HUD Fair Market Rent · FY 2027 · Effective Oct 1, 2026 to Sep 30, 2027
Fair Market Rent in Cameron County, Texas (FY 2027)
A two-bedroom in Cameron County carries a FY 2027 Fair Market Rent of $1,042 a month, effective October 1, 2026 through September 30, 2027. Everything Section 8 pays in Cameron keys off that figure.
Two-bedroom FMR
$1,042
-0.5% from FY 2026
Payment standard
$938–$1,146
90% to 110% of the FMR, two-bedroom
Income to afford
$41,680
a year, with rent at 30% of income
Rank in Texas
183rd of 254
by two-bedroom FMR, highest first
FY 2027 Fair Market Rents
Payment standard is the 90% to 110% band a housing authority can set. Income needed puts rent at 30% of gross income, and the hourly wage assumes a 40-hour week.
| Bedrooms | FMR | Payment standard | Income needed | Hourly wage | vs FY 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Studio | $827 | $744–$910 | $33,080 | $15.90/hr | +7.0% |
| 1 bedroom | $884 | $796–$972 | $35,360 | $17.00/hr | +2.1% |
| 2 bedroom | $1,042 | $938–$1,146 | $41,680 | $20.04/hr | -0.5% |
| 3 bedroom | $1,393 | $1,254–$1,532 | $55,720 | $26.79/hr | -1.5% |
| 4 bedroom | $1,496 | $1,346–$1,646 | $59,840 | $28.77/hr | +1.1% |
Five to eight bedrooms (PropMetrics estimates)
HUD stops at four bedrooms. These add 15% of the four-bedroom rent per extra bedroom. It's our estimate, not a HUD number.
| Bedrooms | Estimated FMR | Payment standard |
|---|---|---|
| 5 bedroom Estimate | $1,720 | $1,548–$1,892 |
| 6 bedroom Estimate | $1,945 | $1,751–$2,140 |
| 7 bedroom Estimate | $2,169 | $1,952–$2,386 |
| 8 bedroom Estimate | $2,394 | $2,155–$2,633 |
Source: HUD Office of Policy Development and Research, FY 2027 Fair Market Rents. Rents include utilities. huduser.gov
Market check
HUD's number is one input. What does a two-bedroom in Cameron actually rent for?
Search any address in Cameron for a rent estimate built from nearby comps, with the HUD figure right next to it.
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What a voucher pays here
The voucher doesn't pay the FMR itself. It pays the payment standard. Housing authorities set it anywhere from 90% to 110% of FMR, which puts a two-bedroom standard in Cameron somewhere between $938 and $1,146. The tenant pays roughly 30% of their income, the voucher covers the rest up to the standard, and the PHA won't approve a rent above what comparable unassisted units get.
$1,042 a month is affordable, by HUD's 30% rule, on an income of roughly $41,680 a year. Put another way, $20 an hour full time.
Worked example for a two-bedroom renting at the payment standard. The tenant pays 30% of monthly income and the voucher covers the rest.
| Monthly household income | Tenant pays (30%) | Voucher pays at 90%$938 | Voucher pays at 100%$1,042 | Voucher pays at 110%$1,146 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $2,500 | $750 | $188 | $292 | $396 |
| $4,000 | $1,200 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
Rate history
The two-bedroom rate went down 0% from FY 2026 ($1,047) to FY 2027 ($1,042). Since FY 2020 it's up 37% in total, about 4.6% a year. The Texas median moved up 5% over the same year.
