County FMR · HUD FY2026
San Patricio County Fair Market Rent
HUD's FY2026 Fair Market Rent for San Patricio County, TX - 16% above the US average.
- $1,117
- 1-bedroom FMR
- $1,366
- 2-bedroom FMR
- -1.0%
- YoY change
- +16%
- vs US avg
The verdict
San Patricio is the 38th most expensive of 254 counties in Texas by 2-bedroom FMR; nationally it ranks #629 most expensive of 3,145 HUD counties.
- #629
- most expensive of 3,145 US counties (2BR)
- #38
- most expensive of 254 in Texas (2BR)
- +19%
- vs the state average
- $44,680
- income to afford it (30% rule)
Software Developers spend the smallest share of income on rent here (10.3%), while Fast Food and Counter Workers spend the most (49.6%).
FY 2026 HUD Fair Market Rent for San Patricio County, TX. Verify with HUD →
San Patricio County, Texas carries an FY 2026 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent of $1,117 per month, the federal benchmark HUD publishes for this county. A 2-bedroom costs $1,366/mo and a studio is $1,031/mo. That's 16% above the national benchmark of $959 and 19% above the Texas average of $935.
Rent decreased1.0% from FY 2025 ($1,128), roughly tracking inflation. A household needs about $44,680/year to stay under the 30% rent-to-income line.
Observed renter burden: 44.5% of the 8,244 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 5.9%, 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 5.2% over the past 12 months, close to the typical US county range.
FY 2026 HUD Fair Market Rents in Texas. Population: 68,942. Population has held roughly steady over the past five years (+3.7%, Census ACS). That's slower than Texas's statewide growth of +6.3% over the same period.
FMR filing desk
Area SAN·PATRICIO·COUNTY·TX·TX
San Patricio County, TX: $1,117/mo 1BR · #629 of 3145 counties (2BR) · FY2026
- FMR-AREA TX
- 1BR-FMR $1,117
- 2BR-FMR $1,366
- RANK-MID #629
- YOY-FLAT -1.0%
- VSUS-ABOVE +16%
- VS-ST-HIGH +19% TX
- INC-ROOM 20%
- POP-MID 69K
- PHOTO-NEAR Harris County
- VOUCH-90-110 $1,005–$1,229
- FY-2026 FY2026
Photo-finish peer: Harris ($206 1BR gap)
Read with: Understanding rent burden
Fair Market Rents (2026)
Year-over-Year Comparison
| Bedrooms | FY 2025 | FY 2026 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Studio | $1,051 | $1,031 | $-20 (-1.9%) |
| 1 Bedroom | $1,128 | $1,117 | $-11 (-1.0%) |
| 2 Bedroom | $1,390 | $1,366 | $-24 (-1.7%) |
| 3 Bedroom | $1,816 | $1,796 | $-20 (-1.1%) |
| 4 Bedroom | $2,119 | $2,054 | $-65 (-3.1%) |
Rent Burden Analysis
How much of household income goes to rent in San Patricio 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 San Patricio sits among every US county
2-bedroom Fair Market Rent vs. all 3,145 HUD counties
$1,366 Top 20% higher than 80% 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 San Patricio 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
- San Patricio
San Patricio County
$1,117 1BR FMR / mo
What this shows San Patricio 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), San Patricio County (this county) ($1,117).
Can Common Jobs Afford Rent Here?
