HUD Fair Market Rent · FY 2027 · Effective Oct 1, 2026 to Sep 30, 2027
Fair Market Rent in Jefferson County, Texas (FY 2027)
$1,218 a month. That's HUD's FY 2027 Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom in Jefferson County, and it's the baseline every voucher in Jefferson is measured against.
Two-bedroom FMR
$1,218
+10.4% from FY 2026
Payment standard
$1,096–$1,340
90% to 110% of the FMR, two-bedroom
Income to afford
$48,720
a year, with rent at 30% of income
Rank in Texas
73rd 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 | $980 | $882–$1,078 | $39,200 | $18.85/hr | +9.9% |
| 1 bedroom | $986 | $887–$1,085 | $39,440 | $18.96/hr | +9.8% |
| 2 bedroom | $1,218 | $1,096–$1,340 | $48,720 | $23.42/hr | +10.4% |
| 3 bedroom | $1,588 | $1,429–$1,747 | $63,520 | $30.54/hr | +9.8% |
| 4 bedroom | $1,944 | $1,750–$2,138 | $77,760 | $37.38/hr | +12.2% |
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 | $2,236 | $2,012–$2,460 |
| 6 bedroom Estimate | $2,527 | $2,274–$2,780 |
| 7 bedroom Estimate | $2,819 | $2,537–$3,101 |
| 8 bedroom Estimate | $3,110 | $2,799–$3,421 |
Source: HUD Office of Policy Development and Research, FY 2027 Fair Market Rents. Rents include utilities. huduser.gov
Market check
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.
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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 $1,096 and $1,340. 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.
$1,218 a month is affordable, by HUD's 30% rule, on an income of roughly $48,720 a year. Put another way, $23 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%$1,096 | Voucher pays at 100%$1,218 | Voucher pays at 110%$1,340 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $2,500 | $750 | $346 | $468 | $590 |
| $4,000 | $1,200 | $0 | $18 | $140 |
Rate history
The two-bedroom rate went up 10% from FY 2026 ($1,103) to FY 2027 ($1,218). Since FY 2020 it's up 42% in total, about 5.2% 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 | $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 2027In effect | $980 | $986 | $1,218 | $1,588 | $1,944 | +10.4% |
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 Jefferson, that runs from $980 for a studio up to $1,944 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 $1,218 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 73rd for two-bedroom FMR. That's about 10% above the state median of $1,105 and about 15% above the national median county at $1,063. About 253,878 people live here, 22nd in the state.
Rates by ZIP code
Zoom in and the picture changes. HUD's Small Area FMRs put a two-bedroom at $1,030 in 77705 (Beaumont) and $1,540 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 | $1,100 | -9.7% |
| 77619 | Groves | $1,410 | +15.8% |
| 77622 | Hamshire | $1,170 | -3.9% |
| 77627 | Nederland | $1,490 | +22.3% |
| 77629 | Nome | $1,180 | -3.1% |
| 77640 | Port Arthur | $1,350 | +10.8% |
| 77641 | Port Arthur | $1,240 | +1.8% |
| 77642 | Port Arthur | $1,150 | -5.6% |
| 77643 | Port Arthur | $1,240 | +1.8% |
| 77651 | Port Neches | $1,210 | -0.7% |
| 77655 | Sabine Pass | $1,350 | +10.8% |
| 77701 | Beaumont | $1,080 | -11.3% |
| 77702 | Beaumont | $1,220 | +0.2% |
| 77703 | Beaumont | $1,070 | -12.2% |
| 77704 | Beaumont | $1,240 | +1.8% |
| 77705 | Beaumont | $1,030 | -15.4% |
| 77706 | Beaumont | $1,330 | +9.2% |
| 77707 | Beaumont | $1,410 | +15.8% |
| 77708 | Beaumont | $1,230 | +1.0% |
| 77710 | Beaumont | $1,218County rate | — |
| 77713 | Beaumont | $1,540 | +26.4% |
| 77720 | Beaumont | $1,240 | +1.8% |
| 77725 | Beaumont | $1,240 | +1.8% |
| 77726 | Beaumont | $1,240 | +1.8% |
Counties sharing the Beaumont-Port Arthur metro rate
HUD sets one rate for the whole metro, so every county here carries the same $1,218 two-bedroom figure as Jefferson.
Nearby counties
Two-bedroom FMR, with how each compares to Jefferson.
Orange County
15 mi · 85,307 people
$1,218
same rate
Hardin County
30 mi · 57,642 people
$1,218
same rate
Chambers County
34 mi · 51,498 people
$1,497
+23%
Jasper County
39 mi · 32,727 people
$1,014
-17%
Liberty County
43 mi · 103,380 people
$1,497
+23%
Tyler County
53 mi · 20,238 people
$1,117
-8%
Newton County
54 mi · 12,093 people
$1,014
-17%
Galveston County
64 mi · 358,990 people
$1,497
+23%
Questions people ask
$1,218 a month for FY 2027, which runs October 1, 2026 through September 30, 2027. The other rates are $980 for a studio, $986 for one bedroom, $1,588 for three and $1,944 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 Jefferson actually go for?
HUD's number is one input. Search any address in Jefferson for a rent estimate built from nearby comps. Free to start, no card.
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