HUD Fair Market Rent · FY 2026 · effective Oct 1, 2025 to Sep 30, 2026
Fair Market Rent in Sterling County, Texas (FY 2026)
$1,133 a month. That's HUD's FY 2026 Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom in Sterling County, and it's the baseline every voucher in Sterling is measured against.
2 bedroom FMR
$1,133
FY 2026, utilities included
Payment standard range
$1,020 to $1,246
90% to 110% of FMR
Income to afford 2BR
$45,320
per year, at 30% of income
Rank in Texas
86th of 254
by 2BR FMR
HUD has already published FY 2027. On October 1, 2026 the two-bedroom rate in Sterling moves to $1,185. 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 Sterling actually rent for?
Search any address in Sterling 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 | $789 | $710 to $868 | $31,560 | $15.17/hr | -8.6% |
| 1 bedroom | $899 | $809 to $989 | $35,960 | $17.29/hr | -9.9% |
| 2 bedroom | $1,133 | $1,020 to $1,246 | $45,320 | $21.79/hr | -9.9% |
| 3 bedroom | $1,519 | $1,367 to $1,671 | $60,760 | $29.21/hr | -10.0% |
| 4 bedroom | $1,871 | $1,684 to $2,058 | $74,840 | $35.98/hr | -10.0% |
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 | $2,152 | $1,937 to $2,367 |
| 6 bedroom Estimate | $2,432 | $2,189 to $2,675 |
| 7 bedroom Estimate | $2,713 | $2,442 to $2,984 |
| 8 bedroom Estimate | $2,994 | $2,695 to $3,293 |
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 Sterling, that runs from $789 for a studio up to $1,871 for four bedrooms, all five rates in the table above.
Because Sterling 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, Sterling City included.
Among Texas's 254 counties, Sterling ranks 86th for two-bedroom FMR. That's about 7% above the state median of $1,054 and about 11% above the national median county at $1,018. About 1,392 people live here, 240th in the state.
Rates by ZIP code
HUD also publishes Small Area FMRs by ZIP code. For the one ZIP code it covers in Sterling, the two-bedroom rate is $1,140 across the board, so there's no ZIP-level story here.
| ZIP | City | 2BR rate | vs county |
|---|---|---|---|
| 76951 | Sterling City | $1,140 | +0.6% |
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 Sterling somewhere between $1,020 and $1,246. 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.
$1,133 a month is affordable, by HUD's 30% rule, on an income of roughly $45,320 a year. Put another way, $22 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% ($1,020) | HAP at 100% ($1,133) | HAP at 110% ($1,246) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $2,500 | $750 | $270 | $383 | $496 |
| $4,000 | $1,200 | $0 | $0 | $46 |
Rate history
The two-bedroom rate went down 10% from FY 2025 ($1,258) to FY 2026 ($1,133). Since FY 2020 it's up 53% in total, about 7.3% 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 | $549 | $592 | $741 | $984 | $1,114 | — |
| FY 2021 | $580 | $628 | $791 | $1,044 | $1,170 | +6.7% |
| FY 2022 | $659 | $790 | $992 | $1,314 | $1,629 | +25.4% |
| FY 2023 | $714 | $853 | $1,068 | $1,396 | $1,803 | +7.7% |
| FY 2024 | $777 | $925 | $1,146 | $1,516 | $1,906 | +7.3% |
| FY 2025 | $863 | $998 | $1,258 | $1,687 | $2,078 | +9.8% |
| FY 2026 | $789 | $899 | $1,133 | $1,519 | $1,871 | -9.9% |
| FY 2027 | $901 | $943 | $1,185 | $1,412 | $1,707 | +4.6% |
Nearby counties
Questions people ask
$1,133 a month for FY 2026, which runs October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026. The other rates are $789 for a studio, $899 for one bedroom, $1,519 for three and $1,871 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 Sterling actually go for?
HUD's number is one input. Search any address in Sterling for a rent estimate built from nearby comps. 3 free searches, no card.
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