HUD Fair Market Rent · FY 2026 · effective Oct 1, 2025 to Sep 30, 2026
Fair Market Rent in Galveston County, Texas (FY 2026)
$1,573 a month. That's HUD's FY 2026 Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom in Galveston County, and it's the baseline every voucher in Galveston is measured against.
2 bedroom FMR
$1,573
FY 2026, utilities included
Payment standard range
$1,416 to $1,730
90% to 110% of FMR
Income to afford 2BR
$62,920
per year, at 30% of income
Rank in Texas
22nd of 254
by 2BR FMR
HUD has already published FY 2027. On October 1, 2026 the two-bedroom rate in Galveston moves to $1,497. That's down 5%. The full FY 2027 table is in the history section below.
HUD's number is one input. What does a two-bedroom in Galveston actually rent for?
Search any address in Galveston 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 | $1,280 | $1,152 to $1,408 | $51,200 | $24.62/hr | +4.4% |
| 1 bedroom | $1,323 | $1,191 to $1,455 | $52,920 | $25.44/hr | +3.4% |
| 2 bedroom | $1,573 | $1,416 to $1,730 | $62,920 | $30.25/hr | +2.9% |
| 3 bedroom | $2,116 | $1,904 to $2,328 | $84,640 | $40.69/hr | +3.8% |
| 4 bedroom | $2,639 | $2,375 to $2,903 | $105,560 | $50.75/hr | +2.8% |
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 | $3,035 | $2,732 to $3,339 |
| 6 bedroom Estimate | $3,431 | $3,088 to $3,774 |
| 7 bedroom Estimate | $3,827 | $3,444 to $4,210 |
| 8 bedroom Estimate | $4,222 | $3,800 to $4,644 |
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 Galveston, that runs from $1,280 for a studio up to $2,639 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 Galveston in with 6 other counties in the Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land metro, Harris County, Fort Bend County, Montgomery County among them, and every one of them gets $1,573 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, Galveston ranks 22nd for two-bedroom FMR. That's about 49% above the state median of $1,054 and about 55% above the national median county at $1,018. About 350,801 people live here, 17th in the state.
Counties sharing the Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land metro rate
Rates by ZIP code
Zoom in and the picture changes. HUD's Small Area FMRs put a two-bedroom at $1,140 in 77623 (High Island) and $1,980 in 77546 (Friendswood), with the 23 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 77510 | Santa Fe | $1,200 | -23.7% |
| 77517 | Santa Fe | $1,150 | -26.9% |
| 77518 | Bacliff | $1,400 | -11.0% |
| 77539 | Dickinson | $1,600 | +1.7% |
| 77546 | Friendswood | $1,980 | +25.9% |
| 77549 | Friendswood | $1,560 | -0.8% |
| 77550 | Galveston | $1,380 | -12.3% |
| 77551 | Galveston | $1,590 | +1.1% |
| 77552 | Galveston | $1,560 | -0.8% |
| 77553 | Galveston | $1,560 | -0.8% |
| 77554 | Galveston | $1,650 | +4.9% |
| 77555 | Galveston | $1,380 | -12.3% |
| 77563 | Hitchcock | $1,500 | -4.6% |
| 77565 | Kemah | $1,910 | +21.4% |
| 77568 | La Marque | $1,420 | -9.7% |
| 77573 | League City | $1,910 | +21.4% |
| 77574 | League City | $1,560 | -0.8% |
| 77590 | Texas City | $1,370 | -12.9% |
| 77591 | Texas City | $1,410 | -10.4% |
| 77592 | Texas City | $1,560 | -0.8% |
| 77617 | Gilchrist | $1,560 | -0.8% |
| 77623 | High Island | $1,140 | -27.5% |
| 77650 | Port Bolivar | $1,560 | -0.8% |
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 Galveston somewhere between $1,416 and $1,730. 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.
$1,573 a month is affordable, by HUD's 30% rule, on an income of roughly $62,920 a year. Put another way, $30 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% ($1,416) | HAP at 100% ($1,573) | HAP at 110% ($1,730) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $2,500 | $750 | $666 | $823 | $980 |
| $4,000 | $1,200 | $216 | $373 | $530 |
Rate history
The two-bedroom rate went up 3% from FY 2025 ($1,529) to FY 2026 ($1,573). Since FY 2020 it's up 44% in total, about 6.2% 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 | $826 | $908 | $1,096 | $1,485 | $1,878 | — |
| FY 2021 | $908 | $983 | $1,176 | $1,576 | $2,010 | +7.3% |
| FY 2022 | $944 | $1,014 | $1,208 | $1,603 | $2,058 | +2.7% |
| FY 2023 | $1,030 | $1,095 | $1,307 | $1,722 | $2,226 | +8.2% |
| FY 2024 | $1,073 | $1,135 | $1,357 | $1,792 | $2,303 | +3.8% |
| FY 2025 | $1,226 | $1,279 | $1,529 | $2,038 | $2,568 | +12.7% |
| FY 2026 | $1,280 | $1,323 | $1,573 | $2,116 | $2,639 | +2.9% |
| FY 2027 | $1,233 | $1,261 | $1,497 | $2,017 | $2,502 | -4.8% |
Nearby counties
Chambers County
$1,57333 mi · pop 47,037
Brazoria County
$1,35934 mi · pop 374,600
Harris County
$1,57340 mi · pop 4,726,177
Fort Bend County
$1,57349 mi · pop 832,607
Liberty County
$1,57355 mi · pop 93,523
Jefferson County
$1,10364 mi · pop 254,942
Montgomery County
$1,57368 mi · pop 629,989
Hardin County
$1,10370 mi · pop 56,576
Questions people ask
$1,573 a month for FY 2026, which runs October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026. The other rates are $1,280 for a studio, $1,323 for one bedroom, $2,116 for three and $2,639 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 Galveston actually go for?
HUD's number is one input. Search any address in Galveston for a rent estimate built from nearby comps. 3 free searches, no card.
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