The reference sheet for a DFW housing budget: the public GSA anchors agencies benchmark against, next to what apartments near each campus actually rent for right now.
The anchors
| Locality (FY 2026) | Lodging max / night | M&IE / day |
|---|---|---|
| Dallas (Dallas County) | $170 ($191 Jan–Mar) | $80 |
| Fort Worth / Arlington / Grapevine | $181 flat | $68–80 (verify locality) |
| Standard CONUS (unlisted areas) | $110 | $68 |
Facility-by-facility: locality vs. entry rent
| Facility | GSA locality | Closest-pocket 1BR band | Cheapest 1BR entry |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parkland Memorial Hospital | Dallas locality — $170/night | $1,400–1,700 | $1,200+ |
| UT Southwestern Medical Center | Dallas locality — $170/night | $1,400–1,700 | $1,300+ |
| Baylor University Medical Center | Dallas locality — $170/night | $1,200–1,500 | $1,200+ |
| Medical City Dallas | Dallas locality — $170/night | $1,100–1,400 | $1,100+ |
| Texas Health Harris Methodist Fort Worth | Fort Worth locality — $181/night | $1,200–1,600 | $1,100+ |
| JPS Health Network (John Peter Smith Hospital) | Fort Worth locality — $181/night | $1,200–1,600 | $1,100+ |
| Cook Children's Medical Center | Fort Worth locality — $181/night | $1,200–1,600 | $1,100+ |
| Medical City Frisco | Standard-area locality | $1,400–1,800 | $1,300+ |
What the gap means this month
The Fort Worth hospital district is the value story of mid-2026: a higher flat GSA locality anchor ($181/night) sitting over entry rents from about $1,100 — the widest anchor-to-rent spread in the metro. On the Dallas side, the Medical District pockets price near the metro average while Frisco lease-up concessions (weeks free) can pull its higher list prices back to earth. Metro-wide, mid-2026 listing data puts the average Dallas one-bedroom around $1,400–1,500 — with several sources showing rents flat-to-down year over year, which is leverage.
Metro rents are soft and concession-heavy right now. On a 13-week or flex lease, always ask what weeks-free or reduced-deposit terms apply — lease-ups extend concessions to mid-term leases more often than their websites admit.
Sources: GSA per diem tables, FY 2026 (Oct 1, 2025 – Sep 30, 2026); public listing-platform rent data (multiple aggregators), mid-2026, deliberately rounded. Refresh cadence: monthly. Corrections: see about. Educational only — not a pay quote or housing offer.