County FMR · HUD FY2026
Zavala County Fair Market Rent
HUD's FY2026 Fair Market Rent for Zavala County, TX - 19% below the US average.
- $778
- 1-bedroom FMR
- $973
- 2-bedroom FMR
- +3.5%
- YoY change
- -19%
- vs US avg
The verdict
Zavala is the 69th 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)
- #69
- cheapest of 254 in Texas (2BR)
- -17%
- vs the state average
- $31,120
- income to afford it (30% rule)
Software Developers spend the smallest share of income on rent here (7.2%), while Fast Food and Counter Workers spend the most (34.6%).
FY 2026 HUD Fair Market Rent for Zavala County, TX. Verify with HUD →
The Fair Market Rent for a 1-bedroom apartment in Zavala County, Texas is $778 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 $756/mo. This is 19% lower than the national average of $959 and 17% below the Texas average of $935.
Rent increased3.5% from FY 2025 ($752), outpacing inflation. The 30% affordability floor is comparatively reachable here at $31,120/year.
Observed renter burden: 35.9% of the 990 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: 9,700. Population declined 21.4% 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 ZAVALA·COUNTY·TX·TX
Zavala County, TX: $778/mo 1BR · #976 of 3145 counties (2BR) · FY2026
- FMR-AREA TX
- 1BR-FMR $778
- 2BR-FMR $973
- RANK-MID #976
- YOY-UP +3.5%
- VSUS-BELOW -19%
- VS-ST-LOW -17% TX
- INC-MID 22%
- POP-SMALL 10K
- PHOTO-NEAR Harris County
- VOUCH-90-110 $700–$856
- FY-2026 FY2026
Photo-finish peer: Harris ($545 1BR gap)
Read with: Section 8 housing guide
Fair Market Rents (2026)
Year-over-Year Comparison
| Bedrooms | FY 2025 | FY 2026 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Studio | $732 | $756 | +$24 (+3.3%) |
| 1 Bedroom | $752 | $778 | +$26 (+3.5%) |
| 2 Bedroom | $933 | $973 | +$40 (+4.3%) |
| 3 Bedroom | $1,307 | $1,353 | +$46 (+3.5%) |
| 4 Bedroom | $1,395 | $1,432 | +$37 (+2.7%) |
Rent Burden Analysis
How much of household income goes to rent in Zavala 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 Zavala 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 Zavala 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
- Zavala
Zavala County
$778 1BR FMR / mo
What this shows Zavala 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), Zavala County (this county) ($778).
Can Common Jobs Afford Rent Here?
With a below-average 1-bedroom at $778/mo, most of these Texas occupations clear, or miss, the 30% affordability line.
| Occupation | TX Salary | Rent Burden | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|
| Software Developers | $130,500 | 7.2% | Affordable |
| General & Operations Managers | $100,290 | 9.3% | Affordable |
| Registered Nurses | $90,010 | 10.4% | Affordable |
| Accountants & Auditors | $80,000 | 11.7% | Affordable |
| Police & Sheriff's Patrol Officers | $76,350 | 12.2% | Affordable |
| Elementary School Teachers | $61,380 | 15.2% | Affordable |
| Paralegals & Legal Assistants | $59,700 | 15.6% | Affordable |
| Electricians | $56,920 | 16.4% | Affordable |
| Heavy & Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers | $53,070 | 17.6% | Affordable |
| Pharmacy Technicians | $43,920 | 21.3% | Affordable |
| Customer Service Representatives | $39,100 | 23.9% | Affordable |
| Janitors & Cleaners | $31,230 | 29.9% | Affordable |
| Retail Salespersons | $30,130 | 31% | Stretched |
| Teaching Assistants | $27,630 | 33.8% | Stretched |
| Fast Food & Counter Workers | $27,000 | 34.6% | Stretched |
Rent Trends (2020–2026)
7-year Fair Market Rent history for Zavala County. Shows how HUD rental rates have changed over time.
Over the 6-year span HUD has tracked for Zavala (FY 2020-2026), the 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent has risen 24.1% overall, from $627 to $778. The increases have been fairly steady year to year, with no single jump exceeding 10.8% (FY 2024).
| Year | Studio | 1 BR | 2 BR |
|---|---|---|---|
| FY 2026 ↑3.5% | $756 | $778 | $973 |
| FY 2025 ↑3.2% | $732 | $752 | $933 |
| FY 2024 ↑10.8% | $705 | $729 | $905 |
| FY 2023 ↓0.9% | $623 | $658 | $826 |
| FY 2022 ↑3.8% | $560 | $664 | $757 |
| FY 2021 ↑2.1% | $538 | $640 | $734 |
| FY 2020 | $529 | $627 | $714 |
Where Zavala County Ranks in Texas
Zavala 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 #69 of 254 counties in Texas. Nearest by rank: Sherman County ($973), Starr County ($973), Sutton County ($973), Swisher County ($973), Terry County ($973), Titus County ($973), Willacy County ($973), Zapata County ($973), Zavala County (this county) ($973), Houston County ($978), Winkler County ($978), Crane County ($980), Cherokee County ($984), Fannin County ($985), Throckmorton County ($986), Brewster County ($993), Wilbarger County ($993).
Nationwide peers by 2BR FMR & rent burden
Two PlainRent-derived comparison paths for Zavala 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 Zavala County? ▼
How does Zavala County rent compare to the national average? ▼
Where does Zavala County rank nationally for Fair Market Rent? ▼
What income do I need to afford rent in Zavala County? ▼
Is rent going up or down in Zavala County? ▼
Which jobs can afford rent in Zavala County? ▼
How much has rent changed in Zavala County over time? ▼
How does Fair Market Rent affect Section 8 vouchers in Zavala County? ▼
What does Fair Market Rent mean for Zavala County? ▼
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.
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.