HUD Fair Market Rent · FY 2026 · effective Oct 1, 2025 to Sep 30, 2026
Fair Market Rent in Hays County, Texas (FY 2026)
$1,852 a month. That's HUD's FY 2026 Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom in Hays County, and it's the baseline every voucher in Hays is measured against.
2 bedroom FMR
$1,852
FY 2026, utilities included
Payment standard range
$1,667 to $2,037
90% to 110% of FMR
Income to afford 2BR
$74,080
per year, at 30% of income
Rank in Texas
10th of 254
by 2BR FMR
HUD has already published FY 2027. On October 1, 2026 the two-bedroom rate in Hays moves to $1,817. That's down 2%. The full FY 2027 table is in the history section below.
HUD's number is one input. What does a two-bedroom in Hays actually rent for?
Search any address in Hays 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 | $1,474 | $1,327 to $1,621 | $58,960 | $28.35/hr | -4.8% |
| 1 bedroom | $1,562 | $1,406 to $1,718 | $62,480 | $30.04/hr | -5.3% |
| 2 bedroom | $1,852 | $1,667 to $2,037 | $74,080 | $35.62/hr | -5.0% |
| 3 bedroom | $2,347 | $2,112 to $2,582 | $93,880 | $45.13/hr | -5.5% |
| 4 bedroom | $2,760 | $2,484 to $3,036 | $110,400 | $53.08/hr | -4.2% |
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 | $3,174 | $2,857 to $3,491 |
| 6 bedroom Estimate | $3,588 | $3,229 to $3,947 |
| 7 bedroom Estimate | $4,002 | $3,602 to $4,402 |
| 8 bedroom Estimate | $4,416 | $3,974 to $4,858 |
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 Hays, that runs from $1,474 for a studio up to $2,760 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 Hays in with 4 other counties in the Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos metro, Travis County, Williamson County, Bastrop County among them, and every one of them gets $1,852 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, Hays ranks 10th for two-bedroom FMR. That's about 76% above the state median of $1,054 and about 82% above the national median county at $1,018. About 245,351 people live here, 22nd in the state.
Counties sharing the Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos metro rate
Rates by ZIP code
Zoom in and the picture changes. HUD's Small Area FMRs put a two-bedroom at $1,480 in 78666 (San Marcos) and $1,880 in 78610 (Buda), 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 Hays somewhere between $1,667 and $2,037. 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.
$1,852 a month is affordable, by HUD's 30% rule, on an income of roughly $74,080 a year. Put another way, $36 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% ($1,667) | HAP at 100% ($1,852) | HAP at 110% ($2,037) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $2,500 | $750 | $917 | $1,102 | $1,287 |
| $4,000 | $1,200 | $467 | $652 | $837 |
Rate history
The two-bedroom rate went down 5% from FY 2025 ($1,949) to FY 2026 ($1,852). Since FY 2020 it's up 37% 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 | $988 | $1,134 | $1,356 | $1,763 | $2,128 | — |
| FY 2021 | $1,059 | $1,212 | $1,434 | $1,848 | $2,207 | +5.8% |
| FY 2022 | $1,092 | $1,236 | $1,451 | $1,867 | $2,194 | +1.2% |
| FY 2023 | $1,253 | $1,386 | $1,626 | $2,088 | $2,416 | +12.1% |
| FY 2024 | $1,519 | $1,635 | $1,924 | $2,470 | $2,840 | +18.3% |
| FY 2025 | $1,549 | $1,650 | $1,949 | $2,484 | $2,882 | +1.3% |
| FY 2026 | $1,474 | $1,562 | $1,852 | $2,347 | $2,760 | -5.0% |
| FY 2027 | $1,447 | $1,530 | $1,817 | $2,292 | $2,689 | -1.9% |
Nearby counties
Caldwell County
$1,85222 mi · pop 46,141
Travis County
$1,85222 mi · pop 1,289,054
Comal County
$1,42624 mi · pop 165,201
Blanco County
$1,16731 mi · pop 11,608
Guadalupe County
$1,42631 mi · pop 173,828
Bastrop County
$1,85241 mi · pop 98,435
Kendall County
$1,65044 mi · pop 45,376
Williamson County
$1,85244 mi · pop 617,396
Questions people ask
$1,852 a month for FY 2026, which runs October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026. The other rates are $1,474 for a studio, $1,562 for one bedroom, $2,347 for three and $2,760 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 Hays actually go for?
HUD's number is one input. Search any address in Hays for a rent estimate built from nearby comps. 3 free searches, no card.
Free tier. No credit card.