Investor-friendly real estate agents in College Station, TX
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College Station is built around Texas A&M, which enrolled 74,407 students on its College Station campus in fall 2025, and the College Station-Bryan metro has grown about 25% since 2010, to roughly 287,000 people. Typical home values are about $305,000 and typical rent about $1,500, a rent-to-price ratio of about 0.49% a month, so a median-priced rental with a mortgage won't cash flow. Prices and rents have been flat for the past year. The big rule change is occupancy: College Station's long-standing limit of four unrelated people per house is gone, because a 2025 state law bars college-town cities from capping occupancy by relationship. Our vetted agent partner has worked the Brazos Valley full time for 20 years and has rented rooms and units, done rehabs, and owned small multifamily himself.
Long-term rentals near Texas A&M, from a 20-year full-time agent who has rented out both whole units and individual rooms himself.
Duplexes, fourplexes and condos, from a partner who has owned and maintained each of them.
Value-add purchases, from a partner who has completed three rehabs of his own.
Land across the Brazos Valley, from a partner who owns a land investment company and has taken CCIM and Realtors Land Institute (RLI) coursework.
Is College Station worth investing in? The long-term trends
People, jobs, rents and prices for the College Station-Bryan metro, straight from the Census Bureau, the Bureau of Labor Statistics and Zillow. Hover or tap a chart for exact values.
View data table
| Period | Value |
|---|---|
| 2010 | 229,476 |
| 2011 | 231,542 |
| 2012 | 234,331 |
| 2013 | 238,064 |
| 2014 | 243,155 |
| 2015 | 250,973 |
| 2016 | 254,963 |
| 2017 | 259,655 |
| 2018 | 262,103 |
| 2019 | 265,538 |
| 2020 | 268,973 |
| 2021 | 272,696 |
| 2022 | 278,116 |
| 2023 | 283,278 |
| 2024 | 286,095 |
| 2025 | 287,476 |
View data table
| Period | Value |
|---|---|
| 2011 | -979 |
| 2012 | -342 |
| 2013 | +609 |
| 2014 | +1,482 |
| 2015 | +4,145 |
| 2016 | +484 |
| 2017 | +1,465 |
| 2018 | -251 |
| 2019 | +895 |
| 2020 | +1,110 |
| 2021 | +2,089 |
| 2022 | +2,947 |
| 2023 | +1,985 |
| 2024 | -1,103 |
| 2025 | -1,647 |
View data table
| Period | Value |
|---|---|
| 2010 | 101,700 |
| 2011 | 101,200 |
| 2012 | 102,000 |
| 2013 | 105,900 |
| 2014 | 109,200 |
| 2015 | 111,800 |
| 2016 | 113,800 |
| 2017 | 115,900 |
| 2018 | 119,700 |
| 2019 | 123,200 |
| 2020 | 119,600 |
| 2021 | 126,100 |
| 2022 | 134,000 |
| 2023 | 139,100 |
| 2024 | 142,700 |
| 2025 | 145,800 |
View data table
| Period | Value |
|---|---|
| Dec 2015 | $1,015/mo |
| Dec 2016 | $1,031/mo |
| Dec 2017 | $1,054/mo |
| Dec 2018 | $1,064/mo |
| Dec 2019 | $1,099/mo |
| Dec 2020 | $1,145/mo |
| Dec 2021 | $1,232/mo |
| Dec 2022 | $1,332/mo |
| Dec 2023 | $1,392/mo |
| Dec 2024 | $1,455/mo |
| Dec 2025 | $1,518/mo |
| Sep 2026 | $1,504/mo |
View data table
| Period | Value |
|---|---|
| Dec 2010 | $157,125 |
| Dec 2011 | $155,080 |
| Dec 2012 | $160,078 |
| Dec 2013 | $163,844 |
| Dec 2014 | $176,776 |
| Dec 2015 | $194,758 |
| Dec 2016 | $210,893 |
| Dec 2017 | $222,234 |
| Dec 2018 | $230,844 |
| Dec 2019 | $228,920 |
| Dec 2020 | $242,003 |
| Dec 2021 | $265,370 |
| Dec 2022 | $288,059 |
| Dec 2023 | $298,173 |
| Dec 2024 | $303,715 |
| Dec 2025 | $305,358 |
| Sep 2026 | $304,972 |
View data table
| Period | Value |
|---|---|
| Dec 2015 | 16.0× |
| Dec 2016 | 17.0× |
| Dec 2017 | 17.6× |
| Dec 2018 | 18.1× |
| Dec 2019 | 17.4× |
| Dec 2020 | 17.6× |
| Dec 2021 | 17.9× |
| Dec 2022 | 18.0× |
| Dec 2023 | 17.9× |
| Dec 2024 | 17.4× |
| Dec 2025 | 16.8× |
| Sep 2026 | 16.9× |
Data retrieved October 16, 2026. Figures cover the College Station-Bryan metro area.
