Austin Housing Market: Prices & Trends 2026

The Austin housing market has shifted into a buyer’s market after a major price correction. The metro-wide median sits near $440,000 as of spring 2026, per the KXAN April 2026 report from Unlock MLS. Homes inside Austin city limits carry a separate median of $570,000 to $630,000, depending on zip code. This article covers both numbers so you can use the right figure for your neighborhood, offer, or listing.

The gap exists because the Austin-Round Rock-Georgetown metro spans four counties. Williamson, Hays, and Bastrop counties add thousands of lower-priced suburban homes. Those homes pull the regional median well below what buyers pay inside city limits. Both figures are correct. They just measure different areas.

This guide covers the 2026 market snapshot, how far prices have fallen from the 2022 peak, why residents are leaving, what a $100,000 salary buys here, rental and new construction trends, and whether now is the right time to buy or sell.

Austin Housing Market at a Glance: 2026

Austin’s correction ranks among the sharpest in any major U.S. metro since the pandemic peak. The metro-wide median climbed from $369,745 in April 2020 to roughly $625,000 by May 2022, per Newsweek’s Austin analysis. It then fell 17% to 20% over the next three years. Inventory swung from under one month of supply at the peak to 4.5 to 6 months today. That shift has moved negotiating power firmly toward buyers.

As of June 2, 2026, the Austin-area MLS showed 16,809 active residential listings and 5,065 pending properties, per Austin MLS active listings data. The Activity Index stands at 23.16%. That means fewer than one in four listed homes is under contract. Buyers hold more leverage than at any point since 2019.

2026 Key Market Metrics

Metric	Current Value	YoY Change	Source
Metro-wide median price	~$440,000	-1.9%	KXAN/Unlock MLS, April 2026
City-limits median price	$570,000-$630,000	Varies by zip	Redfin/AIO data
Average home value	$511,264	-5.7%	Zillow, April 2026
Days on market	60-70+ days	Up from ~10-15 days at 2022 peak	Redfin tracker
Months of supply	4.5-6 months	Up from <1 month at peak	KXAN, April 2026
List-to-sale ratio	93%-97%	Down from 105%+ at peak	noradarealestate.com

Based on KXAN/Unlock MLS, Zillow, and Austin-area MLS data, 2026. Verify current figures before transacting.

You can track current neighborhood-level averages at the Zillow Austin home values page.

How Austin Compares to Its 2022 Peak

The median listing price inside Austin city limits jumped 69% in two years at the pandemic peak, per Newsweek. Homes routinely sold for 5% to 10% above asking, with 10-to-15-day close timelines. The FRED Austin price index stood at 502.80 in Q1 2026, four straight quarters below its peak. That confirms the correction at the federal index level.

Today sellers net 93% to 97% of asking price instead of 105% or more. Buyers can now include inspection contingencies, repair requests, and closing-cost credits. Those terms were nearly impossible to get three years ago.

Are Home Prices Dropping in Austin?

Yes, Austin home prices have been falling since mid-2022. The metro-wide decline is among the largest recorded in any major U.S. city during this cycle.

How Far Prices Have Fallen Since 2022

Five data points frame the correction:

• Metro median $440,000 as of April 2026 (KXAN/Unlock MLS), down 1.9% year-over-year and roughly 17% to 20% below the May 2022 peak near $625,000.
• Zillow average home value $511,264, down 5.7% over the past year, blending city-limits and suburban properties in its average.
• Redfin average price $535,000, down 7.0% over the prior month as of June 2026, a sharper short-term drop pointing to continued softening.
• FRED House Price Index Q1 2026: 502.80, four straight quarters below the peak, providing federal-level confirmation of sustained price decline.
• Over half of active listings have received at least one price cut, as sellers adjust to buyers who no longer accept pandemic-era pricing.

Why Different Sites Show Different Numbers

The $440,000 vs. $570,000 to $630,000 difference is a geography issue, not a data problem.

The Austin-Round Rock-Georgetown Metropolitan Statistical Area covers Travis County (Austin city proper), Williamson County (Round Rock, Cedar Park, Georgetown), Hays County (Kyle, Buda), and Bastrop County. Suburban homes in Williamson and Hays counties typically cost much less than homes inside Austin. Metro median figures blend all four counties. City-limits figures filter to Travis County or city-boundary listings only.

Use the $440,000 figure to compare Austin against other U.S. metros. Use the $570,000 to $630,000 range when making an offer or setting a list price inside Austin’s city limits.

Why Are People Leaving Austin?

Austin drew massive in-migration from 2020 through 2022. But affordability pressure, infrastructure strain, and climate factors have since pushed some residents to other markets. Five forces are driving the trend.

1. Affordability collapsed faster than incomes adjusted. Home prices rose 50% to 75% between 2019 and 2022. That roughly doubled monthly mortgage payments on the median Austin home. Buyers priced out of the city are moving to lower-cost Texas metros or other states.

2. Rents surged before pulling back. Rents have since fallen 15% to 20% from their peak. But years of sharp increases drove out long-term residents on fixed incomes who could not absorb repeated rent hikes.

3. Traffic and infrastructure strain. Austin’s road network has not kept pace with population growth. Major corridors including I-35, MoPac, and 183 rank among the worst for commute efficiency relative to a metro Austin’s size.