Against a high local FMR of $1,117/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 | 10.3% | Affordable |
| General & Operations Managers | $100,290 | 13.4% | Affordable |
| Registered Nurses | $90,010 | 14.9% | Affordable |
| Accountants & Auditors | $80,000 | 16.8% | Affordable |
| Police & Sheriff's Patrol Officers | $76,350 | 17.6% | Affordable |
| Elementary School Teachers | $61,380 | 21.8% | Affordable |
| Paralegals & Legal Assistants | $59,700 | 22.5% | Affordable |
| Electricians | $56,920 | 23.5% | Affordable |
| Heavy & Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers | $53,070 | 25.3% | Affordable |
| Pharmacy Technicians | $43,920 | 30.5% | Stretched |
| Customer Service Representatives | $39,100 | 34.3% | Stretched |
| Janitors & Cleaners | $31,230 | 42.9% | Stretched |
| Retail Salespersons | $30,130 | 44.5% | Stretched |
| Teaching Assistants | $27,630 | 48.5% | Stretched |
| Fast Food & Counter Workers | $27,000 | 49.6% | Stretched |
Rent Trends (2020–2026)
7-year Fair Market Rent history for San Patricio County. Shows how HUD rental rates have changed over time.
Over the 6-year span HUD has tracked for San Patricio (FY 2020-2026), the 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent has risen 41.6% overall, from $789 to $1,117. Most of that movement was gradual except for a single sharp jump of +13.8% in FY 2023, well above this county's typical year-to-year change.
| Year | Studio | 1 BR | 2 BR |
|---|---|---|---|
| FY 2026 ↓1.0% | $1,031 | $1,117 | $1,366 |
| FY 2025 ↑2.2% | $1,051 | $1,128 | $1,390 |
| FY 2024 ↑6.8% | $1,030 | $1,104 | $1,355 |
| FY 2023 ↑13.8% | $950 | $1,034 | $1,262 |
| FY 2022 ↑5.2% | $822 | $909 | $1,118 |
| FY 2021 ↑9.5% | $784 | $864 | $1,079 |
| FY 2020 | $744 | $789 | $999 |
Part of the Corpus Christi, TX Metro Area
San Patricio County is a central county of the Corpus Christi, TX metropolitan statistical area, alongside 2 other metro-area counties.
San Patricio County ranks #2 of 3 counties in this metro area by 1-bedroom FMR. Every county sharing this metro, highest to lowest: Nueces County ($1,117), San Patricio County (this county) ($1,117), Aransas County ($1,072).
Nationwide peers by 2BR FMR & rent burden
Two PlainRent-derived comparison paths for San Patricio 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 San Patricio County?
The FY 2026 Fair Market Rent for a 1-bedroom in San Patricio County is $1,117 per month. A 2-bedroom is $1,366 and a studio is $1,031.
How does San Patricio County rent compare to the national average?
Rent in San Patricio County is 16% above the national average. A 1-bedroom here costs $1,117 compared to $959 nationally.
Where does San Patricio County rank nationally for Fair Market Rent?
According to HUD's FY 2026 Fair Market Rent schedule, San Patricio County's 2-bedroom FMR of $1,366 ranks #629 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 San Patricio County?
Based on the 30% affordability rule, you need an annual income of at least $44,680 ($3,723/month) to afford a 1-bedroom at Fair Market Rent in San Patricio County.
Is rent going up or down in San Patricio County?
The 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent in San Patricio County decreased by 1.0% from FY 2025 to FY 2026, going from $1,128 to $1,117.
Which jobs can afford rent in San Patricio 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 $1,117/mo. 9 of 15 common occupations are affordable here.
How much has rent changed in San Patricio County over time?
The 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent in San Patricio County went from $789 in FY 2020 to $1,117 in FY 2026, a total change of +41.6% over 6 years.
How does Fair Market Rent affect Section 8 vouchers in San Patricio County?
In San Patricio County, the FY 2026 FMR of $1,117/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 San Patricio County?
For San Patricio County, it's the specific 40th-percentile rent HUD publishes each year ($1,117/mo for a 1-bedroom in FY 2026).
Is the rental market tight or loose in San Patricio County?
The ACS rental vacancy rate here is 5.9%, close to the range where market rents and HUD's FMR benchmark tend to track each other.
What is the unemployment rate in San Patricio County?
The county's BLS unemployment rate has averaged 5.2% over the past 12 months, close to the typical US county range.
Data sources
What this means for renters
Treat San Patricio'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 $1,117 implies about $44,680/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 San Patricio 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.