Section 8 in Abilene, TX: FMR & Landlord Guide

Abilene, TX metro area (CBSA 10180). FY2026 Fair Market Rents, active voucher counts, housing authorities and wait-list status, and source-of-income law. Every figure below links back to its source.

2-bedroom FMR (FY2026)
$1,276
HUD
Active vouchers
1,975
93% utilized
Housing authorities
7
serving this metro
Source-of-income law
State preempts
Tex. Local Gov. Code §250.007

Fair Market Rent by bedroom count

HUD-published metro FMR for FY2026. Payment standards (what a PHA actually pays) are set between 90% and 110% of FMR at PHA discretion.

BedroomsFMRPayment standard (90–110%)
Efficiency (studio)$1,010$909 – $1,111
1-bedroom$1,020$918 – $1,122
2-bedroom$1,276$1,148 – $1,404
3-bedroom$1,653$1,488 – $1,818
4-bedroom$1,987$1,788 – $2,186

Example: at 100% of FMR, a 2-bedroom voucher in Abilene, TX covers up to $1,276 in gross rent (before the tenant’s utility allowance). Between the low and high end of the range: $1,148$1,404.

Voucher demand in this metro

Active vouchers
1,975
Occupied
1,837
Utilization
93%

Aggregated from HUD Public Housing Authority data (FY2026). High utilization means voucher holders are placed and reliably paying rent, a stable but competitive tenant pool for accepting landlords.

Housing authorities serving Abilene, TX

7 PHAs administer vouchers in this metro. Contact the PHA that covers the specific address you’re considering.

  • Housing Authority of the City of Abilene

    Abilene, TX · TX327 · 1,802 HCV units

    Status unknown
  • Housing Authority of Baird

    Baird, TX · TX197 · 150 HCV units

    Status unknown
  • Housing Authority of Merkel

    Merkel, TX · TX158 · 23 HCV units

    Status unknown
  • Housing Authority of Stamford

    Stamford, TX · TX167 · 0 HCV units

    Status unknown
  • Housing Authority of Anson

    Anson, TX · TX080 · 0 HCV units

    Status unknown
  • Housing Authority of the City of Cross Plains

    Cross Plains, TX · TX172 · 0 HCV units

    Status unknown
  • Housing Authority of Hamlin

    Hamlin, TX · TX195 · 0 HCV units

    Status unknown

Source-of-income law in TX

TX state law explicitly preempts local ordinances requiring voucher acceptance. Landlords may legally decline Section 8 tenants.

Tex. Local Gov. Code §250.007 · view statute →

Informational only, not legal advice. Laws change; verify current status before making a leasing decision.

Analyze a specific Abilene, TX property

Look up the address’s SAFMR (ZIP-level rent), plug the numbers into the voucher-vs-market analyzer, and check the HQS pre-inspection list before scheduling.