County FMR · HUD FY2026

Harris County Fair Market Rent

HUD's FY2026 Fair Market Rent for Harris County, TX - 38% above the US average.

$1,323
1-bedroom FMR
$1,573
2-bedroom FMR
+3.4%
YoY change
+38%
vs US avg

The verdict

Harris is the 23rd most expensive of 254 counties in Texas by 2-bedroom FMR; nationally it ranks #409 most expensive of 3,145 HUD counties.

#409
most expensive of 3,145 US counties (2BR)
#23
most expensive of 254 in Texas (2BR)
+41%
vs the state average
$52,920
income to afford it (30% rule)

Software Developers spend the smallest share of income on rent here (12.2%), while Fast Food and Counter Workers spend the most (58.8%).

FY 2026 HUD Fair Market Rent for Harris County, TX. Verify with HUD →

The Fair Market Rent for a 1-bedroom apartment in Harris County, Texas is $1,323 per month in FY 2026, according to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). A 2-bedroom costs $1,573/mo and a studio is $1,280/mo. This is 38% higher than the national average of $959 and 41% above the Texas average of $935.

Rent increased3.4% from FY 2025 ($1,279), outpacing inflation. A household needs about $52,920/year to stay under the 30% rent-to-income line.

Observed renter burden: 50.4% of the 781,714 renter households counted by ACS paid at least 30% of income in gross rent. This ACS 2023 household measure is distinct from HUD's FY2026 Fair Market Rent benchmark above.

FY 2026 HUD Fair Market Rents in Texas. Population: 4,726,177. Population has held roughly steady over the past five years (+3.4%, Census ACS). That's slower than Texas's statewide growth of +6.3% over the same period.

FMR filing desk

Area HARRIS·COUNTY·TX·TX

Harris County, TX: $1,323/mo 1BR · #409 of 3145 counties (2BR) · FY2026

  • FMR-AREA TX
  • 1BR-FMR $1,323
  • 2BR-FMR $1,573
  • RANK-MID #409
  • YOY-UP +3.4%
  • VSUS-HIGH +38%
  • VS-ST-HIGH +41% TX
  • INC-MID 22%
  • POP-MEGA 4.7M
  • PHOTO-NEAR Dallas County
  • VOUCH-90-110 $1,191–$1,455
  • FY-2026 FY2026

Photo-finish peer: Dallas ($325 1BR gap)

Read with: Understanding rent burden

Fair Market Rents (2026)

Studio
State avg: $887 · US avg: $893
$1,280/mo
↑ 4.4% YoY +44% vs state +43% vs US
1 Bedroom
State avg: $935 · US avg: $959
$1,323/mo
↑ 3.4% YoY +41% vs state +38% vs US
2 Bedroom
State avg: $1,149 · US avg: $1,175
$1,573/mo
↑ 2.9% YoY +37% vs state +34% vs US
3 Bedroom
State avg: $1,497 · US avg: $1,525
$2,116/mo
↑ 3.8% YoY +41% vs state +39% vs US
4 Bedroom
State avg: $1,733 · US avg: $1,756
$2,639/mo
↑ 2.8% YoY +52% vs state +50% vs US

Year-over-Year Comparison

Bedrooms FY 2025 FY 2026 Change
Studio $1,226
$1,280
+$54 (+4.4%)
1 Bedroom $1,279
$1,323
+$44 (+3.4%)
2 Bedroom $1,529
$1,573
+$44 (+2.9%)
3 Bedroom $2,038
$2,116
+$78 (+3.8%)
4 Bedroom $2,568
$2,639
+$71 (+2.8%)

Rent Burden Analysis

How much of household income goes to rent in Harris County. The 30% threshold indicates cost burden.

Studio
21%
Affordable
Need $51,200/yr for 30% rule
1 Bedroom
21.7%
Affordable
Need $52,920/yr for 30% rule
2 Bedroom
25.8%
Affordable
Need $62,920/yr for 30% rule
3 Bedroom
34.7%
Burdened
Need $84,640/yr for 30% rule
4 Bedroom
43.3%
Burdened
Need $105,560/yr for 30% rule
How we calculate this

Rent burden = (FMR × 12) ÷ county median household income. Required income = (FMR × 12) ÷ 0.3, the federal 30%-of-gross-income rule HUD uses to define cost burden. Median household income is from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey; FMR is from HUD's FY2026 release. See methodology.

