Thanks to an increase in apartment supply, Dallas is the only Texas metro where renting got a little easier.
DALLAS — Most Texans had a harder time finding apartments in Texas this year, even as the state races to build more of them. Despite that, Dallas was the only major metro in Texas where apartment hunting got slightly easier.
A new study by RentCafe found that Dallas’ rental competitiveness index (RCI) dropped slightly from 72.3 in 2024 to 71.7. This score is calculated by combining five metrics: apartment occupancy rate, renewal lease rate, average total days vacant, share of new apartments completed in 2024 and prospective renters per vacant unit.
RentCafe credits the change to a rise in new construction, about 3.7% of the local supply, compared to 2.8% in 2024. And with more units available, apartments were on the market a couple days longer on average.
However, Dallas still saw more renters renew their leases in 2025, according to the study, at a rate of 60.7% so fewer apartments became available.
The reason for increased competitiveness overall, according to the study, is people across the country generally didn’t move as much. That means less open apartment units for those looking. This is in spite of many places building even more apartments.
Fort Worth was slightly more competitive than Dallas, earning an RCI of 72. The city saw a slightly higher lease renewal rate as well at 61.6%.
Both cities saw a slightly lower RCI than the national average of 75.2, and a slightly lower lease renewal rate than the national average of 63%.
Houston saw the worst increase in competition, earning an RCI of 74. It also saw a higher lease renewal rate than Dallas or Fort Worth at 62.1%.
This is all in spite of Texas continuing to build more housing than most of the country, the study says.