HUD Fair Market Rent · FY 2026 · effective Oct 1, 2025 to Sep 30, 2026
Fair Market Rent in El Paso County, Texas (FY 2026)
HUD's FY 2026 Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom in El Paso County is $1,191 a month. That's the number the housing authority starts from when it sets Section 8 payment standards here.
2 bedroom FMR
$1,191
FY 2026, utilities included
Payment standard range
$1,072 to $1,310
90% to 110% of FMR
Income to afford 2BR
$47,640
per year, at 30% of income
Rank in Texas
63rd of 254
by 2BR FMR
HUD has already published FY 2027. On October 1, 2026 the two-bedroom rate in El Paso moves to $1,146. That's down 4%. The full FY 2027 table is in the history section below.
HUD's number is one input. What does a two-bedroom in El Paso actually rent for?
Search any address in El Paso 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 | $821 | $739 to $903 | $32,840 | $15.79/hr | 0.0% |
| 1 bedroom | $1,013 | $912 to $1,114 | $40,520 | $19.48/hr | -0.7% |
| 2 bedroom | $1,191 | $1,072 to $1,310 | $47,640 | $22.90/hr | -0.1% |
| 3 bedroom | $1,633 | $1,470 to $1,796 | $65,320 | $31.40/hr | -0.9% |
| 4 bedroom | $1,998 | $1,798 to $2,198 | $79,920 | $38.42/hr | -0.2% |
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 | $2,298 | $2,068 to $2,528 |
| 6 bedroom Estimate | $2,597 | $2,337 to $2,857 |
| 7 bedroom Estimate | $2,897 | $2,607 to $3,187 |
| 8 bedroom Estimate | $3,197 | $2,877 to $3,517 |
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 El Paso, that runs from $821 for a studio up to $1,998 for four bedrooms, all five rates in the table above.
El Paso is its own HUD metro area (El Paso, TX), so the rate here is set from rents inside the county rather than a wider region.
Among Texas's 254 counties, El Paso ranks 63rd for two-bedroom FMR. That's about 13% above the state median of $1,054 and about 17% above the national median county at $1,018. About 863,832 people live here, 9th in the state.
Rates by ZIP code
Zoom in and the picture changes. HUD's Small Area FMRs put a two-bedroom at $1,080 in 79836 (Clint) and $1,790 in 79908 (El Paso), with the 60 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 79821 | Anthony | $1,170 | -1.8% |
| 79835 | Canutillo | $1,100 | -7.6% |
| 79836 | Clint | $1,080 | -9.3% |
| 79838 | Fabens | $1,080 | -9.3% |
| 79849 | San Elizario | $1,080 | -9.3% |
| 79853 | Tornillo | $1,120 | -6.0% |
| 79901 | El Paso | $1,080 | -9.3% |
| 79902 | El Paso | $1,080 | -9.3% |
| 79903 | El Paso | $1,080 | -9.3% |
| 79904 | El Paso | $1,080 | -9.3% |
| 79905 | El Paso | $1,080 | -9.3% |
| 79906 | El Paso | $1,700 | +42.7% |
| 79907 | El Paso | $1,080 | -9.3% |
| 79908 | El Paso | $1,790 | +50.3% |
| 79910 | El Paso | $1,190 | -0.1% |
| 79911 | El Paso | $1,670 | +40.2% |
| 79912 | El Paso | $1,430 | +20.1% |
| 79913 | El Paso | $1,190 | -0.1% |
| 79914 | El Paso | $1,190 | -0.1% |
| 79915 | El Paso | $1,080 | -9.3% |
| 79916 | Fort Bliss | $1,480 | +24.3% |
| 79917 | El Paso | $1,190 | -0.1% |
| 79918 | Fort Bliss | $1,730 | +45.3% |
| 79920 | El Paso | $1,080 | -9.3% |
| 79922 | El Paso | $1,550 | +30.1% |
| 79923 | El Paso | $1,190 | -0.1% |
| 79924 | El Paso | $1,230 | +3.3% |
| 79925 | El Paso | $1,160 | -2.6% |
| 79926 | El Paso | $1,190 | -0.1% |
| 79927 | El Paso | $1,160 | -2.6% |
| 79928 | El Paso | $1,270 | +6.6% |
| 79929 | El Paso | $1,190 | -0.1% |
| 79930 | El Paso | $1,080 | -9.3% |
| 79931 | El Paso | $1,190 | -0.1% |
| 79932 | El Paso | $1,210 | +1.6% |
| 79934 | El Paso | $1,560 | +31.0% |
| 79935 | El Paso | $1,240 | +4.1% |
| 79936 | El Paso | $1,420 | +19.2% |
| 79937 | El Paso | $1,190 | -0.1% |
| 79938 | El Paso | $1,540 | +29.3% |
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 El Paso somewhere between $1,072 and $1,310. 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.
$1,191 a month is affordable, by HUD's 30% rule, on an income of roughly $47,640 a year. Put another way, $23 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% ($1,072) | HAP at 100% ($1,191) | HAP at 110% ($1,310) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $2,500 | $750 | $322 | $441 | $560 |
| $4,000 | $1,200 | $0 | $0 | $110 |
Rate history
The two-bedroom rate went down 0% from FY 2025 ($1,192) to FY 2026 ($1,191). Since FY 2020 it's up 44% in total, about 6.3% 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 | $539 | $677 | $827 | $1,173 | $1,408 | — |
| FY 2021 | $548 | $687 | $831 | $1,174 | $1,415 | +0.5% |
| FY 2022 | $558 | $701 | $840 | $1,174 | $1,438 | +1.1% |
| FY 2023 | $672 | $824 | $977 | $1,361 | $1,664 | +16.3% |
| FY 2024 | $804 | $980 | $1,150 | $1,594 | $1,952 | +17.7% |
| FY 2025 | $821 | $1,020 | $1,192 | $1,647 | $2,002 | +3.7% |
| FY 2026 | $821 | $1,013 | $1,191 | $1,633 | $1,998 | -0.1% |
| FY 2027 | $798 | $969 | $1,146 | $1,559 | $1,915 | -3.8% |
Nearby counties
Hudspeth County
$97356 mi · pop 3,329
Culberson County
$1,015101 mi · pop 2,181
Jeff Davis County
$1,015147 mi · pop 1,992
Reeves County
$1,083156 mi · pop 14,022
Loving County
$1,015161 mi · pop 96
Presidio County
$1,015187 mi · pop 6,168
Winkler County
$978189 mi · pop 7,582
Ward County
$1,215194 mi · pop 11,347
Questions people ask
$1,191 a month for FY 2026, which runs October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026. The other rates are $821 for a studio, $1,013 for one bedroom, $1,633 for three and $1,998 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 El Paso actually go for?
HUD's number is one input. Search any address in El Paso for a rent estimate built from nearby comps. 3 free searches, no card.
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