HUD Fair Market Rent · FY 2026 · effective Oct 1, 2025 to Sep 30, 2026
Fair Market Rent in Hale County, Texas (FY 2026)
HUD's FY 2026 Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom in Hale County is $973 a month. That's the number the housing authority starts from when it sets Section 8 payment standards here.
2 bedroom FMR
$973
FY 2026, utilities included
Payment standard range
$876 to $1,070
90% to 110% of FMR
Income to afford 2BR
$38,920
per year, at 30% of income
Rank in Texas
210th of 254
by 2BR FMR
HUD has already published FY 2027. On October 1, 2026 the two-bedroom rate in Hale moves to $1,014. 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 Hale actually rent for?
Search any address in Hale 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 | $671 | $604 to $738 | $26,840 | $12.90/hr | +4.8% |
| 1 bedroom | $888 | $799 to $977 | $35,520 | $17.08/hr | +5.3% |
| 2 bedroom | $973 | $876 to $1,070 | $38,920 | $18.71/hr | +4.3% |
| 3 bedroom | $1,304 | $1,174 to $1,434 | $52,160 | $25.08/hr | +4.9% |
| 4 bedroom | $1,477 | $1,329 to $1,625 | $59,080 | $28.40/hr | +1.1% |
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 | $1,699 | $1,529 to $1,869 |
| 6 bedroom Estimate | $1,920 | $1,728 to $2,112 |
| 7 bedroom Estimate | $2,142 | $1,928 to $2,356 |
| 8 bedroom Estimate | $2,363 | $2,127 to $2,599 |
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 Hale, that runs from $671 for a studio up to $1,477 for four bedrooms, all five rates in the table above.
Because Hale 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, Plainview included.
Among Texas's 254 counties, Hale ranks 210th for two-bedroom FMR. That's about 8% below the state median of $1,054 and about 4% below the national median county at $1,018. About 32,525 people live here, 90th 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 79021 (Cotton Center) and $1,080 in 79250 (Petersburg), with the 7 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 Hale somewhere between $876 and $1,070. 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.
$973 a month is affordable, by HUD's 30% rule, on an income of roughly $38,920 a year. Put another way, $19 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% ($876) | HAP at 100% ($973) | HAP at 110% ($1,070) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $2,500 | $750 | $126 | $223 | $320 |
| $4,000 | $1,200 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
Rate history
The two-bedroom rate went up 4% from FY 2025 ($933) to FY 2026 ($973). Since FY 2020 it's up 36% in total, about 5.3% 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 | $529 | $619 | $714 | $1,025 | $1,200 | — |
| FY 2021 | $538 | $644 | $734 | $1,050 | $1,245 | +2.8% |
| FY 2022 | $560 | $660 | $757 | $1,075 | $1,296 | +3.1% |
| FY 2023 | $623 | $721 | $826 | $1,160 | $1,407 | +9.1% |
| FY 2024 | $613 | $806 | $905 | $1,222 | $1,499 | +9.6% |
| FY 2025 | $640 | $843 | $933 | $1,243 | $1,461 | +3.1% |
| FY 2026 | $671 | $888 | $973 | $1,304 | $1,477 | +4.3% |
| FY 2027 | $706 | $931 | $1,014 | $1,404 | $1,553 | +4.2% |
Nearby counties
Questions people ask
$973 a month for FY 2026, which runs October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026. The other rates are $671 for a studio, $888 for one bedroom, $1,304 for three and $1,477 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 Hale actually go for?
HUD's number is one input. Search any address in Hale for a rent estimate built from nearby comps. 3 free searches, no card.
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