Rent affordability · Austin
Can I afford $1,500/month rent in Austin?
$1,500/month puts you in the top 74% of renters in Austin by rent amount — $500 below the city median ($2,000).
Salary you need to afford this
Comfortable (25% rule)$72,000/yr
Manageable (30% rule)$60,000/yr
Stretch (35%)$51,429/yr
Risky (45%+)$40,000/yr
Based on gross annual salary. The 30% rule (manageable threshold) is the most widely used benchmark — it means $1,500/month consumes exactly 30% of your monthly income.
How this compares in Austin
$1,100
Budget rent
P10
$2,000
Typical rent
median
$3,400
High-end rent
P90
People in Austin typically spend 22–40% of their gross income on rent. The median renter spends 30%.
Data confidence: medium · US Census ACS 2022 + Austin Board of Realtors data · 2022–2023
Other rent amounts in Austin