How Much Does It Cost to Live in Fort Worth? A 2026 Rent and Budget Guide

Updated August 2026. Rent figures reflect Apartment List data as of July 2026.

Fort Worth's median rent is $1,340 as of July 2026, down 1.62% from a year earlier, according to the Apartment List Rent Index. That's the anchor figure if you're weighing a move to Cowtown, and it lands just above what neighboring Dallas asks across the same metro. For most renters here, the real question isn't whether to live in DFW, but which half of it. A median one-bedroom runs $1,144 and a two-bedroom $1,320.

That number covers rent alone. Electricity, water and sewer, getting around a car-dependent city, and groceries all stack on top of it. This guide walks through what to add and what to ask before you pay an application fee.

Fort Worth Cost of Living at a Glance

Rent anchors this guide, but it isn't the whole bill. Use these benchmarks to set a starting range, then confirm the costs tied to each apartment.

What Is the Median Rent in Fort Worth in 2026?

A median one-bedroom in Fort Worth rents for $1,144 and a two-bedroom for $1,320 as of July 2026, per the Apartment List Rent Index. The all-sizes median is $1,340.

Apartment List reports median rent, not a simple average. The median is the market midpoint, so half of apartments cost less and half cost more. It's steadier than an average, which a handful of very expensive listings can pull upward. Apartment List's methodology frames its estimate as the median rent an apartment searcher could expect across the full rental market, not only what's advertised right now.

These are city-level figures for Fort Worth itself. Fort Worth shares the Dallas-Fort Worth metro, and the metro-wide number blends both cities into one, so the city figure is what actually describes Fort Worth.

Fort Worth's median rent rose 0.30% from June 2026 and fell 1.62% from July 2025. Both moves are small, so pricing has held broadly steady over the past year. That's a citywide midpoint, though. It doesn't promise any one apartment followed the trend, so compare current listings for the size and neighborhood you want before you treat the citywide number as your rent.

How Does Fort Worth Rent Compare With Dallas?

Fort Worth and Dallas sit in the same metro, and they're the comparison renters actually make, since the DFW metro figure blends the two into one number that describes neither city on its own. This is less "which city is cheaper" and more "which side of the metroplex fits you," since the answer changes depending on the size you need. Here's how the city-level medians line up for July 2026, per the Apartment List Rent Index.

All figures are Apartment List medians as of July 2026.

The all-sizes medians are close, with Fort Worth about $11 a month above Dallas. The one-bedroom picture flips, though: a Dallas one-bedroom will run you about $70 more than the same size in Fort Worth. Which city is cheaper depends on the size you're renting, not a single citywide number. If you're deciding between the two, compare listings for your specific size in the neighborhoods you'd actually consider. Factor in your commute too, since a cheaper apartment across the metro can cost you the savings in driving. Which way that math falls is your call.

If you want the wider Texas picture, Austin's all-sizes median runs $1,322 and Houston's $1,264, both a bit below Fort Worth's $1,340, per the same Apartment List Rent Index. Still, the Dallas comparison is the one that maps to a Fort Worth renter's real decision, since DFW is the metro you're actually choosing within.

What Income Corresponds to Fort Worth Rent at the 30% Benchmark?

When rent equals 30% of gross pay, meaning your pay before taxes, a median one-bedroom lines up with about $45,760 in annual gross income, and a median two-bedroom with about $52,800. This is the 30% of gross income the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) considers affordable, though ours is a rent-only benchmark; HUD's cost-burden line includes utilities too. Read these as rent-only planning figures. They aren't a salary you have to earn.

Quick math: What annual income corresponds to Fort Worth's $1,144 median one-bedroom rent?

$1,144 × 12 ÷ 0.30 = about $45,760 in annual gross income

To test another listing, swap in its advertised monthly rent. This number helps you plan your own budget; a property sets its own bar for approval. This calculation uses gross income, while the Apartment List Cost of Living Calculator asks for after-tax income and will produce a different estimate.

