County FMR · HUD FY2026
Parmer County Fair Market Rent
HUD's FY2026 Fair Market Rent for Parmer County, TX - 14% below the US average.
- $828
- 1-bedroom FMR
- $1,087
- 2-bedroom FMR
- +13.9%
- YoY change
- -14%
- vs US avg
The verdict
Parmer is the 112th most expensive of 254 counties in Texas by 2-bedroom FMR; nationally it ranks #1,352 most expensive of 3,145 HUD counties; rent here has climbed 13.9% since FY 2025, a sharp move relative to most counties.
- #1,352
- most expensive of 3,145 US counties (2BR)
- #112
- most expensive of 254 in Texas (2BR)
- -11%
- vs the state average
- $33,120
- income to afford it (30% rule)
Software Developers spend the smallest share of income on rent here (7.6%), while Fast Food and Counter Workers spend the most (36.8%).
FY 2026 HUD Fair Market Rent for Parmer County, TX. Verify with HUD →
The Fair Market Rent for a 1-bedroom apartment in Parmer County, Texas is $828 per month in FY 2026, according to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). A 2-bedroom costs $1,087/mo and a studio is $823/mo. This is 14% lower than the national average of $959 and 11% below the Texas average of $935.
Rent increased13.9% from FY 2025 ($727), outpacing inflation. Under the 30% rule, affordability starts near $33,120/year for a 1-bedroom.
Observed renter burden: 16.9% of the 1,005 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 14.0%, a loose rental market that typically gives renters more negotiating leverage than the FMR schedule alone implies.
Local labor market: The county's BLS unemployment rate has averaged 2.9% over the past 12 months, a tight labor market that typically supports steadier rent demand.
FY 2026 HUD Fair Market Rents in Texas. Population: 9,809. Population has held roughly steady over the past five years (-1.0%, Census ACS). That's slower than Texas's statewide growth of +6.3% over the same period.
FMR filing desk
Area PARMER·COUNTY·TX·TX
Parmer County, TX: $828/mo 1BR · #1352 of 3145 counties (2BR) · FY2026
- FMR-AREA TX
- 1BR-FMR $828
- 2BR-FMR $1,087
- RANK-MID #1,352
- YOY-SURGE +13.9%
- VSUS-BELOW -14%
- VS-ST-LOW -11% TX
- INC-ROOM 15%
- POP-SMALL 10K
- PHOTO-NEAR Harris County
- VOUCH-90-110 $745–$911
- FY-2026 FY2026
Photo-finish peer: Harris ($495 1BR gap)
Read with: How Fair Market Rent works
Fair Market Rents (2026)
Year-over-Year Comparison
| Bedrooms | FY 2025 | FY 2026 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Studio | $722 | $823 | +$101 (+14.0%) |
| 1 Bedroom | $727 | $828 | +$101 (+13.9%) |
| 2 Bedroom | $954 | $1,087 | +$133 (+13.9%) |
| 3 Bedroom | $1,149 | $1,303 | +$154 (+13.4%) |
| 4 Bedroom | $1,590 | $1,698 | +$108 (+6.8%) |
Rent Burden Analysis
How much of household income goes to rent in Parmer 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 Parmer sits among every US county
2-bedroom Fair Market Rent vs. all 3,145 HUD counties
$1,087 higher than 57% 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 Parmer 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
- Parmer
Parmer County
$828 1BR FMR / mo
What this shows Parmer 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), Parmer County (this county) ($828).
Can Common Jobs Afford Rent Here?
How a 1-bedroom at $828/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 | 7.6% | Affordable |
| General & Operations Managers | $100,290 | 9.9% | Affordable |
| Registered Nurses | $90,010 | 11% | Affordable |
| Accountants & Auditors | $80,000 | 12.4% | Affordable |
| Police & Sheriff's Patrol Officers | $76,350 | 13% | Affordable |
| Elementary School Teachers | $61,380 | 16.2% | Affordable |
| Paralegals & Legal Assistants | $59,700 | 16.6% | Affordable |
| Electricians | $56,920 | 17.5% | Affordable |
| Heavy & Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers | $53,070 | 18.7% | Affordable |
| Pharmacy Technicians | $43,920 | 22.6% | Affordable |
| Customer Service Representatives | $39,100 | 25.4% | Affordable |
| Janitors & Cleaners | $31,230 | 31.8% | Stretched |
| Retail Salespersons | $30,130 | 33% | Stretched |
| Teaching Assistants | $27,630 | 36% | Stretched |
| Fast Food & Counter Workers | $27,000 | 36.8% | Stretched |
Rent Trends (2020–2026)
7-year Fair Market Rent history for Parmer County. Shows how HUD rental rates have changed over time.
