Houston multifamily market, October 2026

Neither side has the edge in Houston, and it is cooling: asking rents are down 0.6% on a year, while jobs grew 1.0%.

Updated October 31, 2026 · from Zillow, BLS and the US Census Bureau

-0.6%

Asking rent, year over year

Zillow · September 2026

+1.0%

Jobs, year over year

BLS · September 2026, preliminary

10.5%YEARLY

Vacancy

Census · 2024 count

What is moving now

Asking rents are down 0.6% on a year to September 2026, which is the figure the condition is read from. Jobs are up 1.0% over the same year to September 2026, a first release the BLS revises the following month. Asking rents are slipping (September 2026).

The backdrop

These are yearly Census counts, not this month's: 10.5% of rentals sat empty in 2024, permits for new apartments were up 42% in 2025, more people moved in than out in 2025, and the typical rent was $1,469 a month in 2024. They are the background the monthly figures move against, and they are the newest the Census has published.

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Common questions about Houston

Answered from the data, updated October 31, 2026

Is the Houston rental market tight or soft right now?

In Houston right now, neither side has a clear edge, and it is cooling.

Which way is the Houston market heading?

Houston is cooling right now, as asking rents ease over the past year (Zillow ZORI, monthly).

Is Houston a landlord's or a renter's market?

Houston is a balanced market right now, with neither side holding a clear edge.

What is the vacancy rate in Houston?

Vacancy in Houston is 10.5% in the 2024 count, a yearly snapshot rather than a monthly reading (US Census Bureau).

How much have Houston rents changed?

Asking rents in Houston are down 0.6% over the past year (Zillow ZORI, monthly, latest Sep 2026).

Recent coverage

Daily, from the MetroSgnl news feed. Headlines only.

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Data: Zillow ZORI, BLS, US Census Bureau, FRED, and the MetroSgnl news feed. Recomputed daily. Market information only, not investment advice.
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