HUD Fair Market Rent · FY 2026 · effective Oct 1, 2025 to Sep 30, 2026
Fair Market Rent in Runnels County, Texas (FY 2026)
HUD's FY 2026 Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom in Runnels County is $1,069 a month. That's the number the housing authority starts from when it sets Section 8 payment standards here.
2 bedroom FMR
$1,069
FY 2026, utilities included
Payment standard range
$962 to $1,176
90% to 110% of FMR
Income to afford 2BR
$42,760
per year, at 30% of income
Rank in Texas
117th of 254
by 2BR FMR
HUD has already published FY 2027. On October 1, 2026 the two-bedroom rate in Runnels moves to $1,055. That's down 1%. The full FY 2027 table is in the history section below.
HUD's number is one input. What does a two-bedroom in Runnels actually rent for?
Search any address in Runnels 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 | $809 | $728 to $890 | $32,360 | $15.56/hr | +3.6% |
| 1 bedroom | $815 | $734 to $897 | $32,600 | $15.67/hr | +3.7% |
| 2 bedroom | $1,069 | $962 to $1,176 | $42,760 | $20.56/hr | +3.7% |
| 3 bedroom | $1,282 | $1,154 to $1,410 | $51,280 | $24.65/hr | +3.2% |
| 4 bedroom | $1,573 | $1,416 to $1,730 | $62,920 | $30.25/hr | +2.0% |
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 | $1,809 | $1,628 to $1,990 |
| 6 bedroom Estimate | $2,045 | $1,841 to $2,250 |
| 7 bedroom Estimate | $2,281 | $2,053 to $2,509 |
| 8 bedroom Estimate | $2,517 | $2,265 to $2,769 |
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 Runnels, that runs from $809 for a studio up to $1,573 for four bedrooms, all five rates in the table above.
Because Runnels 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, Ballinger included.
Among Texas's 254 counties, Runnels ranks 117th for two-bedroom FMR. That's within a couple percent of the state median of $1,054 and about 5% above the national median county at $1,018. About 9,858 people live here, 165th in the state.
Rates by ZIP code
Zoom in and the picture changes. HUD's Small Area FMRs put a two-bedroom at $1,070 in 76875 (Rowena) and $1,210 in 79566 (Wingate), 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 Runnels somewhere between $962 and $1,176. 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.
$1,069 a month is affordable, by HUD's 30% rule, on an income of roughly $42,760 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% ($962) | HAP at 100% ($1,069) | HAP at 110% ($1,176) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $2,500 | $750 | $212 | $319 | $426 |
| $4,000 | $1,200 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
Rate history
The two-bedroom rate went up 4% from FY 2025 ($1,031) to FY 2026 ($1,069). Since FY 2020 it's up 50% in total, about 7.0% 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 | $529 | $542 | $714 | $890 | $967 | — |
| FY 2021 | $547 | $566 | $746 | $928 | $1,012 | +4.5% |
| FY 2022 | $589 | $605 | $796 | $984 | $1,079 | +6.7% |
| FY 2023 | $670 | $675 | $889 | $1,082 | $1,194 | +11.7% |
| FY 2024 | $783 | $788 | $1,035 | $1,251 | $1,378 | +16.4% |
| FY 2025 | $781 | $786 | $1,031 | $1,242 | $1,542 | -0.4% |
| FY 2026 | $809 | $815 | $1,069 | $1,282 | $1,573 | +3.7% |
| FY 2027 | $802 | $840 | $1,055 | $1,257 | $1,520 | -1.3% |
Nearby counties
Questions people ask
$1,069 a month for FY 2026, which runs October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026. The other rates are $809 for a studio, $815 for one bedroom, $1,282 for three and $1,573 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 Runnels actually go for?
HUD's number is one input. Search any address in Runnels for a rent estimate built from nearby comps. 3 free searches, no card.
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