Housing inventory in Texas’ major metropolitan areas has reached levels not seen since the years following the Great Recession, according to new data from 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, indicating that homes for sale are outpacing demand.
This trend marks a significant increase compared to previous years. The current statewide supply is approaching the high levels of 2012, when Texas last saw more than six months of inventory as the market recovered from the recession.
In several key cities, inventory has already surpassed those post-recession highs. Dallas-Plano-Irving crossed above its 2012 trendline during the summer and continued to widen the gap. Last month, this submarket recorded 4.8 months of inventory—up from four months in September 2024 and higher than September 2012’s figure of 4.2 months.
Houston also exceeded its 2012 numbers over the summer. The Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands area posted 5.4 months of inventory last month, compared with 4.8 in September 2012 and just 4.1 one year ago.
Austin’s housing market showed an even sharper rise above past trends. The Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos metro reported 5.4 months of inventory in September—almost two full months higher than it was in 2012.
These increases mean that homes are accumulating faster in these large Sun Belt cities than elsewhere in Texas.
San Antonio and Fort Worth are exceptions within the so-called Texas Triangle region, as their inventories remain below those seen after the Great Recession but have still increased over last year’s numbers. San Antonio-New Braunfels had 5.8 months of supply last month (up from 5.1 last year but under its peak of 6.1 in 2012), while Fort Worth-Arlington-Grapevine saw a slight uptick to 4.2 months (0.2 more than last year but down by about half a month compared to September 2012).
The recent surge in available homes reflects broader national trends where markets are shifting away from sellers’ advantages toward conditions more favorable for buyers.
