The Top 10 Cities in Dallas-Fort Worth with the Lowest Rent in 2021

According to the 2020 Census, Texas was the third fastest-growing state in the United States since 2010.

This doesn’t come as any shock, especially considering that Texas has one of the top-20 affordable housing markets in the country.

And if you’re reading this, you might be one of the millions of people thinking about making a move to the Lone Star State in the coming months or years.

If you’ve landed on Dallas-Fort Worth (DFW) as your destination of choice, it may be helpful to know what cities in the DFW area have the lowest rent per square foot before making your way over.

Methods for Finding the Lowest Rent in 2021

After looking at each city, it became apparent that drastically different average rent and unit sizes existed throughout DFW.

Therefore, this post looks at the average cost per square foot to find which cities in the DFW area, indeed, have the lowest rent in 2021.

This post uses RentCafe for information about average rent and unit sizes for the top 35 most populated cities in the DFW area.

Of those 35 cities, here are the top-10 lowest to rent in 2021.

10. Lewisville, TX

Lewisville Lake, TexasLake Lewisville

• Average Rent: $1,226
• Square Feet: 881
• Cost per Square Foot: $1.39
• Time/Miles from Dallas: 34 min/26 miles
• Time/Miles from Fort Worth: 37 min/33 miles

First on our list is Lewisville, TX.

Lewisville is to the north of Dallas and Fort Worth – which run parallel with one another (Fort Worth to the west and Dallas to the east) – and located right in between them.

It’s also right off Lake Lewisville, where you can partake in fun activities such as boating, camping, and visiting parks!

Best of all, it’s one of the least expensive places to rent per square foot in the DFW area.

9. DeSoto, TX

• Average Rent: $1,188
• Square Feet: 859
• Cost per Square Foot: $1.38
• Time/Miles from Dallas: 26 min/22 miles
• Time/Miles from Fort Worth: 45 min/36 miles

Next is DeSoto, located directly south of Dallas, making for only a 25-minute drive from downtown Dallas.

8. Euless, TX

• Average Rent: $1,175
• Square Feet: 857
• Cost per Square Foot: $1.37
• Time/Miles from Dallas: 24 min/19 miles
• Time/Miles from Fort Worth: 19 min/17 miles

Euless is essentially right between Fort Worth and Dallas, only slightly north (only not as north as Lewisville).

What this means is that you would be under a 25-minute drive from both Fort Worth and Dallas, so you could enjoy both as much as you’d like!

And this is great news because, as you would learn from the locals, Fort Worth and Dallas are two entirely different cities.

7. Fort Worth, TX

Fort Worth Stock YardsPixabay

• Average Rent: $1,188
• Square Feet: 872
• Cost per Square Foot: $1.36
• Time/Miles from Dallas: 41 min/32 miles
• Time/Miles from Fort Worth: 0 min/0 miles

A surprising feature to this list is Fort Worth itself, coming in at the 7th lowest rent per square foot in the DFW area.

Living in Fort Worth, you would be surrounded by things to do on the weekend. You could visit the historic stock yards, experience the amazing food culture, or visit the Culture District and see one of America's best museum hotspots.

6. Wylie, TX

Wylie, TXSlickmash

• Average Rent: $1,294
• Square Feet: 959
• Cost per Square Foot: $1.35
• Time/Miles from Dallas: 44 min/28 miles
• Time/Miles from Fort Worth: 1 hr 5 min/61 miles

Number six on the list is Wylie, TX.

Unfortunately, this option is at the northeastern corner of the DFW area, meaning both Fort Worth and Dallas are a bit of a commute.

5. Haltom City, TX

• Average Rent: $976
• Square Feet: 729
• Cost per Square Foot: $1.34
• Time/Miles from Dallas: 38 min/33 miles
• Time/Miles from Fort Worth: 14 min/5.6 miles

Marking the first entry for the top 5 cities with the lowest rent in DFW is Haltom City, TX, located just to the north of Fort Worth.

Not to mention, it also had the lowest rent, period, out of the 35 cities looked at for this post.

The average unit size, however, is also one of the smallest.

4. Bedford, TX

• Average Rent: $1,096
• Square Feet: 823
• Cost per Square Foot: $1.33
• Time/Miles from Dallas: 29 min/24 miles
• Time/Miles from Fort Worth: 17 min/14 miles

Bedford is located right to the west of Euless, TX (number 7 on this list), meaning it’s a bit closer to Fort Worth than Dallas.

3. Garland, TX

Downtown Garland, TXFlickr

• Average Rent: $1,137
• Square Feet: 877
• Cost per Square Foot: $1.30
• Time/Miles from Dallas: 30 min/14 miles
• Time/Miles from Fort Worth: 57 min/47 miles

Garland, TX, is a growing residential area that has plenty of apartment opportunities.

So, the fact that it’s number 3 on this list makes it so much better. Not only are there plenty of options to look at, but they all also come with great prices!

2. North Richland Hills, TX

• Average Rent: $1,185
• Square Feet: 918
• Cost per Square Foot: $1.29
• Time/Miles from Dallas: 35 min/29 miles
• Time/Miles from Fort Worth: 17 min/12 miles

Number 2 on the list is North Richland Hills, located to the northeast of Fort Worth but only 12 miles from downtown.

1. Mesquite, TX

Mesquite Rodeo, TXFlickr

• Average Rent: $1,034
• Square Feet: 825
• Cost per Square Foot: $1.25
• Time/Miles from Dallas: 20 min/14 miles
• Time/Miles from Fort Worth: 50 min/45 miles

And finally, the least expensive place to rent an apartment per square foot in the DFW area is Mesquite, TX.

Mesquite is just 14 miles to the east of Dallas, making it an easy commute straight to downtown Dallas. However, Fort Worth is a different story, as it would be a 50-minute drive in perfect conditions.

The Lowest Rent per Square Foot in the DFW Area in 2021

There you have it – the top 10 cities with the lowest rent in DFW in 2021.

Frankly, it can be scary moving to a new city or state.

For that reason, it’s best to prepare yourself with helpful information that will assist you on your journey.

And now that you know which cities will be the easiest on your budget in the DFW area, you can make a more informed decision about where you should move based on your budget.

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