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Business phone system for passenger car rental agencies in Texas

846 passenger car rental agencies operated in Texas in 2023. Where they are, how big their teams are, and what phone service costs them.

Establishments
846CBP 2023
Per 100k residents
2.7U.S. 2.8
State rank
3rd of 51by count

The car rental agency industry in Texas

County Business Patterns counts 846 establishments in Texas classified as Passenger Car Rental (NAICS 532111) for 2023. That is the 3rd highest count among the 51 states and DC with published figures. Passenger car rental agencies make up 0.13% of the 670,878 business establishments in the state.

Per 100,000 residents (2024 estimate) Texas has 2.7 passenger car rental agencies, 3.7% below the national rate of 2.8.

Passenger car rental agencies: Texas compared with the U.S., 2023
MeasureTexasUnited States
Establishments8469,548
Mid-March employees6,992 (high noise)84,637 (high noise)
Annual payroll$344,393,000 (high noise)$4,246,355,000 (high noise)
Employees per establishment——
Payroll per employee——
Establishments per 100,000 residents2.72.8

Census County Business Patterns 2023 (mid-March employment; annual payroll). Employees and payroll flagged high-noise are shown but not used in the text. Residents: Census Vintage 2024 estimates.

Passenger car rental agencies by metro area in Texas

Census published car rental agency counts for 22 metro or micropolitan areas that include part of Texas. The largest is Houston, TX, with 244 establishments. Single-state metro and micropolitan areas account for 96% of the statewide total; the rest are outside any published area or in areas Census suppressed.

Passenger car rental agencies by metro or micropolitan area, Texas, 2023
AreaEstablishmentsEmployeesPer 100k residents
Houston, TX244—3.1
Dallas, TX227—2.7
Austin, TX86—3.4
San Antonio, TX75—2.7
El Paso, TX26—3.0
McAllen, TX18—2.0
Corpus Christi, TX18—4.0
Killeen, TX15—2.9
Brownsville, TX14—3.2
Lubbock, TX11—3.0
Amarillo, TX11—4.0
Midland, TX9—4.8
Beaumont, TX8502.0
Tyler, TX8—3.2
Waco, TX7—2.3
Longview, TX7—2.4
College Station, TX6422.1
Abilene, TX6—3.3
Laredo, TX4—1.5
Wichita Falls, TX4—2.7
Texarkana, TX-AR4—2.7
San Angelo, TX4203.3

Source: Census County Business Patterns 2023; population from Census Vintage 2024 estimates.

Team sizes at passenger car rental agencies in Texas

45.4% of Texas's passenger car rental agencies with employees had fewer than five people in March 2023, compared with 46.7% nationally. 80.4% had fewer than ten. At that size the phone is shared, so routing (who rings, when, and what happens after hours) matters more than the number of desk phones.

Passenger car rental agencies in Texas by employment size, 2023
Employment sizeEstablishmentsShareU.S. share
1–4 employees38445.4%46.7%
5–9 employees29635.0%30.5%
10–19 employees11813.9%15.2%
20–49 employees273.2%4.7%
50 or more employees212.5%2.9%

Employment-size classes count establishments by mid-March 2023 employment. Establishments with no March employees are excluded from the size classes, so shares are of establishments with employees. Source: Census County Business Patterns 2023.

Why the phone matters for passenger car rental agencies in Texas

Rental agencies take reservation, extension and return calls. Independent and franchise locations rely on the phone for local customers.

Typical inbound and outbound calls for passenger car rental agencies in Texas:

What passenger car rental agencies text about

Agencies text pickup instructions and return reminders.

Texting from a local number in Texas requires carrier registration (10DLC), a one-time $49 fee on Callata.

Phone system pricing for a 2-person car rental agency

The comparison uses a 2-person team, the rounded U.S. average for passenger car rental agencies. Per-seat business phone plans bill every one of those people. At month-to-month list prices checked September 28, 2026, 2 users on RingCentral RingEX Core cost $60.00 a month and 2 on Ooma Office Pro cost $49.90. Callata costs $99.00 a month ($99 a month with 5 users included, then $20 per additional user), so at this team size both per-seat plans are cheaper; Callata drops below them from 4 users.

At this team size the per-seat plans cost less than Callata's $99 base price, which already covers 5 users; Callata becomes the lower price from 4 users.

Monthly list price for a 2-person car rental agency
Provider (plan)Pricing basisPer monthPer year
Callata (Callata Office)$99 incl. 5 users, $20 per extra user$99.00$1,188.00
Quo (Starter)$19.00 per user$38.00$456.00
Nextiva (Core)$23.00 per user$46.00$552.00
Ooma (Office Pro)$24.95 per user$49.90$598.80
Dialpad (Standard)$27.00 per user$54.00$648.00
RingCentral (RingEX Core)$30.00 per user$60.00$720.00

Competitor prices are each vendor's published month-to-month list price per user for its lowest plan that includes business calling and texting, checked September 28, 2026: Quo Starter $19, Nextiva Core $23, Ooma Office Pro $24.95 (Essentials excludes texting; one-time $29.95 activation not included), Dialpad Standard $27, RingCentral RingEX Core $30 ($20 billed annually). Prices exclude taxes and fees and may change; annual contracts lower some competitors' prices.

Area codes in Texas

Texas has 29 geographic area codes in service according to NANPA. Callata includes up to 3 local numbers, so a car rental agency can hold a number in more than one of them.

Area codes in Texas by assigned exchanges
Area codeExchangesTime zoneIn service sinceOverlay with
281786Central1996346, 621, 713, 832
469786Central1999214, 945, 972
832786Central1999281, 346, 713
512785Central1947737
713785Central1947281, 346, 621, 832
972785Central1996214, 469, 945
210784Central1992726
214784Central1947469, 945, 972
817780Central1953682
903771Central1990430
346752Central2014281, 621, 713, 832
956735Central1997none
806734Central1957none
254671Central1997none
361537Central1999none
940506Central1997none
830496Central1997none
409433Central1982none
936422Central2000none
682421Central2000817

Exchanges are NANPA-assigned central office codes (NPA-NXX) in the rate centers matched to the area's named places. Source: NANPA utilized code and NPA reports.

How Callata works for passenger car rental agencies in Texas

Callata Office costs $99 per month for up to 5 people, and each additional user is $20 a month. That covers up to 3 local numbers, calling from a browser or your cell, transcribed voicemail, recorded calls with AI summaries, after-hours routing and E911 on each number.

Porting a number you already use in Texas is free, and business texting is available once the carrier registration (10DLC) is approved; the registration carries a one-time $49 fee. Which specific numbers are open in a given area code depends on carrier inventory at the time you sign up.

AI agents are optional: an AI receptionist or scheduler can pick up when the team is busy or closed, take a message, send a text or email, or transfer the call. They draw on prepaid AI minutes ($0.25/minute), disclose that they are AI, and outbound AI calls require prior consent and are limited to 8am–9pm.

Frequently asked questions

How many passenger car rental agencies are in Texas?

846 in 2023, according to Census County Business Patterns.

Which Texas metro area has the most passenger car rental agencies?

Houston, TX, with 244 establishments in 2023.

What does a phone system cost a 2-person car rental agency?

$60.00 a month on RingCentral RingEX Core or $49.90 on Ooma Office Pro at month-to-month list prices (checked September 28, 2026); $99.00 on Callata ($99 a month with 5 users included, then $20 per additional user).

Do I need to register to text customers from a Texas number?

Yes. US carriers require business texting from local numbers to be registered (10DLC). On Callata the registration is a one-time $49 fee, and texting turns on once it is approved.