HUD Fair Market Rent · FY 2026 · effective Oct 1, 2025 to Sep 30, 2026
Fair Market Rent in Lavaca County, Texas (FY 2026)
HUD's FY 2026 Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom in Lavaca County is $1,055 a month. That's the number the housing authority starts from when it sets Section 8 payment standards here.
2 bedroom FMR
$1,055
FY 2026, utilities included
Payment standard range
$950 to $1,161
90% to 110% of FMR
Income to afford 2BR
$42,200
per year, at 30% of income
Rank in Texas
125th of 254
by 2BR FMR
HUD has already published FY 2027. On October 1, 2026 the two-bedroom rate in Lavaca moves to $1,086. That's up 3%. The full FY 2027 table is in the history section below.
HUD's number is one input. What does a two-bedroom in Lavaca actually rent for?
Search any address in Lavaca 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 | $820 | $738 to $902 | $32,800 | $15.77/hr | +2.8% |
| 1 bedroom | $886 | $797 to $975 | $35,440 | $17.04/hr | +5.6% |
| 2 bedroom | $1,055 | $950 to $1,161 | $42,200 | $20.29/hr | +3.7% |
| 3 bedroom | $1,265 | $1,139 to $1,392 | $50,600 | $24.33/hr | +3.3% |
| 4 bedroom | $1,770 | $1,593 to $1,947 | $70,800 | $34.04/hr | +11.7% |
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 | $2,036 | $1,832 to $2,240 |
| 6 bedroom Estimate | $2,301 | $2,071 to $2,531 |
| 7 bedroom Estimate | $2,567 | $2,310 to $2,824 |
| 8 bedroom Estimate | $2,832 | $2,549 to $3,115 |
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 Lavaca, that runs from $820 for a studio up to $1,770 for four bedrooms, all five rates in the table above.
Because Lavaca sits outside any HUD metro area, its rate is a county-wide figure built from local rents. One number covers every address in the county, Hallettsville included.
Among Texas's 254 counties, Lavaca ranks 125th 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 20,379 people live here, 117th in the state.
Rates by ZIP code
Zoom in and the picture changes. HUD's Small Area FMRs put a two-bedroom at $1,040 in 77987 (Sweet Home) and $1,260 in 77995 (Yoakum), with the 6 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 Lavaca somewhere between $950 and $1,161. 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.
$1,055 a month is affordable, by HUD's 30% rule, on an income of roughly $42,200 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% ($950) | HAP at 100% ($1,055) | HAP at 110% ($1,161) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $2,500 | $750 | $200 | $305 | $411 |
| $4,000 | $1,200 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
Rate history
The two-bedroom rate went up 4% from FY 2025 ($1,017) to FY 2026 ($1,055). Since FY 2020 it's up 45% in total, about 6.4% 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 | $474 | $552 | $727 | $1,016 | $1,093 | — |
| FY 2021 | $513 | $590 | $777 | $1,066 | $1,149 | +6.9% |
| FY 2022 | $616 | $642 | $833 | $1,080 | $1,216 | +7.2% |
| FY 2023 | $700 | $720 | $929 | $1,151 | $1,248 | +11.5% |
| FY 2024 | $831 | $858 | $1,067 | $1,290 | $1,580 | +14.9% |
| FY 2025 | $798 | $839 | $1,017 | $1,225 | $1,585 | -4.7% |
| FY 2026 | $820 | $886 | $1,055 | $1,265 | $1,770 | +3.7% |
| FY 2027 | $825 | $913 | $1,086 | $1,294 | $1,815 | +2.9% |
Nearby counties
Colorado County
$1,14731 mi · pop 20,582
DeWitt County
$1,14133 mi · pop 19,826
Gonzales County
$97333 mi · pop 19,736
Fayette County
$1,01937 mi · pop 24,564
Victoria County
$1,44244 mi · pop 91,209
Jackson County
$1,05749 mi · pop 15,010
Caldwell County
$1,85250 mi · pop 46,141
Bastrop County
$1,85251 mi · pop 98,435
Questions people ask
$1,055 a month for FY 2026, which runs October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026. The other rates are $820 for a studio, $886 for one bedroom, $1,265 for three and $1,770 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 Lavaca actually go for?
HUD's number is one input. Search any address in Lavaca for a rent estimate built from nearby comps. 3 free searches, no card.
Free tier. No credit card.