HUD Fair Market Rent · FY 2026 · effective Oct 1, 2025 to Sep 30, 2026
Fair Market Rent in Wharton County, Texas (FY 2026)
A two-bedroom in Wharton County carries a FY 2026 Fair Market Rent of $1,100 a month, effective October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026. Everything Section 8 pays in Wharton keys off that figure.
2 bedroom FMR
$1,100
FY 2026, utilities included
Payment standard range
$990 to $1,210
90% to 110% of FMR
Income to afford 2BR
$44,000
per year, at 30% of income
Rank in Texas
106th of 254
by 2BR FMR
HUD has already published FY 2027. On October 1, 2026 the two-bedroom rate in Wharton moves to $1,184. That's up 8%. The full FY 2027 table is in the history section below.
HUD's number is one input. What does a two-bedroom in Wharton actually rent for?
Search any address in Wharton 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 | $758 | $682 to $834 | $30,320 | $14.58/hr | -0.4% |
| 1 bedroom | $838 | $754 to $922 | $33,520 | $16.12/hr | +9.4% |
| 2 bedroom | $1,100 | $990 to $1,210 | $44,000 | $21.15/hr | +12.0% |
| 3 bedroom | $1,500 | $1,350 to $1,650 | $60,000 | $28.85/hr | +9.0% |
| 4 bedroom | $1,718 | $1,546 to $1,890 | $68,720 | $33.04/hr | +12.7% |
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 | $1,976 | $1,778 to $2,174 |
| 6 bedroom Estimate | $2,233 | $2,010 to $2,456 |
| 7 bedroom Estimate | $2,491 | $2,242 to $2,740 |
| 8 bedroom Estimate | $2,749 | $2,474 to $3,024 |
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 Wharton, that runs from $758 for a studio up to $1,718 for four bedrooms, all five rates in the table above.
Because Wharton 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, Boling included.
Among Texas's 254 counties, Wharton ranks 106th for two-bedroom FMR. That's about 4% above the state median of $1,054 and about 8% above the national median county at $1,018. About 41,614 people live here, 79th 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 77437 (El Campo) and $1,240 in 77420 (Boling), with the 12 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 77420 | Boling | $1,240 | +12.7% |
| 77432 | Danevang | $1,090 | -0.9% |
| 77435 | East Bernard | $1,220 | +10.9% |
| 77436 | Egypt | $1,100 | 0.0% |
| 77437 | El Campo | $1,070 | -2.7% |
| 77443 | Glen Flora | $1,140 | +3.6% |
| 77448 | Hungerford | $1,190 | +8.2% |
| 77453 | Lane City | $1,120 | +1.8% |
| 77454 | Lissie | $1,210 | +10.0% |
| 77455 | Louise | $1,190 | +8.2% |
| 77467 | Pierce | $1,070 | -2.7% |
| 77488 | Wharton | $1,140 | +3.6% |
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 Wharton somewhere between $990 and $1,210. 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.
$1,100 a month is affordable, by HUD's 30% rule, on an income of roughly $44,000 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% ($990) | HAP at 100% ($1,100) | HAP at 110% ($1,210) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $2,500 | $750 | $240 | $350 | $460 |
| $4,000 | $1,200 | $0 | $0 | $10 |
Rate history
The two-bedroom rate went up 12% from FY 2025 ($982) to FY 2026 ($1,100). Since FY 2020 it's up 53% in total, about 7.4% 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 | $612 | $614 | $717 | $933 | $1,259 | — |
| FY 2021 | $566 | $657 | $772 | $1,045 | $1,337 | +7.7% |
| FY 2022 | $598 | $676 | $808 | $1,141 | $1,383 | +4.7% |
| FY 2023 | $658 | $713 | $873 | $1,241 | $1,439 | +8.0% |
| FY 2024 | $677 | $803 | $999 | $1,408 | $1,558 | +14.4% |
| FY 2025 | $761 | $766 | $982 | $1,376 | $1,524 | -1.7% |
| FY 2026 | $758 | $838 | $1,100 | $1,500 | $1,718 | +12.0% |
| FY 2027 | $824 | $915 | $1,184 | $1,584 | $1,590 | +7.6% |
Nearby counties
Matagorda County
$1,17329 mi · pop 36,251
Colorado County
$1,14731 mi · pop 20,582
Fort Bend County
$1,57332 mi · pop 832,607
Jackson County
$1,05737 mi · pop 15,010
Austin County
$1,09541 mi · pop 30,406
Brazoria County
$1,35943 mi · pop 374,600
Waller County
$1,57348 mi · pop 57,463
Lavaca County
$1,05553 mi · pop 20,379
Questions people ask
$1,100 a month for FY 2026, which runs October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026. The other rates are $758 for a studio, $838 for one bedroom, $1,500 for three and $1,718 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 Wharton actually go for?
HUD's number is one input. Search any address in Wharton for a rent estimate built from nearby comps. 3 free searches, no card.
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