Rental market data · 2024 Census estimates
Austin, TX rental yield and cash flow
In the Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX metro, the median owner-occupied home was valued at $482,800 and the median gross rent was $1,784 a month in 2024. That is a gross rent yield of 4.43%, rank 68 of the 100 largest metros we track.
Does the median home cash flow at today's rate?
We priced a hypothetical rental at the metro medians: $482,800 purchase, $1,784 rent, 25% down, a 30-year loan at 7.28% (Freddie Mac's 30-year average for the week of October 1, 2026), $6,896 in annual property taxes, insurance at 0.5% of price, and 5% vacancy, 10% repairs and 8% management.
At these assumptions the median-priced home runs about $1,880 a month short of covering its costs (DSCR 0.24). Rent would need to reach about $4,225, 137% above the median, to break even, or the price would need to be near $116,966 for a 1.25 DSCR. Net operating income is about $7,174 a year, a 1.49% cap rate, against $29,730 of annual debt service.
Investment-property loans usually price above the owner-occupant average this survey reports, and your insurance quote, tax bill and rent will differ from a metro median. Change any input below.
Run your own numbers for Austin
How Austin compares
Metros with the nearest gross yields among the 100 we track. * Cash flow uses the same assumptions as above.
| Rank | Metro | Median value | Median rent | Gross yield | Price-to-rent | Cash flow / mo* |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 65 | Albuquerque, NM | $322,700 | $1,220 | 4.54% | 22.0 | -$1,061 |
| 66 | Minneapolis, MN-WI | $384,300 | $1,444 | 4.51% | 22.2 | -$1,363 |
| 67 | Tucson, AZ | $349,500 | $1,300 | 4.46% | 22.4 | -$1,128 |
| 68 | Austin, TX | $482,800 | $1,784 | 4.43% | 22.6 | -$1,880 |
| 69 | Fresno, CA | $416,200 | $1,513 | 4.36% | 22.9 | -$1,400 |
| 70 | Nashville, TN | $449,300 | $1,627 | 4.35% | 23.0 | -$1,418 |
| 71 | Durham, NC | $441,300 | $1,598 | 4.35% | 23.0 | -$1,483 |
What these numbers leave out
Census gross rent includes utilities when the tenant pays them, so it can overstate what a landlord collects. Median value describes owner-occupied homes, not the rental stock, and a metro median hides wide neighborhood differences. Treat this page as a screen, then underwrite the specific property.
Sources
- U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 American Community Survey 1-year estimates, table B25064 (median gross rent)
- U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 American Community Survey 1-year estimates, table B25077 (median value, owner-occupied housing units)
- U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 American Community Survey 1-year estimates, table B25103 (median real estate taxes paid)
- U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 American Community Survey 1-year estimates, table B25003 (housing tenure)
- U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 American Community Survey 1-year estimates, table B01003 (total population)
- Freddie Mac Primary Mortgage Market Survey (30-year fixed average, week of October 1, 2026)
Data snapshot October 7, 2026. Methodology: all metros.