Austin office space averaged about $45 to $49 per square foot per year on a full-service basis in Q2 2026: Colliers reported $44.79 and Cushman & Wakefield reported $49.27. For a hypothetical 4,000 square foot office, that works out to roughly $15,000 to $16,400 a month, with downtown Austin costing well above that and most suburban submarkets costing less.
What is the average office rent in Austin in 2026?
Two major research firms published Q2 2026 Austin office numbers, and they do not match exactly:
| Source (Q2 2026) | Avg. asking rent, all classes | Class A | Overall vacancy |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cushman & Wakefield, Austin Office MarketBeat | $49.27/SF full service | $54.10/SF | 26.9% |
| Colliers, Austin Office Market Report | $44.79/SF full service | Not cited here | 20.6% |
Both figures are annual, full-service asking rents. The gap comes from methodology: each firm tracks its own inventory of buildings, sets its own size cutoffs, and weights rents differently. Cushman & Wakefield, for example, weights asking rents by the amount of available direct and sublease space. Neither number is wrong; they are measuring slightly different slices of the market. The safe takeaway is that the average Austin office asking rent sits in the mid to high $40s per square foot per year, and that asking rents have flattened after several years of growth.
These are asking rents, not signed deal rents. What tenants actually pay after free rent and other concessions is often lower, which we cover below.
Full service vs NNN: what does the quoted rate include?
The label after the number matters as much as the number. Office quotes in Austin come in two main forms (see types of commercial leases for the full list):
- Full service: the rate includes base rent plus the building’s operating expenses, such as property taxes, insurance, common area maintenance, and usually utilities and janitorial. Most multi-tenant office buildings quote this way, and both research reports above use full-service rates. Watch for a base year or expense stop, which passes increases in operating costs above the first year’s level through to you.
- NNN (triple net): the rate is base rent only. Taxes, insurance, and common area costs are billed on top as a separate per square foot charge that the landlord estimates each year and reconciles later. NNN is more common in smaller buildings, office condos, and medical office.
A $30/SF NNN quote and a $45/SF full-service quote can cost about the same once the NNN charges are added, so always convert both to one total monthly number. Our guide to how commercial rent works covers the math in more depth, and NNN and CAM charges explained covers what goes into the pass-throughs.
How to turn a $/SF quote into a monthly cost
Commercial rent is quoted per square foot per year. Multiply by the rentable square feet and divide by 12.
Here is a hypothetical 4,000 rentable square foot office, priced at each firm’s Q2 2026 average and at a made-up NNN quote for comparison:
| Scenario (hypothetical 4,000 RSF) | Annual cost | Monthly cost |
|---|---|---|
| Full service at $44.79/SF (Colliers average) | $179,160 | $14,930 |
| Full service at $49.27/SF (Cushman & Wakefield average) | $197,080 | $16,423 |
| NNN at a hypothetical $30/SF plus hypothetical $15/SF NNN charges | $180,000 | $15,000 |
The NNN row is illustrative only; real NNN charges vary by building. Suite electricity and janitorial may also be extra on an NNN lease, so ask what is and is not included.
Two more things change the real number:
- Load factor. Office rent is charged on rentable square feet, which adds your share of lobbies, corridors, and restrooms to the space you actually use. A building with a higher load factor costs more for the same usable space.
- Escalations. Most leases raise the rate each year, so year five costs more than year one.
Our lease cost calculator runs this math with escalations over the full term. If you are not sure how much space your team needs, start with the office space calculator.
What drives office rent in Austin?
Submarket
Location is the biggest driver. Cushman & Wakefield’s Q2 2026 report broke average full-service asking rents (all classes) down by submarket:
| Submarket | Avg. asking rent (all classes) | Class A | Vacancy |
|---|---|---|---|
| CBD (downtown) | $64.79/SF | $69.27/SF | 31.0% |
| East | $59.15/SF | $59.74/SF | 45.0% |
| South Central | $53.02/SF | $62.40/SF | 27.1% |
| Southwest | $44.55/SF | $47.42/SF | 17.1% |
| Far Northwest (includes the Domain) | $42.42/SF | $43.98/SF | 24.9% |
| Round Rock | $37.93/SF | $39.30/SF | 22.7% |
| Northwest | $35.42/SF | $37.71/SF | 16.1% |
| North Central | $30.72/SF | $44.53/SF | 21.3% |
Source: Cushman & Wakefield, Austin Office MarketBeat, Q2 2026. Rates are annual, full service.