0%100%National avg22%25.8%
Harris County 2-bedroom rent burden
County median income: $73,104 · National avg burden: 21.7% ·View Texas rent burden →

Where Harris sits among every US county

2-bedroom Fair Market Rent vs. all 3,145 HUD counties

$1,573 Top 13% higher than 87% of 3,145 counties

$600–$800: 23 counties (1%). Below this entry. $800–$1,000: 1,406 counties (45%). Below this entry. $1,000–$1,200: 723 counties (23%). Below this entry. $1,200–$1,400: 417 counties (13%). Below this entry. $1,400–$1,600: 181 counties (6%). This entry sits in this band. $1,600–$1,800: 172 counties (5%). Above this entry. $1,800–$2,000: 108 counties (3%). Above this entry. $2,000–$2,200: 29 counties (1%). Above this entry. $2,200–$2,400: 40 counties (1%). Above this entry. $2,400–$2,600: 13 counties (0%). Above this entry. $2,600–$2,800: 9 counties (0%). Above this entry. $2,800–$3,000: 15 counties (0%). Above this entry. $3,000–$3,200: 3 counties (0%). Above this entry. $3,200–$3,400: 1 counties (0%). Above this entry. $3,400–$3,600: 1 counties (0%). Above this entry. $3,600–$3,800: 3 counties (0%). Above this entry. $3,800–$4,000: 0 counties (0%). Above this entry. $4,000–$4,200: 0 counties (0%). Above this entry. $4,200–$4,400: 1 counties (0%). Above this entry. This county $600 $4,400 every US county, bucketed by value

Each bar is a $0.2K-wide band; taller bars hold more counties. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Source U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Fair Market Rents · FY2026

How Harris compares on 1-bedroom rent

1-bedroom FMR vs other Texas counties

1BR FMR / mo

What this shows Harris is highlighted. Nearby Texas counties by 1-bedroom FMR, highest to lowest: Dallas County ($1,648), Collin County ($1,648), Denton County ($1,648), Travis County ($1,562), Tarrant County ($1,473), Harris County (this county) ($1,323), Bexar County ($1,177).

Source U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) As of FY2026

Can Common Jobs Afford Rent Here?

Against a high local FMR of $1,323/mo, which of 15 common occupations still clear the 30% line using Texas BLS wages?

Occupation TX Salary Rent Burden Verdict
Software Developers $130,500 12.2% Affordable
General & Operations Managers $100,290 15.8% Affordable
Registered Nurses $90,010 17.6% Affordable
Accountants & Auditors $80,000 19.8% Affordable
Police & Sheriff's Patrol Officers $76,350 20.8% Affordable
Elementary School Teachers $61,380 25.9% Affordable
Paralegals & Legal Assistants $59,700 26.6% Affordable
Electricians $56,920 27.9% Affordable
Heavy & Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers $53,070 29.9% Affordable
Pharmacy Technicians $43,920 36.1% Stretched
Customer Service Representatives $39,100 40.6% Stretched
Janitors & Cleaners $31,230 50.8% Unaffordable
Retail Salespersons $30,130 52.7% Unaffordable
Teaching Assistants $27,630 57.5% Unaffordable
Fast Food & Counter Workers $27,000 58.8% Unaffordable
Salaries: BLS OES (Texas) median · 30% = affordable threshold · Try the salary calculator →

Rent Trends (2020–2026)

7-year Fair Market Rent history for Harris County. Shows how HUD rental rates have changed over time.

Over the 6-year span HUD has tracked for Harris (FY 2020-2026), the 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent has risen 45.7% overall, from $908 to $1,323. Most of that movement was gradual except for a single sharp jump of +12.7% in FY 2025, well above this county's typical year-to-year change.

$800$900$1,000$1,100$1,200$1,300$1,400 FY2020FY2021FY2022FY2023FY2024FY2025FY2026 $1,323
Harris County 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent, FY2020–FY2026
Year Studio 1 BR 2 BR
FY 2026 ↑3.4% $1,280 $1,323 $1,573
FY 2025 ↑12.7% $1,226 $1,279 $1,529
FY 2024 ↑3.7% $1,073 $1,135 $1,357
FY 2023 ↑8.0% $1,030 $1,095 $1,307
FY 2022 ↑3.2% $944 $1,014 $1,208
FY 2021 ↑8.3% $908 $983 $1,176
FY 2020 $826 $908 $1,096
Total change (6yr): +45.7%
Annualized: +6.5%/yr
1 BR: $908 → $1,323

Part of the Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX Metro Area

Harris County is a central county of the Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX metropolitan statistical area, alongside 9 other metro-area counties.

Harris County ranks #7 of 10 counties in this metro area by 1-bedroom FMR. Every county sharing this metro, highest to lowest: Fort Bend County ($1,323), Montgomery County ($1,323), Galveston County ($1,323), Liberty County ($1,323), Waller County ($1,323), Chambers County ($1,323), Harris County (this county) ($1,323), Brazoria County ($1,240), San Jacinto County ($1,048), Austin County ($891).

