HUD Fair Market Rent · FY 2026 · effective Oct 1, 2025 to Sep 30, 2026
Fair Market Rent in Mason County, Texas (FY 2026)
A two-bedroom in Mason County carries a FY 2026 Fair Market Rent of $1,024 a month, effective October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026. Everything Section 8 pays in Mason keys off that figure.
2 bedroom FMR
$1,024
FY 2026, utilities included
Payment standard range
$922 to $1,126
90% to 110% of FMR
Income to afford 2BR
$40,960
per year, at 30% of income
Rank in Texas
140th of 254
by 2BR FMR
HUD has already published FY 2027. On October 1, 2026 the two-bedroom rate in Mason moves to $1,078. That's up 5%. The full FY 2027 table is in the history section below.
HUD's number is one input. What does a two-bedroom in Mason actually rent for?
Search any address in Mason 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 | $796 | $716 to $876 | $31,840 | $15.31/hr | +8.7% |
| 1 bedroom | $819 | $737 to $901 | $32,760 | $15.75/hr | +8.9% |
| 2 bedroom | $1,024 | $922 to $1,126 | $40,960 | $19.69/hr | +9.8% |
| 3 bedroom | $1,333 | $1,200 to $1,466 | $53,320 | $25.63/hr | +9.5% |
| 4 bedroom | $1,507 | $1,356 to $1,658 | $60,280 | $28.98/hr | +8.0% |
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 | $1,733 | $1,560 to $1,906 |
| 6 bedroom Estimate | $1,959 | $1,763 to $2,155 |
| 7 bedroom Estimate | $2,185 | $1,967 to $2,404 |
| 8 bedroom Estimate | $2,411 | $2,170 to $2,652 |
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 Mason, that runs from $796 for a studio up to $1,507 for four bedrooms, all five rates in the table above.
Because Mason 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, Art included.
Among Texas's 254 counties, Mason ranks 140th for two-bedroom FMR. That's about 3% below the state median of $1,054 and within a couple percent of the national median county at $1,018. About 3,959 people live here, 208th in the state.
Rates by ZIP code
HUD also publishes Small Area FMRs by ZIP code. For the 4 ZIP codes it covers in Mason, the two-bedroom rate is $1,020 across the board, so there's no ZIP-level story here.
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 Mason somewhere between $922 and $1,126. 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.
$1,024 a month is affordable, by HUD's 30% rule, on an income of roughly $40,960 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% ($922) | HAP at 100% ($1,024) | HAP at 110% ($1,126) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $2,500 | $750 | $172 | $274 | $376 |
| $4,000 | $1,200 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
Rate history
The two-bedroom rate went up 10% from FY 2025 ($933) to FY 2026 ($1,024). Since FY 2020 it's up 16% in total, about 2.6% 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 | $660 | $699 | $879 | $1,229 | $1,354 | — |
| FY 2021 | $607 | $657 | $828 | $1,151 | $1,224 | -5.8% |
| FY 2022 | $602 | $644 | $813 | $1,133 | $1,187 | -1.8% |
| FY 2023 | $636 | $672 | $844 | $1,134 | $1,242 | +3.8% |
| FY 2024 | $747 | $772 | $959 | $1,291 | $1,425 | +13.6% |
| FY 2025 | $732 | $752 | $933 | $1,217 | $1,395 | -2.7% |
| FY 2026 | $796 | $819 | $1,024 | $1,333 | $1,507 | +9.8% |
| FY 2027 | $819 | $858 | $1,078 | $1,393 | $1,553 | +5.3% |
Nearby counties
Questions people ask
$1,024 a month for FY 2026, which runs October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026. The other rates are $796 for a studio, $819 for one bedroom, $1,333 for three and $1,507 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 Mason actually go for?
HUD's number is one input. Search any address in Mason for a rent estimate built from nearby comps. 3 free searches, no card.
Free tier. No credit card.