Over the 6-year span HUD has tracked for Parmer (FY 2020-2026), the 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent has risen 32.1% overall, from $627 to $828. Most of that movement was gradual except for a single sharp jump of +13.9% in FY 2026, well above this county's typical year-to-year change.
| Year | Studio | 1 BR | 2 BR |
|---|---|---|---|
| FY 2026 ↑13.9% | $823 | $828 | $1,087 |
| FY 2025 ↓7.4% | $722 | $727 | $954 |
| FY 2024 ↑8.3% | $766 | $785 | $984 |
| FY 2023 ↑8.4% | $632 | $725 | $838 |
| FY 2022 ↑3.9% | $564 | $669 | $762 |
| FY 2021 ↑2.7% | $538 | $644 | $734 |
| FY 2020 | $529 | $627 | $714 |
Where Parmer County Ranks in Texas
Parmer County is not part of any federally-designated metropolitan or micropolitan statistical area -- an independent rental market not administratively tied to a larger urban core. By 2-bedroom FMR, it ranks #143 of 254 counties in Texas. Nearest by rank: Lampasas County ($1,067), Nacogdoches County ($1,067), Palo Pinto County ($1,068), Runnels County ($1,069), Deaf Smith County ($1,070), Brown County ($1,080), Dawson County ($1,080), Reeves County ($1,083), Parmer County (this county) ($1,087), Frio County ($1,088), Mitchell County ($1,091), Austin County ($1,095), Llano County ($1,097), Atascosa County ($1,098), Wharton County ($1,100), Bowie County ($1,101), Oldham County ($1,101).
Nationwide peers by 2BR FMR & rent burden
Two PlainRent-derived comparison paths for Parmer 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 Parmer County?
The FY 2026 Fair Market Rent for a 1-bedroom in Parmer County is $828 per month. A 2-bedroom is $1,087 and a studio is $823.
How does Parmer County rent compare to the national average?
Rent in Parmer County is 14% below the national average. A 1-bedroom here costs $828 compared to $959 nationally.
Where does Parmer County rank nationally for Fair Market Rent?
According to HUD's FY 2026 Fair Market Rent schedule, Parmer County's 2-bedroom FMR of $1,087 ranks #1,352 most expensive among 3,145 HUD counties, placing it in the middle half of HUD counties.
What income do I need to afford rent in Parmer County?
Based on the 30% affordability rule, you need an annual income of at least $33,120 ($2,760/month) to afford a 1-bedroom at Fair Market Rent in Parmer County.
Is rent going up or down in Parmer County?
The 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent in Parmer County increased by 13.9% from FY 2025 to FY 2026, going from $727 to $828.
Which jobs can afford rent in Parmer 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 $828/mo. 11 of 15 common occupations are affordable here.
How much has rent changed in Parmer County over time?
The 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent in Parmer County went from $627 in FY 2020 to $828 in FY 2026, a total change of +32.1% over 6 years.
How does Fair Market Rent affect Section 8 vouchers in Parmer County?
In Parmer County, the FY 2026 FMR of $828/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 Parmer County?
For Parmer County, it's the specific 40th-percentile rent HUD publishes each year ($828/mo for a 1-bedroom in FY 2026).
Is the rental market tight or loose in Parmer County?
The ACS rental vacancy rate here is 14.0%, a loose rental market that typically gives renters more negotiating leverage than the FMR schedule alone implies.
What is the unemployment rate in Parmer County?
The county's BLS unemployment rate has averaged 2.9% over the past 12 months, a tight labor market that typically supports steadier rent demand.
Data sources
What this means for renters
Treat Parmer'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 $828 implies about $33,120/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 Parmer 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.