Investor market data · Texas

Houston, TX Rental Market for Investors

An estimated 40% of Houston's active listings could cash-flow as a short-term rental — here's what the numbers say for investors, as of August 2026.

See what pencils →Run a DSCR

$349,000Median list price11,105 active listings

$38,584Median STR revenue / yrprojected, gross

Homes in Houston that pencil right now

A sample of active Houston listings whose DSCR clears 1.25 using short-term rental income projections we accept as a direct lender. These are spread across the price range, not ranked, and current as of August 2026.

$125,000DSCR 1.77
3 bed · 1 bath · 792 sqft
House in 77021 · built 1940
STR revenue
$28,486/yr
Est. interest-only payment
$1,072/mo
On the market 44 days · Listed by 99 Mansions Realty
Scout this home & market: 3-bed house in Houston
$165,000DSCR 1.48
3 bed · 1 bath · 1,070 sqft
House in 77020 · built 1955
STR revenue
$27,819/yr
Est. interest-only payment
$1,252/mo
On the market 113 days · Listed by Realm Real Estate Professional
Scout this home & market: 3-bed house in Houston
$189,000DSCR 2.27
4 bed · 2 bath · 1,217 sqft
House in 77047 · built 1956
STR revenue
$46,681/yr
Est. interest-only payment
$1,371/mo
On the market 54 days · Listed by FYI Realty-Katy
Scout this home & market: 4-bed house in Houston
$204,999DSCR 1.42
3 bed · 1.5 bath · 1,008 sqft
House in 77038 · built 1975
STR revenue
$33,108/yr
Est. interest-only payment
$1,553/mo
On the market 48 days · Listed by 1St Texas Realty Services
Scout this home & market: 3-bed house in Houston
$220,000DSCR 1.65
3 bed · 1.5 bath · 1,219 sqft
House in 77047 · built 1971
STR revenue
$40,225/yr
Est. interest-only payment
$1,622/mo
On the market 53 days · Listed by Vive Realty LLC
Scout this home & market: 3-bed house in Houston
$229,900DSCR 1.26
4 bed · 2 bath · 1,633 sqft
House in 77067 · built 1976
STR revenue
$37,778/yr
Est. interest-only payment
$1,993/mo
On the market 135 days · Listed by Sierra Vista Realty Llc
Scout this home & market: 4-bed house in Houston
$238,000DSCR 1.29
3 bed · 2 bath · 1,662 sqft
House in 77083 · built 1982
STR revenue
$36,312/yr
Est. interest-only payment
$1,881/mo
On the market 60 days · Listed by Keller Williams Realty -Sw
Scout this home & market: 3-bed house in Houston
$260,000DSCR 1.34
5 bed · 2 bath · 2,422 sqft
House in 77028 · built 1945
STR revenue
$40,222/yr
Est. interest-only payment
$2,004/mo
On the market 96 days · Listed by L&N Realty, LLC
Scout this home & market: 5-bed house in Houston

Ask about Houston deals →Run any address yourself

As of August 2026, we analyzed 11,105 active for-sale homes in Houston, Texas. The typical listing is priced at $349,000 and is projected to generate about $38,584 a year as a short-term rental.

After setting aside an estimated 20% for operating costs, an estimated 40.1% of those homes could still cover an investor mortgage payment on short-term-rental income — below the 52.5% median across the 200 major metros we track, ranking Houston #137 of 200 for cash-flow potential.

On market momentum: homes in Houston sit a median of 48 days on the market, and 34% of active listings came on in just the last 30 days — a steadily paced market, which shapes how much room there is to negotiate.

For a DSCR loan — which qualifies on the property's rental income rather than your personal income — Houston runs tighter once operating costs are accounted for: many listings need a below-median price, a stronger short-term-rental setup, or more money down before the income covers the payment. It's a market where running the numbers property-by-property matters.

What actually works in Houston

Houston works for investors, but the window is specific: 1,458 of the 8,220 Houston homes, condos and townhomes we can price confidently clear a DSCR of 1.25. Nine in ten of them are priced under $330,000.

Share of those listings clearing an DSCR of 1.25, by price and bedroom count. The smaller figure is the median DSCR for that group.
Price	1 bed	2 bed	3 bed	4 bed	5 bed
Under $150k	—	47%1.23	92%1.71	—	—
$150k–$250k	4%0.84	19%1.00	59%1.31	78%1.49	100%2.06
$250k–$350k	0%0.55	2%0.80	10%0.98	34%1.14	67%1.34
$350k–$500k	0%0.41	0%0.67	2%0.83	8%0.91	30%1.11
$500k+	0%0.23	0%0.37	0%0.58	1%0.55	0%0.45

Darker means a larger share of that group cash-flows. “—” means fewer than 8 active listings — too few to draw a conclusion from.

Houston in full

Active for-sale homes analyzed	11,105
Median list price	$349,000
Median projected STR revenue (annual, gross)	$38,584
Median average daily rate (ADR)	$193
Median occupancy	55%
Median beds	3
Median size	2,004 sqft
Estimated cash-flow-positive share	40.1%
Median days on market	48 days
New listings (last 30 days)	33.8% of active