How Much Does Section 8 Pay in Houston? (2026 Amounts, ZIP by ZIP)

Houston's Section 8 program prices the city one ZIP code at a time. Under HUD's FY2026 Small Area Fair Market Rents, a 2-bedroom voucher's basis runs from $1,050 in Fifth Ward's 77026 to $2,360 in Montrose's 77098, with 71 Houston ZIP codes in between, each carrying its own number.

Here are the 2026 figures, how much of the rent you cover, and what Texas law does and doesn't let landlords do.

Houston's 2026 Range

The bracket ZIPs:

The median 2-bedroom figure across Houston's 71 ZIPs is $1,500 (ZIP 77078), against a Harris County countywide reference FMR of $1,573.

As in every Small Area FMR metro, these HUD figures are the basis; the Houston Housing Authority and Harris County Housing Authority each set actual payment standards within a band around them (commonly 90% to 110%). Confirm your ZIP's live standard with your authority. ZIP-level pages are at our Houston Section 8 section, and HUD publishes the raw data on its Small Area FMR page.

Your Share of the Rent

Standard voucher math applies: roughly 30% of your adjusted monthly income, with the authority paying the remainder up to your ZIP's standard. A household earning $2,400 a month contributes about $720. At Houston's median 2-bedroom basis of $1,500, the subsidy covers around $780 of a median-priced unit; in Montrose, the same household's voucher can support a unit renting near $2,360.

Watch the utility line: tenant-paid utilities subtract an allowance from the approvable maximum, which in Houston's climate (summer electric bills) is worth taking seriously when comparing units.

The Texas Problem, and How to Search Around It

Texas has no source-of-income protection, and state law goes further: it preempts cities from passing their own. Austin tried in 2014; the legislature struck it down in 2015. A Houston landlord can legally decline your voucher, and many do.

That makes Houston a search-efficiency game. Every hour spent calling landlords who will say no is an hour your voucher's clock keeps running. Start where acceptance is already decided: VoucherMatch listings are posted by landlords specifically looking for voucher tenants. When a landlord does accept, Houston's inspection and lease-up process runs like anywhere else's.

Who Runs the Program Here

• Houston Housing Authority, 713-260-0500, about 19,000 vouchers
• Harris County Housing Authority, 713-578-2100, the county program, ~5,000 vouchers
• Galveston Housing Authority, 409-765-1904
• Pasadena Housing Assistance Program, 713-475-5544

City and county programs have separate standards and waitlists; which one issued your voucher determines your numbers.

For Landlords: The Case in the Data

In east- and north-side ZIPs, the 2026 basis sits close to prevailing rents while removing collection risk from most of the payment, the authority's share arrives monthly no matter what. In the high-ZIP core, the program supports 2-bedroom rents up to the mid-$2,000s, which puts voucher tenants in range for units that historically never saw them. Since acceptance is voluntary in Texas, the landlords who do participate face a deep pool of applicants with little competition.

List your Houston property free and meet that pool directly.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much is a 2-bedroom voucher worth in Houston in 2026? Between $1,050 and $2,360 depending on ZIP, median about $1,500, per HUD's FY2026 Small Area FMRs. Your housing authority's payment standard is set from your ZIP's figure.

Can Houston landlords refuse Section 8? Yes, legally, Texas has no source-of-income law and preempts cities from enacting one. Search among landlords who already accept vouchers instead of trying to convert ones who don't.

Is the Houston Section 8 waitlist open? Openings are infrequent and heavily subscribed. Check with the Houston Housing Authority (713-260-0500) and Harris County Housing Authority (713-578-2100) directly.

Do the numbers include utilities? The ceiling is rent plus a utility allowance. If you pay electric or gas yourself, the maximum approvable rent drops by the allowance for your unit size.

Where do I look up my ZIP? Our Houston ZIP pages carry the ZIP-by-ZIP figures; your authority confirms the live standard.

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Searching Houston with a voucher? Browse landlords who already accept Section 8.

Houston landlord? List free on VoucherMatch, deep applicant pool, thin competition.