have been built within the last five years. The average size of an apartment in San Antonio is 867 square feet, which is 129 square feet smaller than San Marcos' average apartment size.

Other top cities for renters in Texas
The northern Dallas suburb of McKinney made its first appearance in RentCafe's study, claiming the No. 4 best rental market in the nation. Austin (No. 7) and its northern suburb Round Rock (No. 6) both held on to their positions among the top 10 best U.S. cities for renters for the second year in a row.

"When looking for the best place to rent in 2024, factors such as the size of apartments, employment or the quality of schools can really make a difference in the vetting process," the report said. "And while no city has everything, there are quite a few that come close and rank high for renters searching for options that better fit their wallets and lifestyle."

Here's how other Texas cities stacked up among the top 100 in RentCafe's report:

No. 17 – Plano (down from No. 2 in 2023)
No. 31 – Conroe (down from No. 9 in 2023)
No. 38 – Denton (down from No. 19 in 2023)
No. 52 – Midland (no data from 2023)
No. 53 – Fort Worth (down from No. 37 in 2023)
No. 57 – Dallas (down from No. 32 in 2023)
No. 58 – Lubbock (down from No. 43 in 2023)
No. 85 – Amarillo (no data from 2023)
No. 91 – Waco (unchanged from 2023)

RentCafe used data from their sister site Yardi Matrix to determine each city's ranking based on 20 metrics, including average apartment size, the cost of living and housing, the share of renter-occupied households, renter household median income growth, and more. Cities were chosen if they had an "apartment stock" of a minimum of 10,000 units, and any cities with lower apartment stocks were excluded.

The full report can be found on rentcafe.com.

suburbs renting real estate reports san marcos san antonio

Take A Walk

New multifamily community opens near Stone Oak restaurants and shopping

Rendering courtesy of Greyson Luxury Living

The new community offers 291 units.

A new multifamily community is now open to prospective residents in San Antonio. Greyson Luxury Living comprises 291 units at 1734 N. Loop 1604 West, with a focus on lifestyle amenities. But the location will be the main draw for many.

Apartment floor plans range from one to three bedrooms, starting at $1,317 for one bedroom and one bathroom, and working up to a base price of $2,611 for three bedrooms and two baths. The community's pet policy according to the website is: "We welcome all your furry friends at Greyson."

Residents will get reserved parking and a garage with EV charging stations, but it might not always be necessary to hop in the car. The apartments are directly adjacent to restaurants like Cover 3, Eddie V's Prime Seafood, and Blü Prime Steakhouse — not exactly everyday eats, but there's tons more at the Vineyard Shopping Center and the Stone Oak neighborhood's Blanco Market Shopping Center across the highway.

In addition to restaurants, the community is less than a five-minute drive from H-E-B Plus, Whole Foods Market, Target, fashion and furniture stores, and multiple fitness studios like StretchLab and LA Fitness.

A press release promises wood-style flooring, quartz and granite countertops, and ceramic tile backsplash. On the more utilitarian side, it offers single-basin sinks, kitchen islands, "spacious" pantries, a stainless-steel Energy Star appliance package, and washer and dryer connections. (Images shared by the complex so far appear to be more illustrative of the desired vibe than the actual space.)

Every floor plan also shows a private patio or balcony. The most expensive floor plan — the three-by-two — has a wraparound outdoor space.

For shared spaces, a resort-style pool with a tanning shelf (a very shallow area for placing lounge chairs) and bike storage encourage residents to get outside, and a dog wash station makes it easy to leave dirt and hair outside of apartments. There's also a fitness center, a clubhouse with wi-fi, elevators, and concierge services.

“We developed Greyson as a luxury multifamily community aimed to fit any type of lifestyle, and we are grateful for all of our partners that helped bring this project to life,” says Ed Garahan, partner and CEO at Carbon Companies, the development firm heading the project.

Carbon Companies also sold the Addison Medical Center Apartments, Ventura Ridge, Triomphe Apartments, and Pecan Springs Luxury Apartment Homes, with more in the works in San Antonio.

apartments shopping