A brand new report monitoring the value of hire within the largest U.S. cities has revealed that San Antonio noticed the No. 4 largest lower in year-over-year rents nationwide.
SmartAsset’s annual report, “The place Lease Elevated and Decreased Most – 2026 Examine,” analyzed the change in common hire prices within the 100 largest U.S. cities from February 2025 to February 2026, and in contrast them to the everyday hire value in 2021.
San Antonio’s typical hire costs have dipped 1.72 % in comparison with what they had been a 12 months in the past, which is greater than most different massive U.S. cities, the report mentioned. For comparability, elsewhere within the U.S., San Francisco noticed the very best one-year improve in hire nationally, with typical hire costs hovering practically 14 %.
In February 2025, San Antonio residents paid a median of $1,385 for his or her month-to-month hire, which had diminished to $1,361 as of February 2026.
Nonetheless, town’s hire costs are nonetheless up 13.53 % since 2021, when the typical rental value was $1,199 per 30 days.
San Antonio was one in every of 21 complete U.S. cities the place hire has fallen since final 12 months. However throughout all 100 cities, SmartAsset discovered typical hire costs grew by a median of 1.73 %, from $1,810 to $1,843. Mixed with a 2.41 % inflation fee that “exceeded” hire will increase, the research mentioned some households noticed “additional buying energy of their largest month-to-month expense.”
“Nonetheless, many scorching spots noticed hire far outpace annual inflation, some in extra of a 5 % annual improve,” the research mentioned. “These current developments can reveal housing and job market momentum in a specific locale, together with different contextual insights.”
Six different Texas cities had year-over-year decreases of their typical hire costs: Austin, Katy, Houston, Arlington, Plano, and Spring. Austin had the biggest drop within the nation, and Katy had the sixth largest decline.
Lease in Austin fell 2.87 % year-over-year to $1,531 as of February 2026, and Katy hire costs dipped 1.43 % to $1,896.
El Paso was the Texas metropolis with the very best one-year hire hike, with typical rents growing by 1.36 % to $1,441.
The highest 10 U.S. cities the place hire decreased essentially the most since 2025 are:
No. 1 – AustinNo. 2 – Saint Petersburg, FloridaNo. 3 – Washington, D.C.No. 4 – San AntonioNo. 5 – PhoenixNo. 6 – Katy, TexasNo. 7 – Aurora, ColoradoNo. 8 – Tampa, FloridaNo. 9 – Mesa, ArizonaNo. 10 – Chandler, Arizona
