County FMR · HUD FY2026
Hockley County Fair Market Rent
HUD's FY2026 Fair Market Rent for Hockley County, TX - 11% below the US average.
- $854
- 1-bedroom FMR
- $973
- 2-bedroom FMR
- +1.3%
- YoY change
- -11%
- vs US avg
The verdict
Hockley is the 31st cheapest of 254 counties in Texas by 2-bedroom FMR; nationally it ranks #976 most affordable of 3,145 HUD counties.
- #976
- most affordable of 3,145 US counties (2BR)
- #31
- cheapest of 254 in Texas (2BR)
- -9%
- vs the state average
- $34,160
- income to afford it (30% rule)
Software Developers spend the smallest share of income on rent here (7.9%), while Fast Food and Counter Workers spend the most (38%).
FY 2026 HUD Fair Market Rent for Hockley County, TX. Verify with HUD →
The Fair Market Rent for a 1-bedroom apartment in Hockley County, Texas is $854 per month in FY 2026, according to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). A 2-bedroom costs $973/mo and a studio is $848/mo. This is 11% lower than the national average of $959 and 9% below the Texas average of $935.
Rent increased1.3% from FY 2025 ($843), roughly tracking inflation. Under the 30% rule, affordability starts near $34,160/year for a 1-bedroom.
Observed renter burden: 36.9% of the 2,210 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.
Market slack: The ACS rental vacancy rate here is 6.0%, close to the range where market rents and HUD's FMR benchmark tend to track each other.
Local labor market: The county's BLS unemployment rate has averaged 4.0% over the past 12 months, close to the typical US county range.
FY 2026 HUD Fair Market Rents in Texas. Population: 21,495. Population declined 7.4% over the past five years (Census ACS), a trend that can ease rental-market pressure over time even as FMR reflects recent rent levels. That's slower than Texas's statewide growth of +6.3% over the same period.
FMR filing desk
Area HOCKLEY·COUNTY·TX·TX
Hockley County, TX: $854/mo 1BR · #976 of 3145 counties (2BR) · FY2026
- FMR-AREA TX
- 1BR-FMR $854
- 2BR-FMR $973
- RANK-MID #976
- YOY-FLAT +1.3%
- VSUS-BELOW -11%
- VS-ST-LOW -9% TX
- INC-ROOM 19%
- POP-SMALL 21K
- PHOTO-NEAR Harris County
- VOUCH-90-110 $769–$939
- FY-2026 FY2026
Photo-finish peer: Harris ($469 1BR gap)
Read with: How Fair Market Rent works
Fair Market Rents (2026)
Year-over-Year Comparison
| Bedrooms | FY 2025 | FY 2026 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Studio | $811 | $848 | +$37 (+4.6%) |
| 1 Bedroom | $843 | $854 | +$11 (+1.3%) |
| 2 Bedroom | $933 | $973 | +$40 (+4.3%) |
| 3 Bedroom | $1,307 | $1,353 | +$46 (+3.5%) |
| 4 Bedroom | $1,567 | $1,632 | +$65 (+4.1%) |
Rent Burden Analysis
How much of household income goes to rent in Hockley County. The 30% threshold indicates cost burden.
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.
Where Hockley sits among every US county
2-bedroom Fair Market Rent vs. all 3,145 HUD counties
$973 higher than 31% of 3,145 counties
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 Hockley compares on 1-bedroom rent
1-bedroom FMR vs other Texas counties
- Dallas
Dallas County
$1,648 1BR FMR / mo
- Collin
Collin County
$1,648 1BR FMR / mo
- Travis
Travis County
$1,562 1BR FMR / mo
- Tarrant
Tarrant County
$1,473 1BR FMR / mo
- Harris
Harris County
$1,323 1BR FMR / mo
- Bexar
Bexar County
$1,177 1BR FMR / mo
- Hockley
Hockley County
$854 1BR FMR / mo
What this shows Hockley is highlighted. Nearby Texas counties by 1-bedroom FMR, highest to lowest: Dallas County ($1,648), Collin County ($1,648), Travis County ($1,562), Tarrant County ($1,473), Harris County ($1,323), Bexar County ($1,177), Hockley County (this county) ($854).
Can Common Jobs Afford Rent Here?
