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Sam Houston State University drops about 21,900 Bearkats into Huntsville, a piney East Texas town about an hour north of Houston up I-45. You can't miss the local landmark: a 67-foot statue of Sam Houston nicknamed Big Sam looming over the freeway. Campus folds into a historic downtown built around a courthouse square lined with local shops. The Sam Houston Memorial Museum and the surrounding state forest land give you trails and green space without leaving town, and Huntsville State Park sits just south for lakes and hiking. Game days fill Bowers Stadium with orange, and the town stays small enough that most of student life happens within a short walk or drive.
SHSU requires students entering within one year of finishing high school to live on campus their first year and buy a resident meal plan, usually fall and spring. Most freshmen at Sam Houston State spend that first year in the halls. The requirement shapes when students begin planning their move off campus.
Exemptions exist for students who live with a parent within commuting distance, are married, have dependents, are older than the typical first-year, or transfer in with enough credits. Most students move off campus as sophomores once that first year wraps. Huntsville's a small market, so the better student houses and by-the-bed complexes near campus get claimed early.
The local rental process is standard Texas: a 12-month lease, an application fee, a credit or income check, and a guarantor if you're short on rental history. Watch for older houses where utilities run separate and summer cooling adds up, and confirm occupancy limits, since some single-family rentals cap how many unrelated tenants can share a place. Read the subletting clause before you sign.
Housing policies change frequently. Always verify current requirements directly with Sam Houston State University before signing a lease.
Huntsville moves at a small-town pace, but the good student spots still go early. Preleasing at the by-the-bed complexes near campus kicks off in late winter, around January and February, and the best units lease through spring. Houses within walking distance of campus turn over fast, so if you want one, start before spring break. Touring in person early helps, since the closest houses turn over quietly through word of mouth.
The best units lease through spring, so the late-winter-into-spring stretch is the busiest. Classes begin in late August, so target signing by early summer to avoid a last-minute scramble. Houses within walking distance of campus and Old Town see the strongest demand during this window. Groups chasing a close-in house should sign before spring break.
Because it's a smaller market than the big Texas college towns, late searchers in July and August have fewer options, though standard apartments around town usually still have openings. Spring leases and sublets surface around December and May when Bearkats graduate or leave for the summer. Those windows are the easiest time to grab a mid-year place or take over the back half of someone's lease. Late searchers often land in quieter areas toward Elkins Lake.
The blocks right around campus and Old Town put you walking distance to class with a mix of student houses and small complexes, the most convenient option. It is ideal for students who want to walk to class.
Downtown wraps the historic courthouse square with local shops and an easy, walkable feel, good if you like being in the middle of things. It suits students who want a central, walkable base.
Farther out toward Elkins Lake you get quieter, more residential rentals with bigger yards and a calmer vibe. You'll want a car to make the commute worthwhile.
Common questions from students searching for housing.
A shared room or by-the-bed spot near SHSU usually runs $450-$750/month per person. Older shared houses near campus land at the bottom, while newer student complexes with pools and shuttles sit higher. Budget another $40-$120/month for utilities, especially in summer when East Texas cooling climbs.