A “For Rent” signs stands in the yard of a San Antonio home. Credit: Ben Olivo

More than half of San Antonio-area renters are “cost-burdened” by how much of their monthly paycheck goes to keeping their lights on and a roof over their head, according to a new report from the Harvard Joint Center for Housing Studies.

Indeed, 52.7% of renter households in the San Antonio-New Braunfels metro fall into the cost-burdened category, meaning 30% or more of their income covers rent and utilities, the analysis shows. What’s more, 27% are considered severely cost-burdened, signifying that those costs account for half or more of their pay.

A larger share of San Antonio-area renters face that situation than those in the Austin, Houston and Dallas-Fort Worth metros, according to the report. Statewide, 51% of renters are considered cost-burdened.

“If you’re spending more than 30% of your income on rent, you don’t have enough money for other essentials, Ben Martin, research director for housing research group Texas Housers told the Express-News of the study. “This forces families to make tragic decisions about trade-offs. Are they going to pay rent, or are they going to pay for food and clothes for their children or gas or other things you need to work a job and live a life with your family?”

The median rent in the San Antonio metro area stands at $1,270, according to the Harvard Joint Center for Housing Studies.

Politicians and business leaders frequently tout Texas as being one of the most-affordable states. However, the new report shows that rental costs are squeezing the finances of many residents.

Texas is one of just 12 states where renters are spending more than half their income on living expenses. The Lone Star State also tallied the highest change in unsheltered homelessness between 2015 and 2023, according to the report.

“[The unsheltered population] grew quickly in expensive states like California, Washington, and Oregon, where shelter resources were already strained, but more affordable states also recorded increases,” the study said. “Arizona, Ohio, Tennessee and Texas were among the states with the largest growth in the number of people unsheltered as housing costs have risen.”

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This article appears in Jan 24 – Feb 6, 2024.

Michael Karlis is a multimedia journalist at the San Antonio Current, whose coverage in print and on social media focuses on local and state politics. He is a graduate of American University in Washington,...