Sell Your Commercial Property In Laredo, TX

Who rents in Laredo

Laredo is an owner-heavy city with a compact rental market. The Census Bureau's 2020–2024 American Community Survey counts 257,619 residents in 78,082 occupied homes. Of those, 28,062, or 35.9%, are rented and 50,020 are owned. The city makes up nearly all of the Laredo metro, which matches Webb County: the metro's 269,294 residents and 35.3% renter share in the same survey differ only slightly from the city figures.

Laredo households are larger than the number of homes suggests. About 258,000 people live in 78,000 occupied homes, roughly 3.3 residents per home, which shapes unit demand: two- and three-bedroom apartments carry much of the market. Median household income is $63,915.

Renters here are spread across many housing types. According to ACS table B25032, 37.8% of renter households live in buildings of five or more units, 34.4% rent detached houses, 17.7% rent in duplexes, triplexes and fourplexes, and 6.3% rent mobile homes. For an apartment owner, rented houses and small plexes are the main competition, especially for family renters who want a yard.

What drives demand: trade at the border

Laredo's economy runs on cross-border trade. The Texas Comptroller's port profile reports that Port Laredo handled about $339.7 billion in trade in 2024, 62% of the trade moving through Texas land ports, including $128.6 billion in exports. Vehicle parts led imports at $64.4 billion, and the Comptroller ties the trade corridor to 1,067,039 direct and indirect jobs in Texas. The Laredo Economic Development Corporation reports that more than $354 billion in imports and exports crossed the port in 2025, making it the top inland port on the U.S.-Mexico border.

That volume translates into local jobs in trucking, freight forwarding, customs brokerage, warehousing and rail. Much of the freight crosses at the World Trade Bridge, and the industrial parks and warehouse districts along the I-35 and Loop 20 corridors employ drivers, dock workers and logistics staff, many of whom rent. U.S. Customs and Border Protection and other federal agencies add a large public workforce, including officers who transfer in and rent before buying. Texas A&M International University and Laredo College bring students, faculty and staff.

Rents and affordability

Laredo is one of the least expensive large rental markets in Texas. Median gross rent, including tenant-paid utilities, is $1,030 a month in the 2020–2024 estimates. The bedroom detail from ACS table B25031 follows:

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year estimates 2020–2024, via Census Reporter. Studios and one-bedrooms rent for about the same median, under $800, and three- and four-bedroom units both sit near $1,220. The meaningful steps are from one to two bedrooms, about $220, and from two to three, about $219. Small units earn little premium per square foot here, so buildings with a two- and three-bedroom mix tend to fit local demand best.

Low rents do not mean low burden. In Laredo, 50.1% of renter households pay 30% or more of income on gross rent, and 26.1% pay half or more. Rent growth is constrained by local wages, and buyers will test whether in-place rents can rise without raising vacancy.

The apartment stock

Multifamily is a small share of Laredo housing. ACS table B25024 counts 84,111 housing units, with 12,551, or 14.9%, in buildings of five or more units. Of those, 3,370 units are in 5–9 unit buildings, 2,793 in 10–19 unit buildings, 1,997 in 20–49 unit buildings and 4,391 in complexes of 50 or more. Mobile homes account for 6,357 units, more than any single apartment size band. Because the multifamily stock is small, a well-kept 5- to 20-unit building has relatively few direct competitors in its submarket.

The housing is young by Texas standards. The median home was built in 1997, and 44.0% of units date from 2000 or later. The 2000s alone produced 24.3% of the stock and the 2010s 17.2%, while only 23.9% predates 1980. Some 2,103 units, or 2.5%, were built in 2020 or later.

Location follows that age pattern. North Laredo, along the I-35 and Loop 20 corridors, holds most of the newer subdivisions and garden-style complexes. Del Mar, in the north-central part of the city, mixes older apartments with established single-family streets. Downtown Laredo has the oldest buildings, small walk-ups and mixed-use properties near the bridges. San Isidro, on the northeast side, is largely newer development. Older downtown buildings usually need more capital, while newer north-side properties compete on finishes.

Property taxes on apartment buildings in Webb County

Texas has no state property tax. As the Comptroller explains, the county appraisal district sets market value and local taxing units levy rates on it. In Laredo, that means the city, Webb County, Laredo College and either Laredo ISD or United ISD, each applying its own rate to the same appraised value. There is no separate assessment ratio for apartments.

The City of Laredo lists its fiscal 2025 property tax rate as $0.507623 per $100 of value, made up of $0.396888 for maintenance and operations and $0.110735 for debt service. The school district rate is the largest piece of most bills, so a building's school district matters when comparing properties on opposite sides of the city.

Texas offers one appraisal limit. Under Tax Code § 23.231, non-homestead real property valued at or below a threshold, $5 million for 2024 and indexed after that, cannot have its appraised value increase more than 20% a year plus new improvements. Many Laredo apartment buildings are small enough to qualify. The limit ends at a change of ownership, so a buyer should plan for a reappraisal toward the price paid. The Comptroller sets the protest deadline at May 15 or 30 days after the notice is delivered, whichever is later.

Landlord rules

Laredo has no rent control. Local Government Code § 214.902 lets a Texas city adopt it only when the council finds a disaster-related housing emergency and the governor approves. The Property Code sets the main tenant rules: deposits must be refunded within 30 days of move-out under § 92.103, bad-faith retention can cost $100, three times the amount withheld and attorney's fees under § 92.109, and § 24.005 requires at least three days' written notice to vacate before an eviction filing unless the lease sets another period.

What this means if you own a building here

Laredo apartments draw on trade, logistics and federal employment tied to cross-border commerce, and they face little direct competition from other multifamily buildings. The constraints are low rents relative to construction and operating costs, a renter base where half are cost-burdened, and a buyer pool that is smaller than in the big Texas metros. That makes accurate records, occupancy history and condition reports especially important in setting price.

Run your numbers through our cap rate calculator and apartment building value calculator, and compare Texas rules with other states on our rent control and property tax guide. Skyline Capital Investments buys 5+ unit buildings across Laredo, including North Laredo, Del Mar, Downtown Laredo and San Isidro. Our seller page explains how we underwrite.

If you are preparing to sell, pull together twelve months of rent rolls and bank deposits, your utility bills by meter, recent appraisal notices and any protest results, and records of roof, plumbing and air-conditioning work. In a market where most buyers are local or regional investors, clear documentation of income and condition shortens due diligence and reduces the discounts buyers apply for uncertainty.