Budget tool
Rent calculator
In short
Many apartment communities ask for a gross monthly income of at least three times the rent. Enter your income and the calculator divides it by 3: a $4,500 monthly income points to rent up to $1,500. Nothing you type is saved. Updated October 2026.
Updated October 2, 2026 · Source: Texas Property Code §92.3515; Texas Department of Insurance
Work out your rent budget
How the three-times rule works
Many apartment communities ask that your gross monthly income, before taxes, be at least three times the monthly rent. The calculator does that math for you: it divides your monthly income by 3, or your yearly income by 36.
Each community sets its own rule, and the rule is written down. Texas law requires a landlord to make its tenant selection criteria available when it gives you a rental application, and current income is one of the grounds those criteria can list (Texas Property Code §92.3515).
So ask before you apply: which documents count as proof of income, whether the incomes of everyone on the lease are added together, and whether a guarantor can stand in if your own income falls short.
Examples
The same math at four incomes, and the budget range the button picks on our form for each one.
| Gross income | Rent up to | Budget range on our form |
|---|---|---|
| $3,000 a month ($36,000 a year) | $1,000 | Under $1,200 |
| $3,600 a month ($43,200 a year) | $1,200 | $1,200 to $1,499 |
| $4,500 a month ($54,000 a year) | $1,500 | $1,500 to $1,999 |
| $6,000 a month ($72,000 a year) | $2,000 | $2,000 or more |
What the number leaves out
The three-times figure is about rent alone. Before you settle on a budget, add what the rent may not include:
- Utilities you pay yourself. The Census rents on our city pages are gross rent, which already counts utilities; the rent on a listing may not. Our utilities guide covers water, electricity and internet.
- Renters insurance, if the lease requires it. The Texas Department of Insurance puts the average Texas policy at about $20 a month (updated December 10, 2025). Our renters insurance guide explains what a policy covers.
- What is due at move-in: the application fee, the security deposit, and any pet or parking charges. Ask each community for the full list before you apply.
If the rent the rule allows feels tight once those are added, search with a lower number. The calculator gives you a ceiling, not a target.
What happens to what you type
The calculator runs only in your browser. It does not store your income, and it sends nothing to us while you use it.
If you press the button, the rent figure, and only that figure, is added to the address of our contact form. There it chooses the budget range in the Help me find one form. Nothing reaches us until you fill in the form and decide to send it.
An estimate, not an approval
The community makes the decision on its own criteria. Once you have a number, tell us where you need to be on a weekday, and we build your list from there. The search is free. Our guide on when to start your apartment search lays out the weeks before a move.
A licensed agent replies Monday–Saturday, 9 a.m.–6 p.m.