HUD Fair Market Rent · FY 2026 · effective Oct 1, 2025 to Sep 30, 2026
Fair Market Rent in Cooke County, Texas (FY 2026)
A two-bedroom in Cooke County carries a FY 2026 Fair Market Rent of $1,261 a month, effective October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026. Everything Section 8 pays in Cooke keys off that figure.
2 bedroom FMR
$1,261
FY 2026, utilities included
Payment standard range
$1,135 to $1,387
90% to 110% of FMR
Income to afford 2BR
$50,440
per year, at 30% of income
Rank in Texas
50th of 254
by 2BR FMR
HUD has already published FY 2027. On October 1, 2026 the two-bedroom rate in Cooke moves to $1,314. That's up 4%. The full FY 2027 table is in the history section below.
HUD's number is one input. What does a two-bedroom in Cooke actually rent for?
Search any address in Cooke 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 | $955 | $860 to $1,051 | $38,200 | $18.37/hr | +7.4% |
| 1 bedroom | $961 | $865 to $1,057 | $38,440 | $18.48/hr | +7.4% |
| 2 bedroom | $1,261 | $1,135 to $1,387 | $50,440 | $24.25/hr | +7.4% |
| 3 bedroom | $1,552 | $1,397 to $1,707 | $62,080 | $29.85/hr | +7.3% |
| 4 bedroom | $1,719 | $1,547 to $1,891 | $68,760 | $33.06/hr | -1.9% |
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 | $1,977 | $1,779 to $2,175 |
| 6 bedroom Estimate | $2,235 | $2,012 to $2,459 |
| 7 bedroom Estimate | $2,493 | $2,244 to $2,742 |
| 8 bedroom Estimate | $2,750 | $2,475 to $3,025 |
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 Cooke, that runs from $955 for a studio up to $1,719 for four bedrooms, all five rates in the table above.
Because Cooke sits outside any HUD metro area, its rate is a county-wide figure built from local rents. One number covers every address in the county, Gainesville included.
Among Texas's 254 counties, Cooke ranks 50th for two-bedroom FMR. That's about 20% above the state median of $1,054 and about 24% above the national median county at $1,018. About 41,860 people live here, 78th in the state.
Rates by ZIP code
Zoom in and the picture changes. HUD's Small Area FMRs put a two-bedroom at $1,110 in 76263 (Rosston) and $1,320 in 76250 (Lindsay), with the 8 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 Cooke somewhere between $1,135 and $1,387. 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.
$1,261 a month is affordable, by HUD's 30% rule, on an income of roughly $50,440 a year. Put another way, $24 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% ($1,135) | HAP at 100% ($1,261) | HAP at 110% ($1,387) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $2,500 | $750 | $385 | $511 | $637 |
| $4,000 | $1,200 | $0 | $61 | $187 |
Rate history
The two-bedroom rate went up 7% from FY 2025 ($1,174) to FY 2026 ($1,261). Since FY 2020 it's up 52% in total, about 7.3% 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 | $613 | $681 | $827 | $1,116 | $1,120 | — |
| FY 2021 | $616 | $697 | $840 | $1,135 | $1,139 | +1.6% |
| FY 2022 | $690 | $766 | $933 | $1,261 | $1,265 | +11.1% |
| FY 2023 | $794 | $799 | $1,013 | $1,356 | $1,506 | +8.6% |
| FY 2024 | $901 | $907 | $1,192 | $1,523 | $1,877 | +17.7% |
| FY 2025 | $889 | $895 | $1,174 | $1,447 | $1,753 | -1.5% |
| FY 2026 | $955 | $961 | $1,261 | $1,552 | $1,719 | +7.4% |
| FY 2027 | $998 | $1,004 | $1,314 | $1,623 | $1,727 | +4.2% |
Nearby counties
Montague County
$1,05527 mi · pop 20,197
Denton County
$1,93131 mi · pop 914,870
Wise County
$1,20532 mi · pop 70,062
Grayson County
$1,35135 mi · pop 137,008
Collin County
$1,93147 mi · pop 1,079,153
Tarrant County
$1,72356 mi · pop 2,113,854
Clay County
$1,13657 mi · pop 10,290
Dallas County
$1,93161 mi · pop 2,604,053
Questions people ask
$1,261 a month for FY 2026, which runs October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026. The other rates are $955 for a studio, $961 for one bedroom, $1,552 for three and $1,719 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 Cooke actually go for?
HUD's number is one input. Search any address in Cooke for a rent estimate built from nearby comps. 3 free searches, no card.
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