Renters on the hunt for a roomy new apartment on a budget may be surprised to find that San Antonio has some of the biggest units statewide for just $1,500 a month, according to a new report from apartment rental marketplace RentCafe.

In 2025, San Antonio renters willing to spend $1,500 monthly can afford a 1,013-square-foot apartment. That’s just one square foot bigger than what renters could get with the same budget last year.

RentCafe’s analysis compared apartment sizes across 200 of the largest U.S. cities for the same $1,500 monthly budget. Price per square foot was calculated using the average apartment rent and size per city based on “multifamily properties” containing 50 or more units. Cities were divided into two categories: large cities with a population of more than 225,000, and small cities with fewer than 225,000 residents.

Wichita, Kansas is the No. 1 large U.S. city where renters can find the biggest apartments for a monthly rent of $1,500. Renters will find units sized at 1,329 square feet for the price.

The report ranked San Antonio 9th on its list of Texas cities with the biggest apartments for $1,500 a month, and the city came in at No. 18 on the national list of large cities where renters can get the most apartment space for the same price.

RentCafe also found that the average San Antonio apartment spans 862 square feet for the average price of $1,277 per month.

For Texans who don’t care where they live so long as the apartments are massive, McAllen and Brownsville are where the most generously sized apartments are statewide.

Texas renters can find apartments nearing 1,400 square feet – which the report says is the equivalent of a large four-bedroom unit – for just $1,500 per month in McAllen. In Brownsville, the same budget will secure a 1,268-square-foot unit.

McAllen also topped RentCafe’s list ranking the 100 small U.S. cities with the roomiest units for a monthly $1,500 rent.

Unsurprisingly, Austin is the No. 1 worst Texas city with the smallest apartment sizes on a $1,500 budget. Renters will only find 780-square-foot apartments for that price, and the typical rent comes out to $1,655 for an 861-square-foot unit on average.

However, Texas cities are faring better than many other cities nationwide, according to the report.

“Overall, across the nation, renters can get 715 square feet of apartment space for a monthly rent of $1,500,” the report said. “Still, in 63 percent of the 200 largest U.S. cities, apartment seekers can get more than the national norm.”

The top 10 Texas cities with the biggest apartments for $1,500 a month are:

  • No. 1 – McAllen (1,393 square feet)
  • No. 2 – Brownsville (1,268 square feet)
  • No. 3 – Amarillo (1,262 square feet)
  • No. 4 – Lubbock (1,230 square feet)
  • No. 5 – El Paso (1,137 square feet)
  • No. 6 – Pasadena (1,121 square feet)
  • No. 7 – Corpus Christi (1,104 square feet)
  • No. 8 – Killeen (1,065 square feet)
  • No. 9 – San Antonio (1,013 square feet)
  • No. 10 – Mesquite (980 square feet)