Housing inventory is rising across Texas’ major metropolitan areas, with supply now outpacing demand in cities such as Dallas, Houston, and Austin. According to the Texas Real Estate Research Center, the state had 5.5 months of housing inventory last month, up from 4.7 months a year earlier. This marks an increase in available homes for sale relative to buyer demand.
Statewide inventory this year is nearing levels not seen since 2012, when Texas experienced more than six months of inventory following the Great Recession. However, some metro areas have already surpassed those post-recession numbers.
In Dallas-Plano-Irving, housing inventory crossed above the 2012 trendline over the summer and has continued to climb. The area reported 4.8 months of inventory last month compared to four months in September 2024 and 4.2 months in September 2012.
Houston also exceeded its 2012 inventory levels this summer. The Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands region recorded 5.4 months of inventory last month—higher than both the 4.8 months seen in 2012 and the 4.1 months from a year ago.
Austin’s market has seen an even greater increase in supply compared to other Texas Triangle metros. The Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos area reached 5.4 months of inventory in September, nearly two full months higher than it was in 2012.
Meanwhile, San Antonio and Fort Worth are the only major Texas metros where current housing inventories remain below their respective 2012 levels. San Antonio-New Braunfels reported 5.8 months of inventory last month—up from last year’s figure but still below its peak during the Great Recession recovery period—while Fort Worth-Arlington-Grapevine stood at 4.2 months, which is slightly higher than last year but lower than its level in 2012.
These trends indicate that homes are accumulating faster on the market in several Sun Belt cities than elsewhere in Texas.
