HUD Fair Market Rent · FY 2026 · effective Oct 1, 2025 to Sep 30, 2026
Fair Market Rent in Hidalgo County, Texas (FY 2026)
$1,060 a month. That's HUD's FY 2026 Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom in Hidalgo County, and it's the baseline every voucher in Hidalgo is measured against.
2 bedroom FMR
$1,060
FY 2026, utilities included
Payment standard range
$954 to $1,166
90% to 110% of FMR
Income to afford 2BR
$42,400
per year, at 30% of income
Rank in Texas
123rd of 254
by 2BR FMR
HUD has already published FY 2027. On October 1, 2026 the two-bedroom rate in Hidalgo moves to $1,017. 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 Hidalgo actually rent for?
Search any address in Hidalgo 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 | $842 | $758 to $926 | $33,680 | $16.19/hr | +6.2% |
| 1 bedroom | $847 | $762 to $932 | $33,880 | $16.29/hr | +6.1% |
| 2 bedroom | $1,060 | $954 to $1,166 | $42,400 | $20.38/hr | +6.9% |
| 3 bedroom | $1,376 | $1,238 to $1,514 | $55,040 | $26.46/hr | +6.7% |
| 4 bedroom | $1,522 | $1,370 to $1,674 | $60,880 | $29.27/hr | +6.4% |
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 | $1,750 | $1,575 to $1,925 |
| 6 bedroom Estimate | $1,979 | $1,781 to $2,177 |
| 7 bedroom Estimate | $2,207 | $1,986 to $2,428 |
| 8 bedroom Estimate | $2,435 | $2,192 to $2,679 |
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 Hidalgo, that runs from $842 for a studio up to $1,522 for four bedrooms, all five rates in the table above.
Hidalgo is its own HUD metro area (McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, TX), so the rate here is set from rents inside the county rather than a wider region.
Among Texas's 254 counties, Hidalgo ranks 123rd for two-bedroom FMR. That's within a couple percent of the state median of $1,054 and about 4% above the national median county at $1,018. About 873,167 people live here, 8th 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 78516 (Alamo) and $1,320 in 78504 (Mcallen), with the 30 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 78501 | Mcallen | $1,160 | +9.4% |
| 78502 | Mcallen | $1,060 | 0.0% |
| 78503 | Mcallen | $1,240 | +17.0% |
| 78504 | Mcallen | $1,320 | +24.5% |
| 78505 | Mcallen | $1,060 | 0.0% |
| 78516 | Alamo | $970 | -8.5% |
| 78537 | Donna | $970 | -8.5% |
| 78538 | Edcouch | $970 | -8.5% |
| 78539 | Edinburg | $1,150 | +8.5% |
| 78540 | Edinburg | $1,010 | -4.7% |
| 78541 | Edinburg | $1,050 | -0.9% |
| 78542 | Edinburg | $1,010 | -4.7% |
| 78543 | Elsa | $970 | -8.5% |
| 78549 | Hargill | $1,000 | -5.7% |
| 78557 | Hidalgo | $980 | -7.5% |
| 78558 | La Blanca | $980 | -7.5% |
| 78560 | La Joya | $970 | -8.5% |
| 78562 | La Villa | $980 | -7.5% |
| 78563 | Linn | $1,050 | -0.9% |
| 78565 | Los Ebanos | $970 | -8.5% |
| 78570 | Mercedes | $970 | -8.5% |
| 78572 | Mission | $1,050 | -0.9% |
| 78573 | Mission | $1,000 | -5.7% |
| 78576 | Penitas | $970 | -8.5% |
| 78577 | Pharr | $1,130 | +6.6% |
| 78579 | Progreso | $1,040 | -1.9% |
| 78589 | San Juan | $1,050 | -0.9% |
| 78595 | Sullivan City | $970 | -8.5% |
| 78596 | Weslaco | $1,070 | +0.9% |
| 78599 | Weslaco | $1,080 | +1.9% |
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 Hidalgo somewhere between $954 and $1,166. 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.
$1,060 a month is affordable, by HUD's 30% rule, on an income of roughly $42,400 a year. Put another way, $20 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% ($954) | HAP at 100% ($1,060) | HAP at 110% ($1,166) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $2,500 | $750 | $204 | $310 | $416 |
| $4,000 | $1,200 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
Rate history
The two-bedroom rate went up 7% from FY 2025 ($992) to FY 2026 ($1,060). Since FY 2020 it's up 43% in total, about 6.1% 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 | $573 | $577 | $743 | $955 | $1,068 | — |
| FY 2021 | $570 | $574 | $739 | $953 | $1,070 | -0.5% |
| FY 2022 | $633 | $637 | $817 | $1,062 | $1,176 | +10.6% |
| FY 2023 | $689 | $693 | $877 | $1,141 | $1,257 | +7.3% |
| FY 2024 | $777 | $781 | $977 | $1,277 | $1,409 | +11.4% |
| FY 2025 | $793 | $798 | $992 | $1,290 | $1,430 | +1.5% |
| FY 2026 | $842 | $847 | $1,060 | $1,376 | $1,522 | +6.9% |
| FY 2027 | $801 | $806 | $1,017 | $1,305 | $1,439 | -4.1% |
Nearby counties
Questions people ask
$1,060 a month for FY 2026, which runs October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026. The other rates are $842 for a studio, $847 for one bedroom, $1,376 for three and $1,522 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 Hidalgo actually go for?
HUD's number is one input. Search any address in Hidalgo for a rent estimate built from nearby comps. 3 free searches, no card.
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