How a 1-bedroom at $854/mo compares to Texas salaries for popular occupations (BLS wage data, 30%-of-income rule).
| Occupation | TX Salary | Rent Burden | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|
| Software Developers | $130,500 | 7.9% | Affordable |
| General & Operations Managers | $100,290 | 10.2% | Affordable |
| Registered Nurses | $90,010 | 11.4% | Affordable |
| Accountants & Auditors | $80,000 | 12.8% | Affordable |
| Police & Sheriff's Patrol Officers | $76,350 | 13.4% | Affordable |
| Elementary School Teachers | $61,380 | 16.7% | Affordable |
| Paralegals & Legal Assistants | $59,700 | 17.2% | Affordable |
| Electricians | $56,920 | 18% | Affordable |
| Heavy & Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers | $53,070 | 19.3% | Affordable |
| Pharmacy Technicians | $43,920 | 23.3% | Affordable |
| Customer Service Representatives | $39,100 | 26.2% | Affordable |
| Janitors & Cleaners | $31,230 | 32.8% | Stretched |
| Retail Salespersons | $30,130 | 34% | Stretched |
| Teaching Assistants | $27,630 | 37.1% | Stretched |
| Fast Food & Counter Workers | $27,000 | 38% | Stretched |
Rent Trends (2020–2026)
7-year Fair Market Rent history for Hockley County. Shows how HUD rental rates have changed over time.
Over the 6-year span HUD has tracked for Hockley (FY 2020-2026), the 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent has risen 39.8% overall, from $611 to $854. The increases have been fairly steady year to year, with no single jump exceeding 10.3% (FY 2024).
| Year | Studio | 1 BR | 2 BR |
|---|---|---|---|
| FY 2026 ↑1.3% | $848 | $854 | $973 |
| FY 2025 ↑4.6% | $811 | $843 | $933 |
| FY 2024 ↑10.3% | $705 | $806 | $905 |
| FY 2023 ↑10.1% | $623 | $731 | $826 |
| FY 2022 ↑3.1% | $560 | $664 | $757 |
| FY 2021 ↑5.4% | $538 | $644 | $734 |
| FY 2020 | $529 | $611 | $714 |
Part of the Lubbock, TX Metro Area
Hockley County is a outlying county of the Lubbock, TX metropolitan statistical area, alongside 5 other metro-area counties.
Hockley County ranks #3 of 6 counties in this metro area by 1-bedroom FMR. Every county sharing this metro, highest to lowest: Lubbock County ($990), Crosby County ($990), Hockley County (this county) ($854), Garza County ($820), Cochran County ($820), Lynn County ($767).
Nationwide peers by 2BR FMR & rent burden
Two PlainRent-derived comparison paths for Hockley 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).
Similar rent burden
Nearest 2BR FMR as a share of median household income (outside TX).
Nearby Counties in Texas
Largest counties by population in Texas
Showing the 8 largest of 253 other counties in Texas.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the average rent in Hockley County?
The FY 2026 Fair Market Rent for a 1-bedroom in Hockley County is $854 per month. A 2-bedroom is $973 and a studio is $848.
How does Hockley County rent compare to the national average?
Rent in Hockley County is 11% below the national average. A 1-bedroom here costs $854 compared to $959 nationally.
Where does Hockley County rank nationally for Fair Market Rent?
According to HUD's FY 2026 Fair Market Rent schedule, Hockley County's 2-bedroom FMR of $973 ranks #976 most affordable among 3,145 HUD counties, placing it in the middle half of HUD counties.
What income do I need to afford rent in Hockley County?
Based on the 30% affordability rule, you need an annual income of at least $34,160 ($2,847/month) to afford a 1-bedroom at Fair Market Rent in Hockley County.
Is rent going up or down in Hockley County?
The 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent in Hockley County increased by 1.3% from FY 2025 to FY 2026, going from $843 to $854.
Which jobs can afford rent in Hockley 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 $854/mo. 11 of 15 common occupations are affordable here.
How much has rent changed in Hockley County over time?
The 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent in Hockley County went from $611 in FY 2020 to $854 in FY 2026, a total change of +39.8% over 6 years.
How does Fair Market Rent affect Section 8 vouchers in Hockley County?
In Hockley County, the FY 2026 FMR of $854/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 Hockley County?
For Hockley County, it's the specific 40th-percentile rent HUD publishes each year ($854/mo for a 1-bedroom in FY 2026).
Is the rental market tight or loose in Hockley County?
The ACS rental vacancy rate here is 6.0%, close to the range where market rents and HUD's FMR benchmark tend to track each other.
What is the unemployment rate in Hockley County?
The county's BLS unemployment rate has averaged 4.0% over the past 12 months, close to the typical US county range.
Data sources
What this means for renters
Treat Hockley's FY2026 Fair Market Rent as HUD's affordability benchmark, not a single market quote.
- Budget to roughly 30% of income: the FY2026 1-bedroom FMR of $854 implies about $34,160/yr to rent without being cost-burdened. Run your numbers
- Texas counties vary widely around this figure - compare specific counties before assuming this applies to yours. Compare vs Harris
- See where Hockley ranks nationally on rent. National rankings
Fair Market Rent is HUD's 40th-percentile policy benchmark used to set Housing Choice Voucher payment standards. Actual asking rents can run higher or lower, and HUD updates FMRs once a year. This site is informational and not financial or relocation advice.
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.