HUD Fair Market Rent · FY 2027 · Effective Oct 1, 2026 to Sep 30, 2027
Fair Market Rent in Harris County, Texas (FY 2027)
HUD's FY 2027 Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom in Harris County is $1,497 a month. That's the number the housing authority starts from when it sets Section 8 payment standards here.
Two-bedroom FMR
$1,497
-4.8% from FY 2026
Payment standard
$1,347–$1,647
90% to 110% of the FMR, two-bedroom
Income to afford
$59,880
a year, with rent at 30% of income
Rank in Texas
24th of 254
by two-bedroom FMR, highest first
FY 2027 Fair Market Rents
Payment standard is the 90% to 110% band a housing authority can set. Income needed puts rent at 30% of gross income, and the hourly wage assumes a 40-hour week.
| Bedrooms | FMR | Payment standard | Income needed | Hourly wage | vs FY 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Studio | $1,233 | $1,110–$1,356 | $49,320 | $23.71/hr | -3.7% |
| 1 bedroom | $1,261 | $1,135–$1,387 | $50,440 | $24.25/hr | -4.7% |
| 2 bedroom | $1,497 | $1,347–$1,647 | $59,880 | $28.79/hr | -4.8% |
| 3 bedroom | $2,017 | $1,815–$2,219 | $80,680 | $38.79/hr | -4.7% |
| 4 bedroom | $2,502 | $2,252–$2,752 | $100,080 | $48.12/hr | -5.2% |
Five to eight 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 | $2,877 | $2,589–$3,165 |
| 6 bedroom Estimate | $3,253 | $2,928–$3,578 |
| 7 bedroom Estimate | $3,628 | $3,265–$3,991 |
| 8 bedroom Estimate | $4,003 | $3,603–$4,403 |
Source: HUD Office of Policy Development and Research, FY 2027 Fair Market Rents. Rents include utilities. huduser.gov
Market check
Two-bedrooms in Houston are asking $1,803. HUD says $1,497.
That's 20% above the county FMR. Median asking rent across 22 Houston ZIP codes with active 2BR listings. FMR includes utilities and asking rents usually don't, so the true gap is a little smaller.
No card needed
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 Harris somewhere between $1,347 and $1,647. 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.
$1,497 a month is affordable, by HUD's 30% rule, on an income of roughly $59,880 a year. Put another way, $29 an hour full time.
Worked example for a two-bedroom renting at the payment standard. The tenant pays 30% of monthly income and the voucher covers the rest.
| Monthly household income | Tenant pays (30%) | Voucher pays at 90%$1,347 | Voucher pays at 100%$1,497 | Voucher pays at 110%$1,647 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $2,500 | $750 | $597 | $747 | $897 |
| $4,000 | $1,200 | $147 | $297 | $447 |
Rate history
The two-bedroom rate went down 5% from FY 2026 ($1,573) to FY 2027 ($1,497). Since FY 2020 it's up 37% in total, about 4.6% a year. The Texas median moved up 5% over the same year.
| Fiscal 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 2027In effect | $1,233 | $1,261 | $1,497 | $2,017 | $2,502 | -4.8% |
About this rate
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 2027 that's October 1, 2026 through September 30, 2027. In Harris, that runs from $1,233 for a studio up to $2,502 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 Harris in with 6 other counties in the Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land metro, Fort Bend County, Montgomery County, Galveston County among them, and every one of them gets $1,497 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, Harris ranks 24th for two-bedroom FMR. That's about 35% above the state median of $1,105 and about 41% above the national median county at $1,063. About 4,838,303 people live here, 1st in the state.
Rates by ZIP code
Zoom in and the picture changes. HUD's Small Area FMRs put a two-bedroom at $1,020 in 77012 (Houston) and $2,250 in 77002 (Houston), with the 221 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 77001 | Houston | $1,470 | -1.8% |
| 77002 | Houston | $2,250 | +50.3% |
| 77003 | Houston | $1,760 | +17.6% |
| 77004 | Houston | $1,480 | -1.1% |
| 77005 | Houston | $2,230 | +49.0% |
| 77006 | Houston | $2,250 | +50.3% |
| 77007 | Houston | $2,250 | +50.3% |
| 77008 | Houston | $1,810 | +20.9% |
| 77009 | Houston | $1,340 | -10.5% |
| 77010 | Houston | $2,250 | +50.3% |
| 77011 | Houston | $1,130 | -24.5% |
| 77012 | Houston | $1,020 | -31.9% |
| 77013 | Houston | $1,230 | -17.8% |
| 77014 | Houston | $1,320 | -11.8% |
| 77015 | Houston | $1,330 | -11.2% |
| 77016 | Houston | $1,270 | -15.2% |
| 77017 | Houston | $1,160 | -22.5% |
| 77018 | Houston | $1,420 | -5.1% |
| 77019 | Houston | $2,250 | +50.3% |
| 77020 | Houston | $1,050 | -29.9% |
| 77021 | Houston | $1,350 | -9.8% |
| 77022 | Houston | $1,180 | -21.2% |
| 77023 | Houston | $1,170 | -21.8% |
| 77024 | Houston | $2,050 | +36.9% |
| 77025 | Houston | $1,690 | +12.9% |
| 77026 | Houston | $1,020 | -31.9% |
| 77027 | Houston | $2,230 | +49.0% |
| 77028 | Houston | $1,260 | -15.8% |
| 77029 | Houston | $1,240 | -17.2% |
| 77030 | Houston | $2,040 | +36.3% |
| 77031 | Houston | $1,160 | -22.5% |
| 77032 | Houston | $1,320 | -11.8% |
| 77033 | Houston | $1,380 | -7.8% |
| 77034 | Houston | $1,290 | -13.8% |
| 77035 | Houston | $1,220 | -18.5% |
| 77036 | Houston | $1,310 | -12.5% |
| 77037 | Houston | $1,140 | -23.8% |
| 77038 | Houston | $1,380 | -7.8% |
| 77039 | Houston | $1,300 | -13.2% |
| 77040 | Houston | $1,440 | -3.8% |
Counties sharing the Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land metro rate
HUD sets one rate for the whole metro, so every county here carries the same $1,497 two-bedroom figure as Harris.
Nearby counties
Two-bedroom FMR, with how each compares to Harris.
Fort Bend County
26 mi · 893,767 people
$1,497
same rate
Montgomery County
31 mi · 684,432 people
$1,497
same rate
Waller County
37 mi · 61,552 people
$1,497
same rate
Brazoria County
40 mi · 391,255 people
$1,319
-12%
Galveston County
40 mi · 358,990 people
$1,497
same rate
Liberty County
46 mi · 103,380 people
$1,497
same rate
Chambers County
47 mi · 51,498 people
$1,497
same rate
Austin County
54 mi · 31,170 people
$1,069
-29%
Questions people ask
$1,497 a month for FY 2027, which runs October 1, 2026 through September 30, 2027. The other rates are $1,233 for a studio, $1,261 for one bedroom, $2,017 for three and $2,502 for four.
Tools for this county
Fair Market Rent lookup
Any ZIP code's Small Area FMR by bedroom count
Section 8 rent calculator
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
The income a household needs for a given rent
What does a rental in Harris actually go for?
HUD's number is one input. Search any address in Harris for a rent estimate built from nearby comps. Free to start, no card.
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