Moving into an apartment North Richland Hills, TX puts you between Dallas and Fort Worth without either city's rent or traffic. You get a strong parks system, a deregulated power market that rewards comparison shopping, and school zoning that can change block by block. Here's what actually matters before you sign a lease, in the order it matters.
North Richland Hills Apartment Rent Prices in 2026
Start with the number that drives every other decision: what you'll actually pay. North Richland Hills, TX rent rose 2.1% year over year, with a current median of $1,670/month.
Renters today are paying $113 more per month on average than last year despite a slight month-over-month dip of 0.6%.
Broken out by unit size, here's where that median comes from:
| Unit Type | Average Rent |
|---|---|
| Studio | $660 |
| 1-Bedroom | $1,155 |
| 2-Bedroom | $1,506 |
| 3-Bedroom | $2,112 |
| 4+ Bedroom | $3,350 |
Studios rent for $660/month, 1-bedrooms for $1,155/month, and 2-bedrooms for $1,506/month.
Larger units include 3-bedrooms at $2,112/month and 4+ bedrooms at $3,350/month. These are averages across the whole city, so a renovated unit along Iron Horse Boulevard will price above a 1980s complex off Glenview Drive. Check current listings against this range rather than against an outdated flyer before you tour, since rents here shift month to month.
Best Neighborhoods for Apartment Renters in North Richland Hills
Unlike a homebuyer weighing lot size and school zones, renters should pay closer attention to which corridors sit near their daily routes. Harwood Road, Iron Horse Boulevard, and Davis Boulevard carry most of the city's rental inventory. Proximity to these roads often matters more than which named neighborhood a complex technically falls under.
HomeTown and Iron Horse
HomeTown is a walkable, master-planned district built around lakes and trails, mixing townhomes with apartment communities like Venue at Home Town and Enclave at Hometown. Iron Horse sits around the public golf course and carries newer builds such as Ironcrest and Oxford at Iron Horse, both within walking distance of the TEXRail station.
North Hills Area
The North Hills Area built out from the mid-century through the early 1990s and still shows it: mature trees, larger lots, and quick access to regional parks give it a settled character. This part of NRH skews heavily toward single-family housing, so renters drawn to the area typically land in apartment communities along the nearby arterial roads rather than inside the neighborhood itself.
Richland Hills Estates
Richland Hills Estates is an upscale pocket known for spacious homes and mature landscaping. It's not rental-heavy, but it's a useful benchmark. If you're comparing amenity packages at nearby luxury communities, this neighborhood shows what the high end of North Richland Hills living looks like, even if you rent elsewhere.
Our crews move apartment renters into these corridors every month, and the recurring snag is parking and loading-zone access at the larger Iron Horse and HomeTown communities during peak afternoon hours. Booking a weekday morning slot through our Apartment Movers team usually avoids the elevator backup that hits mid-afternoon move-ins.
Cost of Living & Home Values in North Richland Hills
Texas charges no state income tax, which helps take-home pay, but Tarrant County property taxes still fund schools and city services, and those costs land in rent even though tenants never see a property tax bill directly.
On the ownership side, the average North Richland Hills, TX home value is $367,768, up 0.5% over the past year.
The median sale price per square foot in North Richland Hills is $199, up 0.8% since last year. That gap matters for the rent-vs-buy conversation: at current prices, buying generally only pencils out once you plan to stay several years and can cover a down payment plus closing costs. For most people new to the city, renting for a year first is a lower-risk way to confirm which neighborhood and commute actually work.
Setting Up Utilities for Your New Apartment
Most NRH apartment complexes won't hand over keys until you can show proof of active electric service, and some ask for water confirmation too. Treat utility setup as a hard deadline, not a someday task.
Electric Service: Deregulated Market
Texas runs a deregulated electricity market, which means no utility is automatically assigned to your new address. You have to actively choose a retail electric provider by comparing plans for your ZIP code. Oncor owns and maintains the physical power lines across North Richland Hills regardless of which retailer you pick, so outages still get reported to Oncor even though your bill comes from someone else.
The Public Utility Commission of Texas's Power to Choose site is the only official, unbiased place to compare plans, contract lengths, and renewable options before you sign up. Budget for real seasonal swings: average monthly electric costs for an apartment here typically land between $120 and $200, with DFW's long summers pushing bills toward the higher end.
Water, Sewer, and Internet
The City of North Richland Hills, not a private retailer, handles water and sewer service, so there's no plan-shopping involved. You contact the city's utility department directly to open an account in your name, and you should do this early since scheduling windows can fill fast during peak move-in months. Schedule internet installation during this window too; slots fill up fastest at month-end, which is when most leases turn over.
For a full breakdown of what to pack, label, and hand off on move day, our Packing and Unpacking guide covers the sequence that keeps utilities and boxes on the same timeline.
Getting Around: Roads and Public Transportation
State Highway 26, known locally as Colleyville Boulevard, runs through North Richland Hills, while Loop 820 and State Highway 183 connect renters to downtown Fort Worth, Arlington, and Dallas without much backtracking. Interstate 35W offers a fairly direct route to DFW International Airport.
For lighter car use, Trinity Metro runs bus routes through NRH, and TEXRail regional rail connects the city to downtown Fort Worth and DFW Airport. Several newer apartment communities near Iron Horse Station were built specifically around that rail stop, so commuting without a car is realistic if you pick the right complex.
