County FMR · HUD FY2026

Midland County Fair Market Rent

HUD's FY2026 Fair Market Rent for Midland County, TX - 51% above the US average.

$1,449
1-bedroom FMR
$1,780
2-bedroom FMR
-8.9%
YoY change
+51%
vs US avg

The verdict

Midland is the 13th most expensive of 254 counties in Texas by 2-bedroom FMR; nationally it ranks #252 most expensive of 3,145 HUD counties; rent here has fallen 8.9% since FY 2025, a modest shift relative to most counties.

#252
most expensive of 3,145 US counties (2BR)
#13
most expensive of 254 in Texas (2BR)
+55%
vs the state average
$57,960
income to afford it (30% rule)

Software Developers spend the smallest share of income on rent here (13.3%), while Fast Food and Counter Workers spend the most (64.4%).

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

Midland County, Texas carries an FY 2026 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent of $1,449 per month, the federal benchmark HUD publishes for this county. A 2-bedroom costs $1,780/mo and a studio is $1,424/mo. That's 51% above the national benchmark of $959 and 55% above the Texas average of $935.

Rent decreased8.9% from FY 2025 ($1,591), declining against the trend. Clearing the 30% rule here takes $57,960/year, a high bar relative to most US counties.

Observed renter burden: 44.7% of the 21,322 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: 169,393. Population has held roughly steady over the past five years (+4.4%, Census ACS). That's slower than Texas's statewide growth of +6.3% over the same period.

FMR filing desk

Area MIDLAND·COUNTY·TX·TX

Midland County, TX: $1,449/mo 1BR · #252 of 3145 counties (2BR) · FY2026

  • FMR-AREA TX
  • 1BR-FMR $1,449
  • 2BR-FMR $1,780
  • RANK-UPPER #252
  • YOY-DOWN -8.9%
  • VSUS-HIGH +51%
  • VS-ST-HIGH +55% TX
  • INC-ROOM 19%
  • POP-MID 169K
  • PHOTO-NEAR Harris County
  • VOUCH-90-110 $1,304–$1,594
  • FY-2026 FY2026

Photo-finish peer: Harris ($126 1BR gap)

Read with: Understanding rent burden

Fair Market Rents (2026)

Studio
State avg: $887 · US avg: $893
$1,424/mo
↓ 10.0% YoY +61% vs state +59% vs US
1 Bedroom
State avg: $935 · US avg: $959
$1,449/mo
↓ 8.9% YoY +55% vs state +51% vs US
2 Bedroom
State avg: $1,149 · US avg: $1,175
$1,780/mo
↓ 4.7% YoY +55% vs state +51% vs US
3 Bedroom
State avg: $1,497 · US avg: $1,525
$2,286/mo
↓ 4.7% YoY +53% vs state +50% vs US
4 Bedroom
State avg: $1,733 · US avg: $1,756
$2,667/mo
↓ 10.0% YoY +54% vs state +52% vs US

Year-over-Year Comparison

Bedrooms FY 2025 FY 2026 Change
Studio $1,582
$1,424
$-158 (-10.0%)
1 Bedroom $1,591
$1,449
$-142 (-8.9%)
2 Bedroom $1,867
$1,780
$-87 (-4.7%)
3 Bedroom $2,398
$2,286
$-112 (-4.7%)
4 Bedroom $2,963
$2,667
$-296 (-10.0%)

Rent Burden Analysis

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

Studio
18.2%
Affordable
Need $56,960/yr for 30% rule
1 Bedroom
18.5%
Affordable
Need $57,960/yr for 30% rule
2 Bedroom
22.7%
Affordable
Need $71,200/yr for 30% rule
3 Bedroom
29.2%
Affordable
Need $91,440/yr for 30% rule
4 Bedroom
34.1%
Burdened
Need $106,680/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%22.7%
Midland County 2-bedroom rent burden
County median income: $93,984 · National avg burden: 21.7% ·View Texas rent burden →

Where Midland sits among every US county

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

$1,780 Top 8% higher than 92% 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%). Below this entry. $1,600–$1,800: 172 counties (5%). This entry sits in this band. $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 Midland compares on 1-bedroom rent

