County FMR · HUD FY2026

Williamson County Fair Market Rent

HUD's FY2026 Fair Market Rent for Williamson County, TX - 63% above the US average.

$1,562
1-bedroom FMR
$1,852
2-bedroom FMR
-5.3%
YoY change
+63%
vs US avg

The verdict

Williamson is the 8th most expensive of 254 counties in Texas by 2-bedroom FMR; nationally it ranks #189 most expensive of 3,145 HUD counties; rent here has fallen 5.3% since FY 2025, a modest shift relative to most counties.

#189
most expensive of 3,145 US counties (2BR)
#8
most expensive of 254 in Texas (2BR)
+67%
vs the state average
$62,480
income to afford it (30% rule)

Software Developers spend the smallest share of income on rent here (14.4%), while Fast Food and Counter Workers spend the most (69.4%); only 5 of 15 common occupations here can afford a 1-bedroom at Fair Market Rent without exceeding the 30% threshold.

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

The Fair Market Rent for a 1-bedroom apartment in Williamson County, Texas is $1,562 per month in FY 2026, according to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). A 2-bedroom costs $1,852/mo and a studio is $1,474/mo. This is 63% higher than the national average of $959 and 67% above the Texas average of $935.

Rent decreased5.3% from FY 2025 ($1,650), declining against the trend. Clearing the 30% rule here takes $62,480/year, a high bar relative to most US counties.

Observed renter burden: 46.1% of the 79,579 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: 617,396. Population grew 22.2% over the past five years (Census ACS) - among the faster-growing counties nationally, a trend that typically adds upward pressure on rents. That's faster than Texas's statewide growth of +6.3% over the same period.

FMR filing desk

Area WILLIAMSON·COUNTY·TX·TX

Williamson County, TX: $1,562/mo 1BR · #189 of 3145 counties (2BR) · FY2026

  • FMR-AREA TX
  • 1BR-FMR $1,562
  • 2BR-FMR $1,852
  • RANK-UPPER #189
  • YOY-DOWN -5.3%
  • VSUS-HIGH +63%
  • VS-ST-HIGH +67% TX
  • INC-ROOM 17%
  • POP-MAJOR 617K
  • PHOTO-NEAR Harris County
  • VOUCH-90-110 $1,406–$1,718
  • FY-2026 FY2026

Photo-finish peer: Harris ($239 1BR gap)

Read with: Understanding rent burden

Fair Market Rents (2026)

Studio
State avg: $887 · US avg: $893
$1,474/mo
↓ 4.8% YoY +66% vs state +65% vs US
1 Bedroom
State avg: $935 · US avg: $959
$1,562/mo
↓ 5.3% YoY +67% vs state +63% vs US
2 Bedroom
State avg: $1,149 · US avg: $1,175
$1,852/mo
↓ 5.0% YoY +61% vs state +58% vs US
3 Bedroom
State avg: $1,497 · US avg: $1,525
$2,347/mo
↓ 5.5% YoY +57% vs state +54% vs US
4 Bedroom
State avg: $1,733 · US avg: $1,756
$2,760/mo
↓ 4.2% YoY +59% vs state +57% vs US

Year-over-Year Comparison

Bedrooms FY 2025 FY 2026 Change
Studio $1,549
$1,474
$-75 (-4.8%)
1 Bedroom $1,650
$1,562
$-88 (-5.3%)
2 Bedroom $1,949
$1,852
$-97 (-5.0%)
3 Bedroom $2,484
$2,347
$-137 (-5.5%)
4 Bedroom $2,882
$2,760
$-122 (-4.2%)

Rent Burden Analysis

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

Studio
16.3%
Affordable
Need $58,960/yr for 30% rule
1 Bedroom
17.3%
Affordable
Need $62,480/yr for 30% rule
2 Bedroom
20.5%
Affordable
Need $74,080/yr for 30% rule
3 Bedroom
26%
Affordable
Need $93,880/yr for 30% rule
4 Bedroom
30.6%
Burdened
Need $110,400/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%20.5%
Williamson County 2-bedroom rent burden
County median income: $108,309 · National avg burden: 21.7% ·View Texas rent burden →

Where Williamson sits among every US county

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

$1,852 Top 6% higher than 94% 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%). Below this entry. $1,800–$2,000: 108 counties (3%). This entry sits in this band. $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 Williamson compares on 1-bedroom rent

