HUD Fair Market Rent · FY 2026 · effective Oct 1, 2025 to Sep 30, 2026
Fair Market Rent in Jefferson County, Texas (FY 2026)
$1,103 a month. That's HUD's FY 2026 Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom in Jefferson County, and it's the baseline every voucher in Jefferson is measured against.
2 bedroom FMR
$1,103
FY 2026, utilities included
Payment standard range
$993 to $1,213
90% to 110% of FMR
Income to afford 2BR
$44,120
per year, at 30% of income
Rank in Texas
102nd of 254
by 2BR FMR
HUD has already published FY 2027. On October 1, 2026 the two-bedroom rate in Jefferson moves to $1,218. That's up 10%. The full FY 2027 table is in the history section below.
HUD's number is one input. What does a two-bedroom in Jefferson actually rent for?
Search any address in Jefferson 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 | $892 | $803 to $981 | $35,680 | $17.15/hr | -2.5% |
| 1 bedroom | $898 | $808 to $988 | $35,920 | $17.27/hr | -2.4% |
| 2 bedroom | $1,103 | $993 to $1,213 | $44,120 | $21.21/hr | -0.9% |
| 3 bedroom | $1,446 | $1,301 to $1,591 | $57,840 | $27.81/hr | -1.0% |
| 4 bedroom | $1,732 | $1,559 to $1,905 | $69,280 | $33.31/hr | +3.3% |
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 | $1,992 | $1,793 to $2,191 |
| 6 bedroom Estimate | $2,252 | $2,027 to $2,477 |
| 7 bedroom Estimate | $2,511 | $2,260 to $2,762 |
| 8 bedroom Estimate | $2,771 | $2,494 to $3,048 |
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 Jefferson, that runs from $892 for a studio up to $1,732 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 Jefferson in with 2 other counties in the Beaumont-Port Arthur metro, Orange County, Hardin County among them, and every one of them gets $1,103 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, Jefferson ranks 102nd for two-bedroom FMR. That's about 5% above the state median of $1,054 and about 8% above the national median county at $1,018. About 254,942 people live here, 21st in the state.
Counties sharing the Beaumont-Port Arthur metro rate
Rates by ZIP code
Zoom in and the picture changes. HUD's Small Area FMRs put a two-bedroom at $970 in 77703 (Beaumont) and $1,410 in 77713 (Beaumont), 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 77613 | China | $1,060 | -3.9% |
| 77619 | Groves | $1,270 | +15.1% |
| 77622 | Hamshire | $1,170 | +6.1% |
| 77627 | Nederland | $1,350 | +22.4% |
| 77629 | Nome | $1,080 | -2.1% |
| 77640 | Port Arthur | $1,200 | +8.8% |
| 77641 | Port Arthur | $1,120 | +1.5% |
| 77642 | Port Arthur | $1,060 | -3.9% |
| 77643 | Port Arthur | $1,120 | +1.5% |
| 77651 | Port Neches | $1,150 | +4.3% |
| 77655 | Sabine Pass | $1,200 | +8.8% |
| 77701 | Beaumont | $980 | -11.2% |
| 77702 | Beaumont | $1,090 | -1.2% |
| 77703 | Beaumont | $970 | -12.1% |
| 77704 | Beaumont | $1,120 | +1.5% |
| 77705 | Beaumont | $970 | -12.1% |
| 77706 | Beaumont | $1,200 | +8.8% |
| 77707 | Beaumont | $1,230 | +11.5% |
| 77708 | Beaumont | $1,100 | -0.3% |
| 77710 | Beaumont | $1,103County rate | — |
| 77713 | Beaumont | $1,410 | +27.8% |
| 77720 | Beaumont | $1,120 | +1.5% |
| 77725 | Beaumont | $1,120 | +1.5% |
| 77726 | Beaumont | $1,120 | +1.5% |
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 Jefferson somewhere between $993 and $1,213. 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.
$1,103 a month is affordable, by HUD's 30% rule, on an income of roughly $44,120 a year. Put another way, $21 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% ($993) | HAP at 100% ($1,103) | HAP at 110% ($1,213) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $2,500 | $750 | $243 | $353 | $463 |
| $4,000 | $1,200 | $0 | $0 | $13 |
Rate history
The two-bedroom rate went down 1% from FY 2025 ($1,113) to FY 2026 ($1,103). Since FY 2020 it's up 29% in total, about 4.3% 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 | $623 | $688 | $857 | $1,115 | $1,180 | — |
| FY 2021 | $661 | $708 | $880 | $1,145 | $1,205 | +2.7% |
| FY 2022 | $747 | $798 | $982 | $1,281 | $1,332 | +11.6% |
| FY 2023 | $792 | $849 | $1,027 | $1,343 | $1,402 | +4.6% |
| FY 2024 | $892 | $932 | $1,126 | $1,470 | $1,575 | +9.6% |
| FY 2025 | $915 | $920 | $1,113 | $1,460 | $1,676 | -1.2% |
| FY 2026 | $892 | $898 | $1,103 | $1,446 | $1,732 | -0.9% |
| FY 2027 | $980 | $986 | $1,218 | $1,588 | $1,944 | +10.4% |
Nearby counties
Questions people ask
$1,103 a month for FY 2026, which runs October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026. The other rates are $892 for a studio, $898 for one bedroom, $1,446 for three and $1,732 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 Jefferson actually go for?
HUD's number is one input. Search any address in Jefferson for a rent estimate built from nearby comps. 3 free searches, no card.
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