1-bedroom FMR vs other Texas counties

1BR FMR / mo

What this shows Midland 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), Midland County (this county) ($1,449), Harris 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 $1,449/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 13.3% Affordable
General & Operations Managers $100,290 17.3% Affordable
Registered Nurses $90,010 19.3% Affordable
Accountants & Auditors $80,000 21.7% Affordable
Police & Sheriff's Patrol Officers $76,350 22.8% Affordable
Elementary School Teachers $61,380 28.3% Affordable
Paralegals & Legal Assistants $59,700 29.1% Affordable
Electricians $56,920 30.5% Stretched
Heavy & Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers $53,070 32.8% Stretched
Pharmacy Technicians $43,920 39.6% Stretched
Customer Service Representatives $39,100 44.5% Stretched
Janitors & Cleaners $31,230 55.7% Unaffordable
Retail Salespersons $30,130 57.7% Unaffordable
Teaching Assistants $27,630 62.9% Unaffordable
Fast Food & Counter Workers $27,000 64.4% Unaffordable
Salaries: BLS OES (Texas) median · 30% = affordable threshold · Try the salary calculator →

Rent Trends (2020–2026)

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

Over the 6-year span HUD has tracked for Midland (FY 2020-2026), the 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent has risen 34.2% overall, from $1,080 to $1,449. The path there hasn't been smooth: year-over-year moves have swung by as much as 22.7% (FY 2024), a volatility pattern that makes single-year comparisons a poor guide to the underlying trend.

$1,000$1,200$1,400$1,600$1,800 FY2020FY2021FY2022FY2023FY2024FY2025FY2026 $1,449
Midland County 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent, FY2020–FY2026
Year Studio 1 BR 2 BR
FY 2026 ↓8.9% $1,424 $1,449 $1,780
FY 2025 ↑16.0% $1,582 $1,591 $1,867
FY 2024 ↑22.7% $1,364 $1,372 $1,612
FY 2023 ↓4.0% $1,111 $1,118 $1,330
FY 2022 ↑3.3% $1,158 $1,165 $1,433
FY 2021 ↑4.4% $1,121 $1,128 $1,391
FY 2020 $1,073 $1,080 $1,349
Total change (6yr): +34.2%
Annualized: +5.0%/yr
1 BR: $1,080 → $1,449

Part of the Midland, TX Metro Area

Midland County is a central county of the Midland, TX metropolitan statistical area, alongside 1 other metro-area county.

Midland County ranks #1 of 2 counties in this metro area by 1-bedroom FMR. Every county sharing this metro, highest to lowest: Midland County (this county) ($1,449), Martin County ($1,441).

Midland County (this county)
1 BR: $1,449/mo
Martin County
1 BR: $1,441/mo

Nationwide peers by 2BR FMR & rent burden

Two PlainRent-derived comparison paths for Midland 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).

Cook County
IL · 2 BR $1,781/mo
DuPage County
IL · 2 BR $1,781/mo
Lake County
IL · 2 BR $1,781/mo
Will County
IL · 2 BR $1,781/mo

Similar rent burden

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

Perry County
PA · 22.7% of income · 2 BR $1,493/mo
Chesterfield County
SC · 22.7% of income · 2 BR $902/mo
Blaine County
ID · 22.7% of income · 2 BR $1,600/mo
Kent County
RI · 22.7% of income · 2 BR $1,729/mo

Nearby Counties in Texas

Largest counties by population in Texas

Showing the 8 largest of 253 other counties in Texas.

Harris County
1 BR: $1,323/mo Pop: 4,726,177
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
View all counties in Texas →

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the average rent in Midland County? ▼
The FY 2026 Fair Market Rent for a 1-bedroom in Midland County is $1,449 per month. A 2-bedroom is $1,780 and a studio is $1,424.
How does Midland County rent compare to the national average? ▼
Rent in Midland County is 51% above the national average. A 1-bedroom here costs $1,449 compared to $959 nationally.
Where does Midland County rank nationally for Fair Market Rent? ▼
According to HUD's FY 2026 Fair Market Rent schedule, Midland County's 2-bedroom FMR of $1,780 ranks #252 most expensive among 3,145 HUD counties, placing it in the highest-rent tenth of HUD counties.
What income do I need to afford rent in Midland County? ▼
Based on the 30% affordability rule, you need an annual income of at least $57,960 ($4,830/month) to afford a 1-bedroom at Fair Market Rent in Midland County.
Is rent going up or down in Midland County? ▼
The 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent in Midland County decreased by 8.9% from FY 2025 to FY 2026, going from $1,591 to $1,449.
Which jobs can afford rent in Midland 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 $1,449/mo. 7 of 15 common occupations are affordable here.
How much has rent changed in Midland County over time? ▼
The 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent in Midland County went from $1,080 in FY 2020 to $1,449 in FY 2026, a total change of +34.2% over 6 years.
How does Fair Market Rent affect Section 8 vouchers in Midland County? ▼
In Midland County, the FY 2026 FMR of $1,449/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 Midland County? ▼
For Midland County, it's the specific 40th-percentile rent HUD publishes each year ($1,449/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.