This is how big Austin apartments get for $1,500 a month in 2025

Austin renters on the hunt for a roomy new apartment on a budget may be surprised to learn they won't have to compromise much on space compared to last year, according to a new report from apartment rental marketplace RentCafe.In 2025, Austin renters willing to spend $1,500 monthly can afford a 780-square-foot apartment. That's 21 square feet 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 $1,500 apartments. Renters will find units sized at 1,329 square feet for the price. Although Austin renters can nab a slightly bigger apartment than the year before, RentCafe ranked Austin No. 60 on its list comparing results in large cities. Austin also had the absolute smallest apartment sizes for the price in Texas.The report also found that the average Austin apartment spans 861 square feet for the average price of $1,655 per month. For Texans who don't care where they live so long as the apartments are big, McAllen and Brownsville are where the most generously sized apartments are statewide. McAllen even topped the portion of the list for 100 small cities.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.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)