For the first half of 2017, Houston's rents have been increasing faster than anywhere else in Texas

Abodo, an apartment rental web site, compiled a report on rental rates around the country for the first six months of the year, and the results may not be good news for anyone:

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The report found Houston had the highest average rent growth in the state and the third-highest in the nation.

Specifically, data showed Houston’s rents for a one-bedroom apartment during the six-month tracking period grew at a rate of almost four percent each month. Rental rates for two-bedroom apartments also increased across the city at just over two percent per month.

The survey further showed rental rates for a one-bedroom apartment went from an average of $951 in January to $1,191 in July; there was, additionally, a corresponding increase in the rates for two-bedroom apartments, from $1,233 in February to $1,402 in July.

This reveals Houston as home to the highest rental rates in the state, with average rent for a one-bedroom apartment in Houston at $1,053 per month, well over the $871 statewide average.

While rates for one-bedroom apartments across Texas increased during those first six months, the rate of increase was barely over one percent per month.

Despite the recent rent hikes, Houston remains a bargain compared to most of the country, as rental rates for a one-bedroom apartment in Houston are only slightly higher than the national average ($1,016).

The rates are also much lower than those found in other major cities; San Francisco, for example, placed highest in median rent for a one-bedroom apartment at $3,240, while New York came in second at $2,919.

Experts say future trends for rental rates in Houston will largely depend on two factors:

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, Harris County is the second-fastest growing county in the country. The influx of new residents, including thousands of immigrants, will keep demand for rental units high.

However, with a downturn in oil prices, many of those seeking jobs in the energy sector may be turned away from living in a town where fortunes are won or lost on the price of crude.

Houston apartment rents are going sky high, even faster than anywhere else, report says: https://t.co/9hqVIfQTtH #ABC13 #HouNews pic.twitter.com/Pl0AHLLx1w

— ABC13 Houston (@abc13houston) July 30, 2017