HUD Fair Market Rent · FY 2026 · effective Oct 1, 2025 to Sep 30, 2026
Fair Market Rent in Walker County, Texas (FY 2026)
HUD's FY 2026 Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom in Walker County is $1,210 a month. That's the number the housing authority starts from when it sets Section 8 payment standards here.
2 bedroom FMR
$1,210
FY 2026, utilities included
Payment standard range
$1,089 to $1,331
90% to 110% of FMR
Income to afford 2BR
$48,400
per year, at 30% of income
Rank in Texas
58th of 254
by 2BR FMR
HUD has already published FY 2027. On October 1, 2026 the two-bedroom rate in Walker moves to $1,227. That's up 1%. The full FY 2027 table is in the history section below.
HUD's number is one input. What does a two-bedroom in Walker actually rent for?
Search any address in Walker 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 | $857 | $771 to $943 | $34,280 | $16.48/hr | +11.9% |
| 1 bedroom | $1,097 | $987 to $1,207 | $43,880 | $21.10/hr | +11.8% |
| 2 bedroom | $1,210 | $1,089 to $1,331 | $48,400 | $23.27/hr | +8.3% |
| 3 bedroom | $1,602 | $1,442 to $1,762 | $64,080 | $30.81/hr | +15.8% |
| 4 bedroom | $1,780 | $1,602 to $1,958 | $71,200 | $34.23/hr | -5.1% |
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 | $2,047 | $1,842 to $2,252 |
| 6 bedroom Estimate | $2,314 | $2,083 to $2,545 |
| 7 bedroom Estimate | $2,581 | $2,323 to $2,839 |
| 8 bedroom Estimate | $2,848 | $2,563 to $3,133 |
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 Walker, that runs from $857 for a studio up to $1,780 for four bedrooms, all five rates in the table above.
Because Walker 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, Huntsville included.
Among Texas's 254 counties, Walker ranks 58th for two-bedroom FMR. That's about 15% above the state median of $1,054 and about 19% above the national median county at $1,018. About 77,182 people live here, 50th in the state.
Rates by ZIP code
Zoom in and the picture changes. HUD's Small Area FMRs put a two-bedroom at $1,200 in 77340 (Huntsville) and $1,500 in 77367 (Riverside), with the 7 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 77320 | Huntsville | $1,230 | +1.7% |
| 77334 | Dodge | $1,230 | +1.7% |
| 77340 | Huntsville | $1,200 | -0.8% |
| 77341 | Huntsville | $1,210 | 0.0% |
| 77342 | Huntsville | $1,210 | 0.0% |
| 77343 | Huntsville | $1,210County rate | — |
| 77344 | Huntsville | $1,210County rate | — |
| 77348 | Huntsville | $1,210County rate | — |
| 77349 | Huntsville | $1,210County rate | — |
| 77358 | New Waverly | $1,310 | +8.3% |
| 77367 | Riverside | $1,500 | +24.0% |
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 Walker somewhere between $1,089 and $1,331. 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.
$1,210 a month is affordable, by HUD's 30% rule, on an income of roughly $48,400 a year. Put another way, $23 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% ($1,089) | HAP at 100% ($1,210) | HAP at 110% ($1,331) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $2,500 | $750 | $339 | $460 | $581 |
| $4,000 | $1,200 | $0 | $10 | $131 |
Rate history
The two-bedroom rate went up 8% from FY 2025 ($1,117) to FY 2026 ($1,210). Since FY 2020 it's up 35% in total, about 5.1% 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 | $585 | $744 | $898 | $1,119 | $1,577 | — |
| FY 2021 | $641 | $793 | $971 | $1,208 | $1,681 | +8.1% |
| FY 2022 | $685 | $849 | $1,031 | $1,274 | $1,765 | +6.2% |
| FY 2023 | $730 | $917 | $1,092 | $1,329 | $1,860 | +5.9% |
| FY 2024 | $807 | $1,035 | $1,190 | $1,441 | $2,019 | +9.0% |
| FY 2025 | $766 | $981 | $1,117 | $1,384 | $1,876 | -6.1% |
| FY 2026 | $857 | $1,097 | $1,210 | $1,602 | $1,780 | +8.3% |
| FY 2027 | $900 | $1,127 | $1,227 | $1,675 | $1,767 | +1.4% |
Nearby counties
San Jacinto County
$1,14922 mi · pop 27,666
Madison County
$97327 mi · pop 13,556
Grimes County
$1,06729 mi · pop 29,442
Montgomery County
$1,57333 mi · pop 629,989
Trinity County
$1,01036 mi · pop 13,735
Polk County
$1,12240 mi · pop 50,536
Houston County
$97843 mi · pop 22,107
Brazos County
$1,18648 mi · pop 234,548
Questions people ask
$1,210 a month for FY 2026, which runs October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026. The other rates are $857 for a studio, $1,097 for one bedroom, $1,602 for three and $1,780 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 Walker actually go for?
HUD's number is one input. Search any address in Walker for a rent estimate built from nearby comps. 3 free searches, no card.
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