How to Easily Find Travel Nurse Housing in Texas

Travel nurses in Texas earn significantly more than their staff nurse counterparts. Each city and hospital system offers differing amounts depending on location and demand, but on average, a travel nurse in Texas will make $2,136 each week. If you complete multiple contracts, that would be an average of $116,768 annually.  Texas staff nurses earn an average of $1,523 weekly or $83,262 yearly. As you can see, there is a significant difference between these two annual incomes.  

You must look at your overall budget, including housing costs since it will affect your weekly take-home pay. Additionally, you will need to decide whether you will be using a stipend-pay or agency-placed housing.  

So you have signed on the dotted line for your travel nurse contract. Now it’s time to decide what type of rental you want. The kind of rental you are looking for will depend on how many people you are traveling with, how much space you will need, and what amenities you cannot live without.  

1. Extended Stay Hotels

If you are traveling alone and aren’t looking for too much space but want affordable amenities, an extended-stay hotel is an excellent option for travel nurse housing in Texas. Not only do you have onsite housekeeping, but you may also have onsite laundry services, a gym, a pool area, or even on-site dining. A downfall of using an extended-stay hotel is the space. You will have limited closet space, storage, and, most likely, a lack of a kitchen area.  

2. Room Rentals

If you are traveling alone, but are looking for more space than an extended-stay hotel can offer, consider renting a room in someone’s home or apartment. If you rent a room, you will likely not have access to onsite housekeeping, dining, gym, or pool areas, but you will have access to a common area and a kitchen. You will have to share the common areas with those who live there as well, so consider how open you are to having a roommate and if you are comfortable living with a stranger.  

3. Apartment/Condo Rentals  

Renting an apartment or condo is a good Texas travel nurse housing option for you if you are looking for your own space or if you will be traveling with others. Make sure you list accommodations that mean the most to you before looking for an apartment or condo. Also, consider whether you will need to find an apartment that offers on-site parking or if you will be taking public transportation to work. Apartments and condos do have the option for an on-site gym, pool, and business center.  

4. House/Townhouse Rental

A house or a townhouse will be a great rental option for you if you are traveling with several travel nurses or if you will be traveling with your family. Finding a large rental like this may be challenging for the time frame you are looking for, so try avoiding too many amenity limitations when searching. Also, you should confirm with the rental property how much you will be responsible for caring for or if you must pay maintenance fees.  

Many factors affect how much your housing will cost as a travel nurse in Texas, but we will get to that in a minute. Based on Texas Fair Market Rent, you can expect to pay around $684 monthly for a studio apartment, $755 for a one-bedroom rental, and $900-$1434 for two or more bedrooms. It is important to remember these costs only include the space rental and do not typically include the utilities, parking, or renter’s insurance. Make sure to accommodate these extra costs in your budget. You don’t want to be working just to live in your rental.

The cost of living is affected by many factors. When looking for affordable housing, it is vital to consider the following factors.  

1. Location

Depending on the city you have a contract in will dramatically affect the available affordable housing.  

2. Length of Stay

Working a three-month contract in a specific location can drastically change your rent price. If you rent an apartment, you will likely have to rent month-to-month, increasing your costs. Additionally, if you are utilizing an Airbnb or a VRBO rental, three months is significantly longer than your typical rental, which can be expensive.

3. Amenities

The amenities you seek can also adjust your monthly cost. You may have to pay extra for parking, video intercom systems, clubhouses, gyms, or additional storage areas. These fees may be bundled together, or you can pick what you pay for.  

4. Time of Year

Because Texas has a warm to hot climate year-round, you may pay more seasonally depending on which area of Texas you live in.  

5. Available Discounts

There are discounts available for travel nurses, some nurse travel agencies have discounts available for their travelers, and some landlords will offer discounts for travel nurses as well.  

6. Roommates

Travel nurses who travel together can also share the living expenses if you want to cut costs and don’t mind sharing your space.  

You must also decide whether to use agency-placed housing or a stipend pay option. If you choose agency-placed accommodation, your travel organization’s internal housing department will provide you with a place to stay. Selecting this option often provides a better price, and you will not have to pay as much money upfront. Travel nurse agencies often get a long-term rental and rotate their travelers in and out, depending on their contracts. You will reap the benefits of not paying start-up costs or cancellation fees if your contract ends early. However, agency-placed housing may not work for you if you want to choose exactly where you live and enjoy the extra time before and after your contract.  

Similar to agency-placed housing, the stipend pay option has its own pros and cons. Choosing the stipend pay option means you are responsible for finding, booking, and financing your housing. Additionally, you are responsible for any initiation costs or cancellation fees if your contract ends early. If you do find accommodation less than your stipend pay, you can keep the extra tax-free as long as you have a tax home with a permanent address and not P.O. Box. Otherwise, the extra cash will be taxed like regular income.  

Here are a few commonly used websites to find travel nurse housing.

1. Apartments.com  

Searching for an apartment or rental on apartments.com will reveal almost 60,000 options, so if you are looking for an apartment in Texas, you will have plenty of options. As expected, there are more options in larger cities like Dallas, Fort Worth, Houston, and San Antonio. You can limit your search if you are looking for pet-friendly, in-unit laundry, fitness centers, etc. Each listing provides photos, amenities, floor plans, additional fees, local transportation options, and local points of interest.  

2. Housestay.com

Using housestay.com to find your rental property is an excellent option if you are looking for fully furnished apartments in larger cities like Dallas or Houston. Each listing will list each apartment's amenities, features, utilities, and fees. You can search by city and time frame, the listings will give a nightly rate, but most rentals require a minimum of a 30-day stay.  

3. Landing

Landing is similar to housestay.com if you want fully furnished apartments or rental spaces. You can use Landing to search cities in Texas for fully furnished apartments, but you can further your search by specific neighborhoods in each if there is a particular area you are looking for. Your listings give a monthly cost and what the monthly utilities will cost if they are outside your rental price. You will also have access to floor plans, video tours, and the amenities included with the rental. You can search from set or flexible timeframes if you want extra move-in and move-out time.  

4. Zillow

Zillow is often viewed as a website to look for homes for sale, but you can also search for rental properties! You can explore what is currently available or search by move-in date if your contract isn’t right away. Listings will show the monthly rental cost for the property, photos, floorplans, policies, additional fees, features, amenities, and information about the neighborhood. There are over 30,000 rental properties available in Texas, so you will have no problem finding your new home away from home!

Whether you are looking to explore historical Texas sites or see its beautiful landscape, a fantastic opportunity awaits you!  Let Advantis Medical guide you on your next travel nursing adventure! If exploring the Alamo, San Antonio Riverwalk, or Padre Island is calling your name.

Browse exclusive travel job openings from the #1 rated travel nurse agency. You can choose to work with one of our dedicated Pro Recruiters and receive top-notch, white-glove service, or express your interest in specific jobs directly on our individual job pages.  Start your next adventure today by searching for travel nurse jobs in Texas.

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