78702 Rents Are High Across the Board

East Austin Apartments (78702) Post-2014 construction, $1,300–$1,600 typical starting rents, MetroRail access, wide management quality gap, and train noise on some blocks.

I’ve toured most apartment communities in the 78702 ZIP code. Some of them multiple times. East Austin’s rental market moves fast, and properties here swap management companies, rotate specials, and quietly change their screening criteria more than most areas in the city.

Every community in the East Cesar Chavez, Holly, Govalle, and Plaza Saltillo neighborhoods has a full review below. Each one covers what listing sites leave out: actual screening criteria, real fee breakdowns, net effective rent math, and honest resident feedback compared to what I saw on my own tours.

A few things worth knowing about 78702 before you start clicking.

With two exceptions, every community here was built in 2014 or later. New construction, higher rents. Starting prices run from around $950 at Talavera Lofts up to $1,900+ at Lenox 7th and AMLI Eastside. Most communities land in the $1,300 to $1,600 range for a studio or small one-bedroom. If you’re near the Plaza Saltillo MetroRail station, you can walk to East 6th. And you’re sharing a ZIP code with Franklin BBQ, Suerte, and Nixta Taqueria. So the location sells itself.

But there are trade-offs. Tight parking at most communities. Train noise along the MetroRail and freight rail corridors. And a wide gap in how responsive management is from one property to the next (which is exactly the kind of thing these reviews break down).

Pick a community below to read the full review, or get in touch if you want me to narrow it down based on your budget, timeline, and screening situation.