HUD Fair Market Rent · FY 2026 · effective Oct 1, 2025 to Sep 30, 2026
Fair Market Rent in Cameron County, Texas (FY 2026)
A two-bedroom in Cameron County carries a FY 2026 Fair Market Rent of $1,047 a month, effective October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026. Everything Section 8 pays in Cameron keys off that figure.
2 bedroom FMR
$1,047
FY 2026, utilities included
Payment standard range
$942 to $1,152
90% to 110% of FMR
Income to afford 2BR
$41,880
per year, at 30% of income
Rank in Texas
131st of 254
by 2BR FMR
HUD has already published FY 2027. On October 1, 2026 the two-bedroom rate in Cameron moves to $1,042. That's unchanged. The full FY 2027 table is in the history section below.
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.
FY 2026 Fair Market Rents
| Bedrooms | FMR | Payment standard | Income needed | Hourly wage | vs FY 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Studio | $773 | $696 to $850 | $30,920 | $14.87/hr | +16.1% |
| 1 bedroom | $866 | $779 to $953 | $34,640 | $16.65/hr | +14.4% |
| 2 bedroom | $1,047 | $942 to $1,152 | $41,880 | $20.13/hr | +10.4% |
| 3 bedroom | $1,414 | $1,273 to $1,555 | $56,560 | $27.19/hr | +11.9% |
| 4 bedroom | $1,479 | $1,331 to $1,627 | $59,160 | $28.44/hr | +12.9% |
5 to 8 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 | $1,701 | $1,531 to $1,871 |
| 6 bedroom Estimate | $1,923 | $1,731 to $2,115 |
| 7 bedroom Estimate | $2,145 | $1,931 to $2,360 |
| 8 bedroom Estimate | $2,366 | $2,129 to $2,603 |
Source: HUD Office of Policy Development and Research, FY 2026 Fair Market Rents. Rents include utilities. huduser.gov
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 2026 that's October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026. In Cameron, that runs from $773 for a studio up to $1,479 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 131st for two-bedroom FMR. That's within a couple percent of the state median of $1,054 and about 3% above the national median county at $1,018. About 421,854 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 $970 in 78578 (Port Isabel) and $1,550 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 | +0.3% |
| 78521 | Brownsville | $1,050 | +0.3% |
| 78522 | Brownsville | $1,050 | +0.3% |
| 78523 | Brownsville | $1,050 | +0.3% |
| 78526 | Brownsville | $1,240 | +18.4% |
| 78535 | Combes | $1,150 | +9.8% |
| 78550 | Harlingen | $1,070 | +2.2% |
| 78551 | Harlingen | $1,050 | +0.3% |
| 78552 | Harlingen | $1,190 | +13.7% |
| 78553 | Harlingen | $1,050 | +0.3% |
| 78559 | La Feria | $1,150 | +9.8% |
| 78566 | Los Fresnos | $1,000 | -4.5% |
| 78567 | Los Indios | $990 | -5.4% |
| 78568 | Lozano | $1,047County rate | — |
| 78575 | Olmito | $1,250 | +19.4% |
| 78578 | Port Isabel | $970 | -7.4% |
| 78583 | Rio Hondo | $1,050 | +0.3% |
| 78586 | San Benito | $990 | -5.4% |
| 78592 | Santa Maria | $1,070 | +2.2% |
| 78593 | Santa Rosa | $990 | -5.4% |
| 78597 | South Padre Island | $1,550 | +48.0% |
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 $942 and $1,152. 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.
$1,047 a month is affordable, by HUD's 30% rule, on an income of roughly $41,880 a year. Put another way, $20 an hour full time.
Worked example for a two-bedroom, assuming the rent equals the payment standard. Tenant pays 30% of monthly income, HUD's housing assistance payment covers the rest.
| Monthly household income | Tenant pays (30%) | HAP at 90% ($942) | HAP at 100% ($1,047) | HAP at 110% ($1,152) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $2,500 | $750 | $192 | $297 | $402 |
| $4,000 | $1,200 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
Rate history
The two-bedroom rate went up 10% from FY 2025 ($948) to FY 2026 ($1,047). Since FY 2020 it's up 38% in total, about 5.5% a year. The Texas median moved up 7% over the same year.
| 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 2027 | $827 | $884 | $1,042 | $1,393 | $1,496 | -0.5% |
Nearby counties
Questions people ask
$1,047 a month for FY 2026, which runs October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026. The other rates are $773 for a studio, $866 for one bedroom, $1,414 for three and $1,479 for four.
Tools for this county
Fair Market Rent lookup
Look up any ZIP code's Small Area FMR by bedroom count.
Section 8 rent calculator
Work out the 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
See what 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. 3 free searches, no card.
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