The numbers and rules that matter in College Station
Zillow Home Value Index, College Station-Bryan metro, Sep 2026 (+0.0% YoY).
Zillow Observed Rent Index, all home types, Sep 2026 (−0.1% YoY). Single-family 3-beds rent higher.
Typical rent ÷ typical home value. Well under the 1% rule; plan on cash flow from buying right, not from rents.
Over the past year: home values +0.0%, rents −0.1%.
Student rentals by the room
Texas A&M brings more than 70,000 students to town, and many of them rent off campus by the bedroom. Renting by the room usually brings in more than leasing the whole house to one household.
Until 2025, College Station capped most single-family homes at four unrelated occupants. Senate Bill 1567, in effect since September 1, 2025, bars cities like College Station from limiting occupancy based on whether residents are related. In September 2025 the city rewrote its definition of family and repealed its restricted- and high-occupancy overlay districts to comply.
Our partner here has rented out individual rooms and whole units, done three rehabs, and owned a duplex, a fourplex and a condo. Ask for real per-room rents for the specific neighborhood, not a calculator estimate.
- Cities can still cap occupancy for health and safety: SB 1567 allows a limit of one person per bedroom of at least 70 square feet, plus one more for each additional 50 square feet. Building, fire and parking rules still apply.
- The state law doesn't override HOA rules or deed restrictions. Read them before you buy.
- Some of the city's own pages still describe the old four-unrelated rule. Confirm the current ordinance with the city before you underwrite.
- Students turn over every year and many leave for the summer. Budget for make-ready, wear and a month or two of vacancy, and consider parental guarantees.
Texas landlord-tenant basics
Texas is one of the more landlord-friendly states, and the law is statewide: cities can't add rent control. Eviction procedure changed on January 1, 2026 (SB 38), so guides written before then are out of date on notice delivery and court timelines. The points investors ask about most:
- No rent control: cities may only regulate rent after a disaster declaration and with the governor's approval (Local Government Code § 214.902). There's no statewide cap on increases; the lease controls, and month-to-month tenancies change terms with a month's notice.
- Eviction: a written notice to vacate (or, for unpaid rent, to pay or vacate) is required before filing, with 3 days' notice unless the lease sets a different period (Property Code § 24.005). SB 38, for suits filed on or after January 1, 2026, changed how that notice can be delivered and sped up the court process. Use a current form or an eviction attorney.
- Security deposit: refund it, with a written itemized list of deductions, within 30 days after the tenant moves out (§§ 92.103–92.104). You don't have to until the tenant gives a written forwarding address (§ 92.107). Withholding in bad faith costs $100 plus three times the amount withheld, plus attorney's fees.
- Late fees must be in a written lease and can't be charged until rent is unpaid two full days after the due date. A fee of up to 12% of monthly rent (buildings of 4 units or fewer) or 10% (larger buildings) is presumed reasonable (§ 92.019).
- Repairs: if a tenant who is current on rent gives notice of a condition that materially affects health or safety, and you don't make a diligent effort to repair within a reasonable time (7 days is presumed reasonable), the tenant can end the lease, repair and deduct, or sue (§§ 92.056–92.0561).