Treat 30% as a planning benchmark rather than a rule. Plenty of renter budgets don't fit neatly beneath it, and that doesn't mean you're doing it wrong. The benchmark stays useful because it shows what a listing leaves for the rest of your budget. Apartment List research found that 51.8% of U.S. renter households, about 22.2 million, spent more than 30% of income on rent in 2024. That's national 2024 data, not a Fort Worth figure.

Use your own number to see how much a given rent leaves for utilities, debt, savings, and everyday costs, then decide what fits. Splitting rent? Use your own income and your share, and confirm the property's qualification rules, since a property may weigh co-applicants differently. Want to run your own numbers? Try the Apartment List rent calculator, or read our guide on how much you should spend on rent.

How Do You Know if You Can Afford a Fort Worth Apartment?

Use the rent on the listing, not the city median, as your working number. Two apartments with the same advertised rent can leave you with different monthly bills. Here's how to pressure-test a specific listing before you commit:

1. Take the advertised rent on the actual listing for the size you want.
2. Divide that rent by 0.30, then multiply by 12. Compare the result with your gross income, or your share if you'll split rent.
3. Add the utilities, transit, and household costs that apply to you.
4. Ask the property which charges rent includes and how it handles water and sewer.
5. Compare that fuller estimate against your income, debts, and savings goals before you pay an application fee.

Our guide on how to find an apartment in your budget walks through the same math with more examples.

What Are the Monthly Costs of Living in Fort Worth Besides Rent?

Your additional costs depend on the building, how you get around, and your household. Figure out which of these apply to you, then confirm which charges the building bills separately.

Do You Need a Car in Fort Worth?

Fort Worth is a driving city, and for most renters a car is the second-biggest cost after rent. The city sprawls from the Stockyards down through the Near Southside and out to Alliance and the Mid-Cities, and a lot of that ground isn't practical to cover by bus. Before you budget a transit pass, budget the car: the payment, insurance, fuel, parking, and maintenance. Those numbers are personal, so there's no single Fort Worth car figure, but budget a few hundred dollars a month once insurance and fuel are in. If you're moving from a transit-heavy city, this is the cost that most often surprises people.

Transit can still work if you live and work near a bus line, and it's worth pricing out as a way to skip a second car.

How Much Does Electricity Cost in Fort Worth?

Fort Worth is in Texas's deregulated electricity market, so there's no single city rate. Your bill has two parts:

• Delivery (fixed): Oncor charges about $4.06 a month plus $0.060295 per kilowatt-hour, or $64.36 at 1,000 kWh, the same no matter who you buy power from.
• Supply (the part you shop): the rate you pick from a retail provider, compared on the state's Power to Choose tool.

Together, a competitive plan runs about $124 to $149 a month at 1,000 kWh, as of August 2026. That's a mild-month number, though: Texas summers push AC-heavy apartments to 1,500 to 2,000 kWh, where the same plan can top $200, so budget for the peak. Oncor's delivery charge last changed June 1, 2026, with its next reset September 1.

Gas heat means a separate Atmos Energy account, usually cheaper than summer electricity. One plus if you're coming from a higher-tax state: Texas has no state or local income tax.

How Much Are Water and Sewer Bills in Fort Worth?

Billing varies by lease; there's no single renter estimate. Most Fort Worth complexes share one city meter, so your landlord decides how that bill gets divided. Ask what rent covers. The City of Fort Worth Water Department sets the underlying rates (water starts at $13.75 a month plus tiered volume, sewer on top), but those apply only if you hold your own account with the city.

How Much Is Public Transit in Fort Worth?

Trinity Metro runs local buses, TEXRail, and On-Demand rideshare across Tarrant County, though coverage is strongest downtown and along a few corridors. Fares, effective March 1, 2026:

There's no local monthly pass, so a heavy local rider builds around the $18 seven-day pass. Reduced fares run about half price on local tickets for:

• Seniors 65 and up
• Riders with disabilities
• Youth ages 5 to 19
• Veterans

Comparing to Dallas: DART has a $126 local monthly pass that Fort Worth lacks, though the $192 regional monthly covers both systems via the Trinity Railway Express.

