HUD Fair Market Rent · FY 2026 · effective Oct 1, 2025 to Sep 30, 2026
Fair Market Rent in Clay County, Texas (FY 2026)
$1,136 a month. That's HUD's FY 2026 Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom in Clay County, and it's the baseline every voucher in Clay is measured against.
2 bedroom FMR
$1,136
FY 2026, utilities included
Payment standard range
$1,022 to $1,250
90% to 110% of FMR
Income to afford 2BR
$45,440
per year, at 30% of income
Rank in Texas
84th of 254
by 2BR FMR
HUD has already published FY 2027. On October 1, 2026 the two-bedroom rate in Clay moves to $1,145. That's up 1%. The full FY 2027 table is in the history section below.
HUD's number is one input. What does a two-bedroom in Clay actually rent for?
Search any address in Clay 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 | $831 | $748 to $914 | $33,240 | $15.98/hr | +1.0% |
| 1 bedroom | $925 | $833 to $1,018 | $37,000 | $17.79/hr | +3.2% |
| 2 bedroom | $1,136 | $1,022 to $1,250 | $45,440 | $21.85/hr | +3.1% |
| 3 bedroom | $1,553 | $1,398 to $1,708 | $62,120 | $29.87/hr | +3.1% |
| 4 bedroom | $1,759 | $1,583 to $1,935 | $70,360 | $33.83/hr | +2.9% |
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 | $2,023 | $1,821 to $2,225 |
| 6 bedroom Estimate | $2,287 | $2,058 to $2,516 |
| 7 bedroom Estimate | $2,551 | $2,296 to $2,806 |
| 8 bedroom Estimate | $2,814 | $2,533 to $3,095 |
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 Clay, that runs from $831 for a studio up to $1,759 for four bedrooms, all five rates in the table above.
This is a metro rate. The county doesn't get one of its own. HUD lumps Clay in with 2 other counties in the Wichita Falls metro, Wichita County, Archer County among them, and every one of them gets $1,136 for a two-bedroom. Where you are inside the metro doesn't change the county number. It does change the ZIP number, covered below.
Among Texas's 254 counties, Clay ranks 84th for two-bedroom FMR. That's about 8% above the state median of $1,054 and about 12% above the national median county at $1,018. About 10,290 people live here, 161st in the state.
Counties sharing the Wichita Falls metro rate
Rates by ZIP code
Zoom in and the picture changes. HUD's Small Area FMRs put a two-bedroom at $1,000 in 76352 (Bluegrove) and $1,200 in 76228 (Bellevue), with the 5 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.
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 Clay somewhere between $1,022 and $1,250. 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.
$1,136 a month is affordable, by HUD's 30% rule, on an income of roughly $45,440 a year. Put another way, $22 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% ($1,022) | HAP at 100% ($1,136) | HAP at 110% ($1,250) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $2,500 | $750 | $272 | $386 | $500 |
| $4,000 | $1,200 | $0 | $0 | $50 |
Rate history
The two-bedroom rate went up 3% from FY 2025 ($1,102) to FY 2026 ($1,136). Since FY 2020 it's up 45% in total, about 6.4% 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 | $525 | $605 | $784 | $1,079 | $1,308 | — |
| FY 2021 | $585 | $656 | $832 | $1,136 | $1,346 | +6.1% |
| FY 2022 | $641 | $707 | $878 | $1,197 | $1,362 | +5.5% |
| FY 2023 | $712 | $771 | $943 | $1,274 | $1,459 | +7.4% |
| FY 2024 | $800 | $843 | $1,037 | $1,418 | $1,611 | +10.0% |
| FY 2025 | $823 | $896 | $1,102 | $1,506 | $1,709 | +6.3% |
| FY 2026 | $831 | $925 | $1,136 | $1,553 | $1,759 | +3.1% |
| FY 2027 | $839 | $949 | $1,145 | $1,542 | $1,740 | +0.8% |
Nearby counties
Questions people ask
$1,136 a month for FY 2026, which runs October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026. The other rates are $831 for a studio, $925 for one bedroom, $1,553 for three and $1,759 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 Clay actually go for?
HUD's number is one input. Search any address in Clay for a rent estimate built from nearby comps. 3 free searches, no card.
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