Schools and Education in North Richland Hills
Most of North Richland Hills falls inside Birdville ISD, while the northern edge typically zones into Keller ISD instead, and the dividing lines don't follow city limits in any predictable way. Birdville ISD has had Smithfield Elementary, Birdville Elementary, Green Valley Elementary, and North Ridge Elementary all recognized as National Blue Ribbon Schools at various points, which gives a sense of the district's track record.
That matters at lease-signing time. Two apartment complexes a few blocks apart can sit in entirely different districts, so confirm the exact zoned school for a specific address, not just the general neighborhood, before you sign anything. Texas's official school rating site lets you look up current A-F accountability ratings for any Birdville ISD or Keller ISD campus by address.
Crime and Safety: What the Data Really Shows
Safety research belongs on every renter's pre-lease checklist, but here's the part most guides skip: the widely shared crime statistics for North Richland Hills don't agree with each other. Depending on which third-party ranking site you check, you'll find the city described anywhere from well below the national crime average to slightly above it, often using different base years and different methodologies.
Rather than repeat a single cited number that may already be outdated, check the FBI's Crime Data Explorer directly for the latest reported figures covering North Richland Hills and Tarrant County. Local numbers can also vary more by specific neighborhood than city-wide averages suggest, so cross-reference the exact pocket of NRH you're considering rather than the city average alone.
Top-Rated Apartments to Tour in 2026
Landing a unit at a well-reviewed community is exciting, but the logistics of actually getting moved in can overwhelm that excitement fast. A few communities worth starting your tour list with:
| Community | Address | Starting Rent (1BR) |
|---|---|---|
| The Delegate at City Point | 4421 Florence Ave | ~$1,417 |
| Venue at Home Town | 9012 Courtenay St | ~$1,277 |
| Enclave at Hometown | 8601 Ice House Dr | ~$1,290 |
| Ironcrest | 6309 Iron Horse Blvd N | ~$1,485 |
| Oxford at Iron Horse | 6100 Browning Dr | ~$1,100 |
1 Bed $1,417+ 2 Beds $2,086+ 3 Beds $2,464+ Total Monthly Price is the current special pricing posted for The Delegate at City Point, while $1,367 – $1,568 for 2 bedrooms at $2,008 – $2,068 reflects rates at a comparable Venue community listing. Treat these as a starting point, not a quote; tour two or three communities in your price range before deciding, since amenity packages and lease specials shift monthly.
Apartment Move-In Checklist
Everything above feeds into one practical question: what do you actually need to do, and when? This checklist breaks the work into two time blocks so nothing falls through the cracks.
8 Weeks Before Moving
- Confirm whether your target address falls in Birdville ISD or Keller ISD using the official school rating site.
- Tour or browse listings quickly; NRH's rental market doesn't leave good units open long.
- Map your likely commute and check whether TEXRail or Trinity Metro routes would realistically work.
- Get at least three moving-company quotes, including one from our Local Movers team.
- Start decluttering now so you're not packing things you don't actually want to unpack.
4 Weeks Before Moving
- Submit your USPS change of address.
- Lock in a Texas electric provider through Power to Choose so service is active before your lease start date.
- Contact the city to establish NRH water and sewer service in your name.
- Schedule internet installation early; slots fill up fast close to month-end.
- Book furniture disassembly and reassembly if you're bringing large pieces that won't fit through tight apartment stairwells or elevators.
For a deeper look at vetted local movers who specialize in NRH apartment turnovers, our local residential moving companies guide breaks down what to ask before you book.
Ready to lock in your move date? Get a free estimate and we'll walk you through crew size, timing, and access requirements for your specific complex.
FAQ
Is North Richland Hills a good place to live?
Yes. North Richland Hills sits between Dallas and Fort Worth, carries a strong parks system anchored by NRH2O and Iron Horse Golf Course, and generally runs below DFW's core-city cost of living, which is why it's a popular landing spot for renters relocating within Tarrant County.
What should you check before moving into an apartment?
Review the lease terms carefully, document the unit's existing condition with photos at walkthrough, and ask the landlord directly about utility responsibilities, maintenance response times, and parking assignments. The U.S. government's tenant rights resource covers lease basics and where to file a complaint if something goes wrong after you move in.
How do you financially prepare for a new apartment?
Budget for the security deposit, first (and sometimes last) month's rent, moving costs, and initial utility setup fees. NRH's deregulated electric market and the city's water account both typically require upfront deposits or activation fees before service starts, so build those into your move-in budget, not just rent.
How much does it cost to rent an apartment in North Richland Hills?
As of 2026, the median rent in North Richland Hills is $1,670/month , with one-bedrooms averaging around $1,155 and two-bedrooms around $1,506. Exact pricing varies by complex, age of construction, and whether a unit is running a move-in special.
What school district is North Richland Hills in?
Most of the city zones into Birdville ISD, but the northern edge typically falls into Keller ISD. Boundaries don't follow city limits, so confirm the zoned school for your exact address before signing a lease, not just the general area.
Do you have a moving checklist I can use?
Yes. Revisit the Apartment Move-In Checklist section above for the full eight-week and four-week breakdown, or visit our homepage to see the full range of moving and storage services we offer across North Richland Hills and the surrounding DFW area.
