Rent Data · Updated June 2026
San Antonio Rent Report 2026
Official 2-bedroom rent benchmarks for 109 San Antonio-area ZIP codes — Cibolo and Stone Oak lead the metro, and Texas’s most affordable big-city market hides a 93% spread inside the city limits.
Key Findings
- The official benchmark for a 2-bedroom spans $970 to $2,140 per month across the metro (HUD FY2026). The median San Antonio-area ZIP benchmarks at $1,380 — the lowest of the three big Texas metros we cover (Houston $1,550, Austin $1,980).
- Cibolo is the metro’s new ceiling: at $2,140 it benchmarks 47% above the San Antonio core-city average ($1,454) — ahead of Stone Oak ($1,980), Helotes ($1,930), and Schertz ($1,820).
- The Stone Oak corridor is the most expensive part of San Antonio proper — its northern ZIP (78260) ties Cibolo at the $2,140 metro maximum.
- Alamo Heights is cheaper than you’d guess: the metro’s prestige enclave benchmarks at $1,620 — below seven suburbs and San Antonio’s own Stone Oak corridor, and barely above the metro median.
- Inside the city limits the spread is 93%: $1,020 (78208, near the east side) to $1,970 (78215, the Pearl-area corridor). Pricing by “San Antonio average” instead of ZIP code leaves real money on the table.
2026 Rent Benchmarks by City
2-bedroom, HUD FY2026 Small Area Fair Market Rent. City figure is the average of residential ZIP-level benchmarks within the locality.
| # | City / Area | 2BR Benchmark | ZIP Range |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cibolo | $2,140 | single ZIP |
| 2 | Stone Oak (San Antonio) | $1,980 | $1,820–$2,140 across 2 ZIPs |
| 3 | Helotes | $1,930 | single ZIP |
| 4 | Schertz | $1,820 | single ZIP |
| 5 | Boerne | $1,790 | $1,710–$1,870 across 2 ZIPs |
| 6 | Converse | $1,740 | single ZIP |
| 7 | New Braunfels | $1,640 | $1,620–$1,660 across 2 ZIPs |
| 8 | Live Oak | $1,630 | single ZIP |
| 9 | Alamo Heights | $1,620 | single ZIP |
| 10 | San Antonio (core city ZIPs) | $1,454 | $1,020–$1,970 across 52 ZIPs |
| 11 | Universal City | $1,380 | single ZIP |
| 12 | Leon Valley | $1,300 | single ZIP |
What This Means for Landlords
These figures are the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s official 40th-percentile gross-rent benchmarks — the payment standards behind Housing Choice Vouchers. They are not asking rents: a well-presented home in a strong school district typically leases above its ZIP benchmark. Treat them as a floor reference, not a ceiling.
San Antonio rewards ZIP-level pricing more than its reputation suggests. Two rentals both “in San Antonio” can sit $950 a month apart on the official benchmark, and the northeast-corridor suburbs (Cibolo, Schertz, Universal City) span a $760 range within a fifteen-minute drive. If you want a read on your specific property, our free rental analysis compares it against live local comps. Our San Antonio team works out of Stone Oak — the corridor at the top of this table.
Voucher-program landlords: the ZIP-level figures here are the FY2026 basis for what the program pays in your exact ZIP code.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the average rent benchmark for a 2-bedroom in San Antonio in 2026?
The median San Antonio-area ZIP code carries an official 2-bedroom benchmark of $1,380 per month (HUD FY2026 Small Area Fair Market Rents). Across San Antonio’s 52 core-city ZIP codes the average is $1,454, with individual ZIPs ranging from $1,020 to $1,970.
Which San Antonio suburb has the highest rent benchmark in 2026?
Cibolo, at $2,140 per month for a 2-bedroom — 47% above the San Antonio core-city average. The Stone Oak corridor ($1,980 average) is the most expensive area inside San Antonio proper, and Helotes ($1,930) and Schertz ($1,820) round out the top tier.
Is San Antonio the most affordable big-city rental market in Texas?
By official benchmarks, yes. The median San Antonio-area ZIP benchmarks at $1,380 for a 2-bedroom, versus $1,550 in Houston and $1,980 in Austin (HUD FY2026 Small Area FMRs, analyzed across all three metros by Flat Fee Landlord).
Are rents higher in the San Antonio suburbs or the city core?
The suburbs, decisively. Nine of the twelve localities in this report benchmark above the San Antonio core-city average of $1,454 — Cibolo by 47%. Even Alamo Heights ($1,620), the metro’s prestige enclave, sits below seven suburbs and San Antonio’s own Stone Oak corridor on the official benchmark.
What is the difference between Fair Market Rent and asking rent?
Fair Market Rent is the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s estimate of the 40th-percentile gross rent (rent plus utilities) for standard-quality units in a ZIP code. It is a payment benchmark, not an asking price — well-maintained homes typically lease above it.
How much can a landlord charge for a Section 8 rental in San Antonio?
Housing Choice Voucher payment standards in the San Antonio-New Braunfels HUD metro area are set per ZIP code using Small Area Fair Market Rents. The ZIP-level figures in this report are those FY2026 benchmarks; each housing authority sets its payment standard as a percentage of them.
Methodology & Source
Data: U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, FY2026 Small Area Fair Market Rents for the San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX HUD Metro FMR Area (final), retrieved June 11, 2026 from huduser.gov. City figures are the unweighted average of HUD ZIP-level 2-bedroom FMRs for residential ZIP codes within each locality; PO-box, military-installation, and metro-default ZIPs (those carrying HUD’s uniform metro schedule where ZIP-specific data is insufficient) are excluded, leaving 109 residential ZIP codes. FMRs estimate the 40th-percentile gross rent (rent + utilities) for standard-quality units. Analysis by Flat Fee Landlord. This page is refreshed when HUD publishes each fiscal year’s final figures. Journalists and researchers may cite this analysis with attribution and a link. See also: our Austin, Dallas–Fort Worth, Houston, Northern Virginia, and Maryland rent reports.
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