Texas · Census, HUD and BEA figures · Updated

Cost of Living in Austin, TX

Prices around Austin, TX run 1.9% below the U.S. average (BEA, the metro area). The typical household there earns $93,658 a year, and HUD puts a two-bedroom at $1,852 a month. Keeping that rent under 30% of income takes about $74,080 a year.

Austin, TX at a glance

Median household income

$93,658$7,805 per month · U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year
2-bedroom rent$1,852HUD FY2026 Fair Market Rent
Price level (U.S. = 100)98.1-1.9% · BEA, the metro area
Electricity15.9¢per kWh · EIA Residential TX
Population979,539Census ACS 5-year estimate

How much rent can you afford in Austin, TX?

HUD’s fair market rent for each size, against what a typical household here earns. Change the income to see yours.

Affordable (< 30% of income)
HUD Fair Market Rent$1,852Monthly market rent
Share of gross income23.7%Recommended max: 30%
Annual income needed$74,080To meet the 30% standard
Max affordable rent$2,341At 30% of $93,658
0%30% (Affordability standard)100%
Compare against:

How much is rent in Austin, TX? By bedroom, 2026

HUD's fiscal 2026 Fair Market Rents for Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX MSA, with the income each one takes if rent stays under 30% of it.

HUD Fair Market Rent in Austin, TX, fiscal 2026
Unit SizeMonthly RentAnnual Rent30% Rule Min. Income% of Median Income
Studio / Efficiency$1,474$17,688$58,96018.9%
1-Bedroom Apartment$1,562$18,744$62,48020%
2-Bedroom ApartmentBenchmark$1,852$22,224$74,08023.7%
3-Bedroom Home$2,347$28,164$93,88030.1%
4-Bedroom Home$2,760$33,120$110,40035.4%

Rent in Austin, TX, with the wage each unit needs →

What a typical income covers in Austin, TX

The 50/30/20 rule applied to the local median of $93,658 a year ($7,805 a month before tax).

Needs (50%)$3,902/moRent ($1,852 2-BR), utilities (~$143/mo), groceries, transit
Wants (30%)$2,341/moEating out, travel, subscriptions and the rest
Savings and debt (20%)$1,561/moEmergency fund, retirement, paying down loans

What $93,658 leaves after Texas taxes

Federal income tax, Social Security, Medicare and Texas tax on the local median income. Change the salary to see yours.

$93,658
$35,000$190,000
Filing status:
Gross salary breakdown$93,658
Net 80%
Fed 13%
FICA 8%
Annual take-home$74,718After all taxes
Monthly deposit$6,227Estimated per month
Biweekly paycheck$2,874Every 2 weeks (26/yr)
Effective tax rate20.2%Total tax burden
Federal income tax$11,775 / yr
Texas state income taxNo state wage tax$0
FICA (Social Security & Medicare)$7,165 / yr

Living in Austin, TX: common questions

What is the median household income in Austin, TX?

According to the latest U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year survey, the median household income in Austin, TX is $93,658 per year (approximately $7,805 per month).

What is the average rent in Austin, TX?

The closest official figure is HUD's Fair Market Rent for 2026: $1,474 for a studio, $1,562 for one bedroom, $1,852 for two, $2,347 for three and $2,760 for four, utilities included.

It is not an average of listings. HUD sets it at the rent 40% of recent movers paid or less for a standard unit, so a new lease on a nicer place will usually cost more.

Is Austin, TX expensive to live in?

Prices there run 1.9% below the U.S. average. BEA's regional price parity for the metro area is 98.1, where the U.S. is 100. Rent moves the number most: housing is where places differ, while goods cost about the same everywhere.

How much do you need to earn to comfortably afford rent in Austin, TX?

To keep a $1,852 two-bedroom under 30% of gross income, a household needs about $74,080 a year, or $6,173 a month. That is 79% of what the typical household in Austin, TX earns.

How much do you need to live comfortably in Austin, TX?

On the local median income of $93,658 ($7,805 a month before tax), the 50/30/20 rule leaves $3,902 a month for needs like rent, utilities and groceries, $2,341 for everything else and $1,561 for savings or debt. A two-bedroom at $1,852 takes 47% of the needs share.

How much is the electric bill in Austin, TX?

Homes in Texas paid 15.9¢ per kWh on average (EIA). At 900 kWh a month, a typical use, that is about $143. Your bill depends mostly on heating and cooling.