| Fiscal year | Studio | 1 BR | 2 BR | 3 BR | 4 BR | 2BR change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY 2020 | $592 | $596 | $760 | $1,011 | $1,163 | — |
| FY 2021 | $586 | $590 | $753 | $989 | $1,138 | -0.9% |
| FY 2022 | $598 | $631 | $803 | $1,043 | $1,206 | +6.6% |
| FY 2023 | $632 | $702 | $893 | $1,156 | $1,304 | +11.2% |
| FY 2024 | $660 | $761 | $965 | $1,270 | $1,374 | +8.1% |
| FY 2025 | $666 | $757 | $948 | $1,264 | $1,310 | -1.8% |
| FY 2026 | $773 | $866 | $1,047 | $1,414 | $1,479 | +10.4% |
| FY 2027In effect | $827 | $884 | $1,042 | $1,393 | $1,496 | -0.5% |
About this rate
Fair Market Rent is HUD's estimate of what a modest, decent unit rents for in an area, utilities included. It's set once a year and runs October to September. For FY 2027 that's October 1, 2026 through September 30, 2027. In Cameron, that runs from $827 for a studio up to $1,496 for four bedrooms, all five rates in the table above.
Cameron is its own HUD metro area (Brownsville-Harlingen, TX), so the rate here is set from rents inside the county rather than a wider region.
Among Texas's 254 counties, Cameron ranks 183rd for two-bedroom FMR. That's about 6% below the state median of $1,105 and within a couple percent of the national median county at $1,063. About 426,120 people live here, 13th in the state.
Rates by ZIP code
Zoom in and the picture changes. HUD's Small Area FMRs put a two-bedroom at $1,010 in 78566 (Los Fresnos) and $1,490 in 78597 (South Padre Island), with the 20 ZIP codes in between. Housing authorities in HUD-designated metros use those ZIP rates instead of the county rate. Everywhere else the ZIP numbers show where rents actually sit, and the county rate stays the official standard.
| ZIP | City | 2BR rate | vs county |
|---|---|---|---|
| 78520 | Brownsville | $1,050 | +0.8% |
| 78521 | Brownsville | $1,050 | +0.8% |
| 78522 | Brownsville | $1,040 | -0.2% |
| 78523 | Brownsville | $1,040 | -0.2% |
| 78526 | Brownsville | $1,230 | +18.0% |
| 78535 | Combes | $1,170 | +12.3% |
| 78550 | Harlingen | $1,060 | +1.7% |
| 78551 | Harlingen | $1,040 | -0.2% |
| 78552 | Harlingen | $1,220 | +17.1% |
| 78553 | Harlingen | $1,040 | -0.2% |
| 78559 | La Feria | $1,140 | +9.4% |
| 78566 | Los Fresnos | $1,010 | -3.1% |
| 78567 | Los Indios | $1,010 | -3.1% |
| 78568 | Lozano | $1,042County rate | — |
| 78575 | Olmito | $1,220 | +17.1% |
| 78578 | Port Isabel | $1,010 | -3.1% |
| 78583 | Rio Hondo | $1,010 | -3.1% |
| 78586 | San Benito | $1,010 | -3.1% |
| 78592 | Santa Maria | $1,080 | +3.6% |
| 78593 | Santa Rosa | $1,020 | -2.1% |
| 78597 | South Padre Island | $1,490 | +43.0% |
Nearby counties
Two-bedroom FMR, with how each compares to Cameron.
Willacy County
27 mi · 20,139 people
$1,014
-3%
Hidalgo County
38 mi · 891,977 people
$1,017
-2%
Kenedy County
63 mi · 145 people
$1,102
+6%
Brooks County
75 mi · 6,943 people
$1,014
-3%
Starr County
76 mi · 66,067 people
$1,014
-3%
Kleberg County
91 mi · 30,579 people
$1,314
+26%
Jim Hogg County
100 mi · 4,727 people
$1,045
same rate
Nueces County
114 mi · 352,955 people
$1,421
+36%
Questions people ask
$1,042 a month for FY 2027, which runs October 1, 2026 through September 30, 2027. The other rates are $827 for a studio, $884 for one bedroom, $1,393 for three and $1,496 for four.
Tools for this county
Fair Market Rent lookup
Any ZIP code's Small Area FMR by bedroom count
Section 8 rent calculator
Payment standard and tenant share for a specific rent
What is Fair Market Rent?
How HUD calculates FMR and what it means for landlords
Rent affordability calculator
The income a household needs for a given rent
What does a rental in Cameron actually go for?
HUD's number is one input. Search any address in Cameron for a rent estimate built from nearby comps. Free to start, no card.
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