- Texas has no statute setting a notice period for landlord entry. Put an entry clause in your lease.
- College Station rental registration: non-owner-occupied rentals must be registered with the city. The one-time fee has been $90 per building since October 2022.
Short-term rental rules in College Station
College Station requires a city permit for every short-term rental, and operators must collect and remit hotel occupancy tax. Demand is concentrated around Texas A&M football weekends, graduations and other campus events.
- Apply for the permit online. It's valid for one year from issue and must be renewed every year.
- Hotel occupancy tax: the city's rate is 7%, on top of the 6% state hotel tax, and Brazos County adds its own. Airbnb's agreement with Texas covers only the 6% state tax, so you file and remit the city and county taxes yourself.
- City returns are due monthly, by the 20th of the following month. Late reports carry a $50 penalty plus a percentage penalty on late tax.
- Bryan and the surrounding counties set their own rules. HOAs and deed restrictions can prohibit STRs regardless.
- Stays of 30 days or more aren't STRs and don't owe hotel tax. Furnished rentals for visiting faculty, medical staff and families are a steadier alternative to game-day bookings.
Last reviewed October 16, 2026. General information, not legal or tax advice — rules and fees change, so confirm with the city, the statute, or your attorney before you rely on them. Sources: Zillow Research data (ZHVI, ZORI) — College Station metro; Texas A&M University — Facts (enrollment); SB 1567 (89th Legislature, 2025) — Occupancy limits, enrolled text; Texas Legislature Online — SB 1567 history; City of College Station — Unified Development Ordinance (2025 amendments); City of College Station — Occupancy restrictions; City of College Station — Short-term rental housing; City of College Station — Hotel occupancy tax; City of College Station — Rental registration; Texas Property Code ch. 92 — Residential tenancies; Texas Property Code ch. 24 — Forcible entry and detainer; Texas Local Government Code § 214.902 — Rent control; SB 38 (89th Legislature, 2025) — Eviction procedure, enrolled text; Texas Comptroller — Hotel occupancy tax.
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About 100 miles southeast: Texas's biggest metro, under the same state law, with many more agents.
About two hours northwest: another Central Texas rental market, built on Fort Hood instead of a university.
About two hours west: a pricier tech metro under the same Texas landlord law.
Questions investors ask about College Station
Which areas does your College Station agent cover?
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Our vetted partner covers Bryan-College Station, Brazos County and the wider Brazos Valley, including Madison, Burleson, Washington and Grimes counties. He's been a full-time agent for 20 years, owns a land investment company, and has rented rooms and units, done rehabs, and owned small multifamily himself.
Is College Station a good rental market?
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It's a steady one, but not a cash-flow market at median prices. Typical rent-to-price in the College Station-Bryan metro is about 0.49% a month, and Texas property taxes take a big share of rent. Renting by the room to Texas A&M students is how many investors make the numbers work, with yearly turnover as the trade-off.
Can more than four unrelated students live in a College Station house?
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The old four-unrelated limit no longer applies. A 2025 state law, SB 1567, bars cities like College Station from limiting occupancy based on relationship, and the city changed its ordinance in September 2025. Cities can still apply bedroom-size and safety limits, and HOA rules and deed restrictions still apply, so confirm the limit for a specific house.
Do I need a permit for an Airbnb in College Station?
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Yes. Every short-term rental needs an annual city permit, and you owe hotel occupancy tax: 6% state, 7% city, plus Brazos County's tax. Airbnb collects only the state portion, so you file the local taxes yourself each month.
Is Texas landlord-friendly?
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Yes. Cities can't impose rent control, there's no cap on rent increases, evictions start with a 3-day notice to vacate unless the lease says otherwise, and deposits are due back within 30 days of move-out once the tenant gives a forwarding address. The catch is property tax: Texas has no state income tax and leans on property tax instead, so expect annual bills of roughly 2% of assessed value in most of these metros. That, plus insurance, is what usually breaks Texas rental math.
What does it cost to get matched with a College Station agent?
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Nothing. Agents Invest is free for investors. The agent pays us a referral fee only if you close a deal with them.
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