Section 8 in Austin, TX: FMR & Landlord Guide
Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX metro area (CBSA 12420). 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.
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.
| Bedrooms | FMR | Payment standard (90–110%) |
|---|---|---|
| Efficiency (studio) | $1,474 | $1,327 – $1,621 |
| 1-bedroom | $1,562 | $1,406 – $1,718 |
| 2-bedroom | $1,852 | $1,667 – $2,037 |
| 3-bedroom | $2,347 | $2,112 – $2,582 |
| 4-bedroom | $2,760 | $2,484 – $3,036 |
Example: at 100% of FMR, a 2-bedroom voucher in Austin, TX covers up to $1,852 in gross rent (before the tenant’s utility allowance). Between the low and high end of the range: $1,667–$2,037.
Voucher demand in this metro
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 Austin, TX
14 PHAs administer vouchers in this metro. Contact the PHA that covers the specific address you’re considering.
- Status unknown
Austin Housing Authority
Austin, TX · TX001 · 7,047 HCV units
- Status unknown
Texas Department of Housing & Community Affairs
Austin, TX · TX901 · 1,877 HCV units
- Status unknown
Housing Authority of Travis County
Austin, TX · TX480 · 740 HCV units
- Status unknown
San Marcos Housing Authority
San Marcos, TX · TX087 · 267 HCV units
- Status unknown
Taylor Housing Authority
Taylor, TX · TX031 · 254 HCV units
- Status unknown
Round Rock Housing Authority
Round Rock, TX · TX322 · 119 HCV units
- Status unknown
Georgetown Housing Authority
Georgetown, TX · TX264 · 105 HCV units
- Status unknown
Elgin Housing Authority
Elgin, TX · TX377 · 89 HCV units
- Status unknown
Smithville Housing Authority
Smithville, TX · TX266 · 48 HCV units
- Status unknown
Bastrop Housing Authority
Bastrop, TX · TX259 · 26 HCV units
- Status unknown
Luling Housing Authority
Luling, TX · TX074 · 0 HCV units
- Status unknown
Granger Housing Authority
Granger, TX · TX281 · 0 HCV units
- Status unknown
Kyle Housing Authority
Kyle, TX · TX367 · 0 HCV units
- Status unknown
Lockhart Housing Authority
Lockhart, TX · TX211 · 0 HCV units
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 Austin, 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.