4. Extreme heat. Austin averages more than 90 days per year above 100 degrees Fahrenheit. That number has grown over the past decade. Energy costs and climate risk now play a bigger role in where people choose to live.

5. Remote-work recalibration. The tech relocation wave of 2020 to 2022 partly reversed when major employers tightened return-to-office policies. Workers who moved for remote flexibility began weighing whether Austin’s higher cost of living justified staying.

Is $100,000 a Good Salary in Austin?

$100,000 is a livable salary in Austin in 2026, but it does not comfortably support a median city-limits home purchase on a single income without a large down payment or a co-borrower.

Texas has no state income tax. A $100,000 gross salary produces roughly $82,000 to $84,000 in take-home pay per year, about $6,800 to $7,000 per month, per SmartAsset salary data for Austin. The 28% mortgage guideline puts a comfortable monthly payment ceiling around $1,900 to $2,000.

A 30-year mortgage on a $440,000 metro-median home at 10% down and 6.5% runs roughly $2,500 per month before taxes and insurance. That exceeds the comfortable ceiling for a single $100,000 earner. A dual-income household at $100,000 each shifts the math considerably. Combined take-home near $13,600 per month puts the same mortgage well under 20% of gross income.

The practical range: $100,000 works well for renting in Austin, buying in suburban markets like Pflugerville, Cedar Park, or Buda, or for city-limits condos and townhomes under $350,000. It does not comfortably stretch to the median city-limits single-family home on one income.

Austin Rental Market Trends 2026

Austin’s rental market has corrected sharply after years of fast rent growth. Multi-family construction delivered thousands of new units between 2022 and 2025. That supply surge pushed rents down roughly 15% to 20% from their peak. Austin is now one of the few major metros where renters hold genuine negotiating leverage.

Average one-bedroom rents in Austin now land in the $1,200 to $1,500 range in many neighborhoods, down from peaks above $1,600 to $1,800 in 2022. New buildings are offering free months of rent and reduced security deposits to attract tenants. Vacancy levels are higher than at any point in the past decade.

For buyers weighing rent vs. buying, carrying a median city-limits mortgage currently costs $800 to $1,200 more per month than renting a comparable unit. Waiting to build a larger down payment while renting is a sound financial strategy in the current Austin market.

New Construction and Suburban Growth

Austin-area homebuilders are competing for buyers with incentives that were rare just two years ago. These include mortgage rate buydowns (some as low as 4.99% on specific inventory), full closing-cost coverage, and outright list-price cuts. Most of these deals concentrate in master-planned communities in Williamson and Hays counties, where new construction makes up a large share of available inventory.

The 2020-to-2025 suburban building wave is a main reason the metro-wide median sits near $440,000 while city-limits prices stay above $570,000. Georgetown, Leander, Kyle, and Buda absorbed large new-home volumes that added supply and steadied prices in outlying areas. If you are open to suburban living, new construction with builder incentives can deliver a lower effective cost than comparable resale homes.

Buyers and sellers in Cedar Park can find current investor activity and offer timelines in the Cedar Park cash buyers guide.

Should You Buy or Sell in Austin in 2026?

The answer depends on your timeline, price point, and whether you are inside or outside Austin’s city limits.

For buyers, the market is the most favorable since 2019. Inventory is high, sellers are accepting contingencies, and a list-to-sale ratio of 93% to 97% leaves real room to negotiate on price, repairs, and credits. The main risk is that prices may keep softening through late 2026. Plan for at least a three-to-five year hold before expecting meaningful appreciation.

For sellers, the environment is harder. Homes are sitting 60 to 70 or more days before going under contract. Over half of active listings have taken at least one price cut. Netting below asking price is now the norm, not the exception. Sellers who must move quickly due to job relocation, estate settlement, or financial pressure are the most exposed in this market.

Pricing accurately from day one matters more now than at any point in the past four years. Overpriced listings pile up days on market and attract low offers. Well-priced listings still move. For a step-by-step look at positioning a listing today, the Austin home selling tips guide covers current pricing strategy and preparation.

For sellers who want a guaranteed timeline over maximum price, Texas cash home buyers offer an alternative to the open market that removes days-on-market uncertainty. If you are handling an estate or an out-of-state property, review Texas title insurance costs before signing a listing agreement, since they directly affect net proceeds.

Sell Your Austin Home Without the Wait

If your Austin home has been sitting on the market, or you need a close date you can plan around, iBuyer.com connects you with competing cash offers in as little as 24 to 48 hours. In a market where homes average 60 to 70-plus days on the open market and over half of active listings have cut their price at least once, a guaranteed close in 7 to 30 days removes both the wait and the negotiation uncertainty. There are no agent commissions, no repair requirements, and no risk of a buyer walking after weeks under contract.

Conclusion

Austin’s housing market in 2026 is a genuine buyer’s market following one of the sharpest corrections in the city’s history. The metro-wide median of $440,000 is down 17% to 20% from the 2022 peak. Days on market have stretched to 60 or more, and over half of active listings have been repriced. City-limits buyers still face a $570,000 to $630,000 median, but they now negotiate from a position of strength that did not exist as recently as 2023. Whether you are buying, selling, or tracking values before making a move, the figures above give you both the metro and city-limits picture so you can use the right number for your situation.

Frequently Asked Questions