a league apart

Houston tops the charts for 3rd most new apartments built in U.S. since 2020

Luxe apartments like the Novel River Oaks are big draws for renters.

Shiny new apartment complexes are popping up everywhere around the country, but no more than two cities can claim quite as many as Houston.

The Houston metro area, in fact, has had the third most new apartments constructed since the beginning of the "pandemic building boom" in 2020 in the U.S., according to a new study by apartment rental marketplace RentCafe.

Third highest construction rate from 2020 to 2022
The construction analysis revealed 53,741 new apartment units opened in Houston between 2020 and 2022. Houston's numbers far outshine one of the biggest renter metros in the state – Austin (No. 4) – by nearly 8,700 units.

"The metro is also home to several major companies such as ExxonMobil and Chevron — both of which expanded their presence in the area during those three years — that attract a large number of workers, further supporting demand for rental apartments," the report's author said.

Broken down by city, Houston constructed 28,423 new apartment units between 2020 and 2022, while Katy built the second highest number of new apartments: 4,859. Spring built 3,878 new units within the same time frame, and Richmond made up 2,324 new apartment units.

The only two cities to outrank Houston are New York (No. 2) and Dallas (No. 3), which developed a whopping 66,070 and 76,660 new apartment units, respectively, within the same time period. Austin and Miami round out the top five with 45,051 and 42,960 new units built between 2020 and 2022.

The remaining top 10 metros that completed the most new apartments between 2020 and 2022 are:

No. 6 – Washington, D.C. (42,723 units)
No. 7 – Los Angeles (39,842 units)
No. 8 – Atlanta (39,467 units)
No. 9 – Seattle (36,952 units)
No. 10 – Twin Cities, Minnesota (31,662 units)

New apartments to meet rising demand in 2023
Houston may have topped the charts for new apartments built during the pandemic, but it slipped out of the top five in the analysis of projected completed units in 2023. The study found that developers are set to build 13,637 new rental units by the end of December, which is 19,364 fewer than New York, which claimed the No. 1 spot in 2023.

The report commented that Houston's "slower" apartment growth earned it No. 8 in the ranking of the overall top 20 U.S. metros for construction in 2023. But the city's focus is not necessarily on building apartments.

"[The Houston] metro (along with Dallas, Austin and San Antonio) is keen on building single-family rentals to meet the needs of those who are not yet ready to become homeowners," the report said.

The top 10 metros predicted to build the most new apartments in 2023 are:

No. 1 – New York City (33,001 units)
No. 2 – Dallas (23,659 units)
No. 3 – Austin (23,434 units)
No. 4 – Miami (20,904 units)
No. 5 – Atlanta (18,408 units)
No. 6 – Phoenix (14,629 units)
No. 7 – Los Angeles (14,087 units)
No. 8 – Houston (13,637 units)
No. 9 – Washington, D.C. (13,189 units)
No. 10 – Denver (12,581 units)

The full report can be found on rentcafe.com.

apartments housing reports houston

Seaside Living and More

Shuttered Corpus Christi Schlitterbahn will become $800M seaside community

Rendering courtesy of Whitecap

The former site of Schlitterbahn's Corpus Christi location is being transformed into Whitecap, an $800 million master-planned community.

The site that once housed Schlitterbahn's short-lived Corpus Christi location is being transformed into Whitecap, an $800 million master-planned community with waterfront homes, a shopping and entertainment district, and a marina designed to withstand Category 5 hurricanes.

Rendering courtesy of Whitecap

The former site of Schlitterbahn's Corpus Christi location is being transformed into Whitecap, an $800 million master-planned community.

The project by Ashlar Development LLC and partner Diamond Beach Holdings LLC is Corpus Christi’s first master-planned coastal community and is expected to include more than 600 residences.

Located less than four hours from Houston and about 30 minutes from Corpus Christi International Airport, the development is aimed at buyers looking for primary homes, vacation properties, and investment opportunities.

Schlitterbahn opened its Padre Island location in 2016 with hopes of bringing its popular waterpark brand to the coast. But financial troubles and leadership disputes complicated the project early on. After the park closed in 2020 during the coronavirus pandemic, it never reopened, and the site was demolished in 2021.

Now, the former waterpark site is being redeveloped into a waterfront residential community.

"The owners saw extraordinary potential in this uniquely positioned property,” Terence Johnson, executive vice president of Ashlar Development, tells CultureMap. “By transforming a former golf course and water park into Whitecap, they've created a luxury canal community that balances exceptional waterfront living with the preservation of valuable coastal habitat for migratory birds and wildlife.”

The first phase of homesite sales is now underway. Buyers can choose from custom and semi-custom home options featuring a contemporary coastal aesthetic with materials such as concrete and glass.

Located just minutes from Whitecap Beach, the community sits along five miles of navigable canals, with most homesites offering water views, direct canal access, and backyard docks.

A pool and fitness center are already completed, with future plans including a café, event space, sports courts, a dog park, and a marina district with shopping, dining, entertainment, a yacht club, and dry boat storage.

A 30-acre nature preserve will sit at the center of the development, providing habitat for migratory birds and other wildlife.