Downtown commands the highest rates even with 31% vacancy, and all three recent completions listed in the report are downtown towers. Averages also move with the mix of space on the market: a submarket with a lot of new, high-end space available will show a higher average than its older buildings ask.
Building class and age
Class A space costs more. Cushman & Wakefield put citywide Class A asking rents at $54.10/SF in Q2 2026, about $5 above the all-class average, and noted that recent rent growth was driven by a large supply of newly delivered, top-tier space. Older Class B buildings typically ask less and can be a good fit for teams that value cost over amenities.
Sublease space
Cushman & Wakefield counted roughly 3.4 million square feet of sublease space available across Austin in Q2 2026, about 19% of total office availability. Sublease space is often already furnished and wired and can be priced below comparable direct space, but the term is limited to whatever remains on the original tenant’s lease.
Parking
Parking can add real cost. In many downtown towers, parking is billed separately per space each month on top of rent. In many suburban buildings, surface parking is included. Compare the parking ratio and the parking charges, not just the rate.
Free rent and TI allowances lower the real cost
Asking rent is the starting point. Landlords compete with concessions, especially in a market with vacancy as elevated as Austin’s in 2026:
- Free rent: months at the start of the lease when base rent is waived.
- Tenant improvement allowance: money the landlord contributes, quoted per square foot, toward building out or refreshing your space.
Longer terms and stronger tenant financials generally support larger concessions. Comparing offers on net effective rent, rather than the quoted rate, shows which deal actually costs less over the lease.
Get real numbers for your office search
Market averages are a starting point, not a quote. We pull current asking rates, operating expenses, and concessions for the specific Austin buildings that fit your team, convert them to one monthly number, and negotiate on your behalf. The landlord typically pays our fee. See our office page or tenant representation, or contact us to start a search.
Sources
- Cushman & Wakefield, “Austin Office MarketBeat, Q2 2026” (published July 2026)
- Cushman & Wakefield, “U.S. Office MarketBeat, Q2 2026” (2026; rent methodology definitions)
- Colliers, “Austin Office Market Report, Q2 2026” (2026)
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
What is the average office rent in Austin per square foot?
In Q2 2026, Colliers reported an average full-service asking rent of $44.79 per square foot per year for Austin office, and Cushman & Wakefield reported $49.27. The two firms track different sets of buildings, so treat the market average as roughly the mid $40s per square foot per year.
How much does a 2,000 square foot office cost per month in Austin?
At a hypothetical full-service rate of $45 per square foot per year, 2,000 square feet costs $90,000 a year, or $7,500 a month. Actual rates vary widely by submarket and building class, so price the specific buildings you are considering.
Is downtown Austin office space more expensive than the suburbs?
Yes. Cushman & Wakefield's Q2 2026 report put the CBD average at $64.79 per square foot full service, versus $42.42 in Far Northwest (which includes the Domain) and $44.55 in Southwest.
Are Austin office rents going down in 2026?
They have flattened. Cushman & Wakefield reported a slight quarter-over-quarter decline in Q2 2026 but rents still 3.3% higher than a year earlier, while Colliers described asking rents adjusting downward. Vacancy remains high, which gives tenants room to negotiate.
Does it cost anything to use a tenant rep agent for office space in Austin?
Usually not. In most Austin office leases the landlord pays the tenant rep fee, and we put who pays in a short written representation agreement before we start.
About the author
Tristen Palori is a licensed commercial real estate agent with Foresite Commercial Real Estate and leads Austin Commercial Sites, the firm's Austin team. He has worked Austin office, retail, medical, and industrial deals since 2019. More about Tristen.