Fort Bend County
1 BR: $1,323/mo
Montgomery County
1 BR: $1,323/mo
Galveston County
1 BR: $1,323/mo
Liberty County
1 BR: $1,323/mo
Waller County
1 BR: $1,323/mo
Chambers County
1 BR: $1,323/mo
Harris County (this county)
1 BR: $1,323/mo
Brazoria County
1 BR: $1,240/mo
San Jacinto County
1 BR: $1,048/mo
Austin County
1 BR: $891/mo

Nationwide peers by 2BR FMR & rent burden

Two PlainRent-derived comparison paths for Harris County, both outside Texas so the link neighborhoods are not the same-state geography lattice above. Axes stay disjoint: burden peers exclude the FMR peer set.

Similar 2-bedroom FMR

Nearest HUD 2BR Fair Market Rents outside TX (FY2026).

Monroe County
NY · 2 BR $1,573/mo
Ontario County
NY · 2 BR $1,573/mo
Frederick County
VA · 2 BR $1,573/mo
Wayne County
NY · 2 BR $1,573/mo

Similar rent burden

Nearest 2BR FMR as a share of median household income (outside TX).

Durham County
NC · 25.8% of income · 2 BR $1,711/mo
Carson City
NV · 25.8% of income · 2 BR $1,546/mo
Maricopa County
AZ · 25.8% of income · 2 BR $1,839/mo
Hamblen County
TN · 25.8% of income · 2 BR $1,135/mo

Nearby Counties in Texas

Largest counties by population in Texas

Showing the 8 largest of 253 other counties in Texas.

Dallas County
1 BR: $1,648/mo Pop: 2,604,053
Tarrant County
1 BR: $1,473/mo Pop: 2,113,854
Bexar County
1 BR: $1,177/mo Pop: 2,014,059
Travis County
1 BR: $1,562/mo Pop: 1,289,054
Collin County
1 BR: $1,648/mo Pop: 1,079,153
Denton County
1 BR: $1,648/mo Pop: 914,870
Hidalgo County
1 BR: $847/mo Pop: 873,167
El Paso County
1 BR: $1,013/mo Pop: 863,832
View all counties in Texas →

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the average rent in Harris County? ▼
The FY 2026 Fair Market Rent for a 1-bedroom in Harris County is $1,323 per month. A 2-bedroom is $1,573 and a studio is $1,280.
How does Harris County rent compare to the national average? ▼
Rent in Harris County is 38% above the national average. A 1-bedroom here costs $1,323 compared to $959 nationally.
Where does Harris County rank nationally for Fair Market Rent? ▼
According to HUD's FY 2026 Fair Market Rent schedule, Harris County's 2-bedroom FMR of $1,573 ranks #409 most expensive among 3,145 HUD counties, placing it in the upper-rent quarter of HUD counties.
What income do I need to afford rent in Harris County? ▼
Based on the 30% affordability rule, you need an annual income of at least $52,920 ($4,410/month) to afford a 1-bedroom at Fair Market Rent in Harris County.
Is rent going up or down in Harris County? ▼
The 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent in Harris County increased by 3.4% from FY 2025 to FY 2026, going from $1,279 to $1,323.
Which jobs can afford rent in Harris County? ▼
Based on Texas BLS salary data and the 30% affordability rule, jobs like Software Developers, General and Operations Managers, Registered Nurses can afford a 1-bedroom at $1,323/mo. 9 of 15 common occupations are affordable here.
How much has rent changed in Harris County over time? ▼
The 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent in Harris County went from $908 in FY 2020 to $1,323 in FY 2026, a total change of +45.7% over 6 years.
How does Fair Market Rent affect Section 8 vouchers in Harris County? ▼
In Harris County, the FY 2026 FMR of $1,323/mo for a 1-bedroom sets the baseline that local housing authorities use for Section 8 payment standards.
What does Fair Market Rent mean for Harris County? ▼
For Harris County, it's the specific 40th-percentile rent HUD publishes each year ($1,323/mo for a 1-bedroom in FY 2026).

Disclaimer: This information is provided for informational purposes only and does not constitute professional advice. Data is sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau and HUD Fair Market Rents. Consult a qualified professional before making decisions based on this data.

All federal data sources used on this page
  • HUD Fair Market Rents (FMR) - county-level fair-market rent estimates by bedroom count. huduser.gov/datasets/fmr
  • HUD Income Limits - area median income for affordability calculations. huduser.gov/datasets/il
  • HUD Comprehensive Housing Affordability Strategy (CHAS) - rent burden and housing-cost distribution. huduser.gov/datasets/cp
  • U.S. Census Bureau ACS - county and metro housing characteristics + median rent. census.gov/programs-surveys/acs
  • BLS Consumer Price Index, Rent of Primary Residence - rent inflation by metro. bls.gov/cpi
  • IRS Migration Data (SOI) - interstate migration aggregates affecting county demand. irs.gov/statistics/migration
  • BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics - state-level median wages by occupation, used for job affordability analysis. bls.gov/oes

Every figure on PlainRent is rendered directly from HUD's published Fair Market Rent records, no number is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of FY 2026.