How Much Should You Budget for Groceries in Fort Worth?

The national USDA Low-Cost food plan estimates $330 to $379 a month for one adult aged 20 to 50. It's a national benchmark for food cooked at home, not a Fort Worth-specific price, so adjust it for your household and compare it against what you already spend.

What Should You Check Before Applying for a Fort Worth Apartment?

Before paying an application fee, total the listing's rent and the recurring charges that apply to you. Three charges often get confused. Keep them separate:

• Application fee: up-front, usually non-refundable, covers screening
• Security deposit: refundable
• Move-in fee: one-time, not recurring

Confirm what rent includes and how the property handles water and sewer. Then compare that estimate with your budget.

The result is a monthly estimate for a specific listing, not a single cost-of-living total for Fort Worth. Citywide data starts the comparison. Your listing-specific number drives the decision.

Compare Fort Worth with your current city using the Apartment List cost of living calculator, then browse Fort Worth apartments to run this check on real listings. If you're weighing which part of town fits your budget, our cheapest neighborhoods in Fort Worth guide ranks the areas where rent goes further.

Appendix: Methodology and Data Sources

Income figures are calculations based on the cited Apartment List rent medians and the 30% rent-to-income benchmark, not measured income data.

Frequently Asked Questions About Fort Worth Rent and Cost of Living

What Is the Average Rent in Fort Worth?

Apartment List reports median rent, not a simple average. The median is the market midpoint, so it's less swayed by a handful of very expensive apartments that can drag an average upward. The one-bedroom median is $1,144 and the two-bedroom median is $1,320, for an all-sizes median of $1,340 as of July 2026.

Fort Worth vs Dallas Apartments: Which City Is Cheaper to Rent in Right Now?

It depends on the size. As of July 2026, Fort Worth's all-sizes median of $1,340 sits about $11 above Dallas at $1,329, so Dallas is barely cheaper across all sizes. A Fort Worth one-bedroom ($1,144), though, runs about $70 less than a Dallas one-bedroom ($1,214), so Fort Worth wins for solo renters. Compare listings for your specific size, and weigh the commute, before you treat either city as the cheaper option.

Is Fort Worth Affordable for Renters?

It depends on your income and the size you need. Under a rent-only 30% benchmark, a $1,144 one-bedroom lines up with about $45,760 in annual gross income, and a $1,320 two-bedroom with about $52,800. Treat that as a planning benchmark. It doesn't set an approval standard, and it leaves out utilities and other living costs.

How Much Rent Can I Afford in Fort Worth?

Start from a listing's advertised rent, not the city median. Divide the monthly rent by 0.30, then multiply by 12 to see the annual gross income where that rent equals 30%. A $1,144 one-bedroom lines up with about $45,760. This is a rent-only planning figure, so leave room for utilities, transit, and other costs your budget carries.

What Salary Do You Need to Rent in Fort Worth?

Fort Worth doesn't have one required renter salary. At the rent-only 30% benchmark, the median one-bedroom corresponds to about $45,760 in annual gross income and the two-bedroom to about $52,800. Properties set their own qualification rules, and separately paid costs also affect what works for your budget.

How Much Are Utilities in Fort Worth?

It varies by apartment. Electricity is deregulated, so you shop a supply rate and add Oncor's fixed delivery charge on top; a competitive fixed plan runs roughly $124 to $149 all-in at 1,000 kWh before taxes, as of August 2026. That's a mild-month figure, though. Summer AC use can push a Fort Worth apartment to 1,500 to 2,000 kWh and a bill over $200, so budget for the peak. Water and sewer may be included in rent or billed separately, so confirm with each property what rent covers.

Is 30% of Income a Hard Limit for Rent?

No. It's a planning benchmark, not a rule or an approval standard. Apartment List found that 51.8% of U.S. renter households, about 22.2 million, spent more than 30% of income on rent in 2024, based on national data. Use the 30% figure to see how much a given rent leaves for utilities, debt, savings, and daily costs, then decide what fits your situation.