Believe it or not, the average price of rent is actually going down in two of Texas’ major cities.
A recent Instagram post from @realestate lists the top 10 U.S. cities where rent is falling, and both San Antonio and Austin made the cut. According to the post, Austin saw a 7.2% year-over-year decrease in median asking rent, putting it in the No. 1 spot. At No. 3 was San Antonio with a 5.1% decrease.
According to the post, rent has been dropping in major metros for 28 months as new apartments are being built, causing landlords to rush to fill occupancy instead of renters fighting tooth and nail for units. “For renters, this is the first real leverage you’ve had in a decade,” the post states.
You might think that these numbers would be cause for celebration, but Texans in the comments just weren’t convinced. One commenter wrote, “austin rent is NOT falling,” and another said the city “still has a ways to go.” Others questioned the origin of the post’s information, as the numbers weren’t cited and no studies were mentioned.
So, what’s the truth? It’s unclear where the post’s data comes from, but Zillow does list average rent and year-over-year change, so MySA looked there first. According to Zillow, rent prices dropped in both San Antonio and Austin, but the numbers don’t quite align. The largest year-over-year rent decrease in the Capital City came between April 2025 and April 2026, when prices dropped by 6.5% — however, that’s still a ways off from the 7.2% figure given by the post, and the decrease since this time last year is currently just above 5%.
As for San Antonio, the number was a little better. The Alamo City’s largest dip was a 5.6% year-over-year decrease in rent between May 2025 and May 2026, according to Zillow. That’s an improvement on the number given by the Instagram post — and by the way, both cities are still below the national average rent price.
Meanwhile, Realtor.com gave a different stat entirely, citing a 1% year-over-year decrease in San Antonio rent prices between January 2025 and January 2026. The article notes a similar phenomenon to the Instagram post, citing an increase in supply and vacant units as one reason for the price drop. Rental vacancy is increasing across the country, which Realtor.com says is contributing to a renter-friendly market.
So yes, prices are generally dropping in Texas cities like San Antonio and Austin, though not necessarily to the extent that you might see on social media. However, that’s only an average figure and may not reflect trends in individual properties or areas, or the rising cost of living, which naturally makes everything feel like a tighter pinch. Still, it looks like San Antonio continues to be in a good spot, as it’s Texas’ least expensive major city and among the most affordable in the country.