1-bedroom FMR vs other Texas counties

1BR FMR / mo

What this shows Williamson is highlighted. Nearby Texas counties by 1-bedroom FMR, highest to lowest: Dallas County ($1,648), Collin County ($1,648), Williamson County (this county) ($1,562), Travis County ($1,562), Tarrant County ($1,473), 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 $1,562/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 14.4% Affordable
General & Operations Managers $100,290 18.7% Affordable
Registered Nurses $90,010 20.8% Affordable
Accountants & Auditors $80,000 23.4% Affordable
Police & Sheriff's Patrol Officers $76,350 24.6% Affordable
Elementary School Teachers $61,380 30.5% Stretched
Paralegals & Legal Assistants $59,700 31.4% Stretched
Electricians $56,920 32.9% Stretched
Heavy & Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers $53,070 35.3% Stretched
Pharmacy Technicians $43,920 42.7% Stretched
Customer Service Representatives $39,100 47.9% Stretched
Janitors & Cleaners $31,230 60% Unaffordable
Retail Salespersons $30,130 62.2% Unaffordable
Teaching Assistants $27,630 67.8% Unaffordable
Fast Food & Counter Workers $27,000 69.4% Unaffordable
Salaries: BLS OES (Texas) median · 30% = affordable threshold · Try the salary calculator →

Rent Trends (2020–2026)

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

Over the 6-year span HUD has tracked for Williamson (FY 2020-2026), the 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent has risen 37.7% overall, from $1,134 to $1,562. Most of that movement was gradual except for a single sharp jump of +18.0% in FY 2024, well above this county's typical year-to-year change.

$1,000$1,200$1,400$1,600$1,800 FY2020FY2021FY2022FY2023FY2024FY2025FY2026 $1,562
Williamson County 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent, FY2020–FY2026
Year Studio 1 BR 2 BR
FY 2026 ↓5.3% $1,474 $1,562 $1,852
FY 2025 ↑0.9% $1,549 $1,650 $1,949
FY 2024 ↑18.0% $1,519 $1,635 $1,924
FY 2023 ↑12.1% $1,253 $1,386 $1,626
FY 2022 ↑2.0% $1,092 $1,236 $1,451
FY 2021 ↑6.9% $1,059 $1,212 $1,434
FY 2020 $988 $1,134 $1,356
Total change (6yr): +37.7%
Annualized: +5.5%/yr
1 BR: $1,134 → $1,562

Part of the Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX Metro Area

Williamson County is a central county of the Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX metropolitan statistical area, alongside 4 other metro-area counties.

Williamson County ranks #5 of 5 counties in this metro area by 1-bedroom FMR. Every county sharing this metro, highest to lowest: Travis County ($1,562), Hays County ($1,562), Bastrop County ($1,562), Caldwell County ($1,562), Williamson County (this county) ($1,562).

Travis County
1 BR: $1,562/mo
Hays County
1 BR: $1,562/mo
Bastrop County
1 BR: $1,562/mo
Caldwell County
1 BR: $1,562/mo
Williamson County (this county)
1 BR: $1,562/mo

Nationwide peers by 2BR FMR & rent burden

Two PlainRent-derived comparison paths for Williamson 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).

Baltimore County
MD · 2 BR $1,857/mo
Anne Arundel County
MD · 2 BR $1,857/mo
Baltimore city
MD · 2 BR $1,857/mo
Howard County
MD · 2 BR $1,857/mo

Similar rent burden

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

Jefferson County
PA · 20.5% of income · 2 BR $973/mo
Washington County
CO · 20.5% of income · 2 BR $1,114/mo
Jerome County
ID · 20.5% of income · 2 BR $1,186/mo
Cheboygan County
MI · 20.5% of income · 2 BR $1,054/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 Williamson County? ▼
The FY 2026 Fair Market Rent for a 1-bedroom in Williamson County is $1,562 per month. A 2-bedroom is $1,852 and a studio is $1,474.
How does Williamson County rent compare to the national average? ▼
Rent in Williamson County is 63% above the national average. A 1-bedroom here costs $1,562 compared to $959 nationally.
Where does Williamson County rank nationally for Fair Market Rent? ▼
According to HUD's FY 2026 Fair Market Rent schedule, Williamson County's 2-bedroom FMR of $1,852 ranks #189 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 Williamson County? ▼
Based on the 30% affordability rule, you need an annual income of at least $62,480 ($5,207/month) to afford a 1-bedroom at Fair Market Rent in Williamson County.
Is rent going up or down in Williamson County? ▼
The 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent in Williamson County decreased by 5.3% from FY 2025 to FY 2026, going from $1,650 to $1,562.
Which jobs can afford rent in Williamson 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 $1,562/mo. 5 of 15 common occupations are affordable here.
How much has rent changed in Williamson County over time? ▼
The 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent in Williamson County went from $1,134 in FY 2020 to $1,562 in FY 2026, a total change of +37.7% over 6 years.
How does Fair Market Rent affect Section 8 vouchers in Williamson County? ▼
In Williamson County, the FY 2026 FMR of $1,562/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 Williamson County? ▼
For Williamson County, it's the specific 40th-percentile rent HUD publishes each year ($1,562/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.