Texas · Census, HUD and BEA figures · Updated

Cost of Living in Bell County, TX

Prices around Bell County, TX run 8.9% below the U.S. average (BEA, the metro area). The typical household there earns $68,865 a year, and HUD puts a two-bedroom at $1,233 a month. Keeping that rent under 30% of income takes about $49,320 a year.

Bell County, TX at a glance

Median household income

$68,865$5,739 per month · U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year
2-bedroom rent$1,233HUD FY2026 Fair Market Rent
Price level (U.S. = 100)91.1-8.9% · BEA, the metro area
Electricity15.9¢per kWh · EIA Residential TX
Population386,897Census ACS 5-year estimate

How much rent can you afford in Bell County, TX?

HUD’s fair market rent for each size, against what a typical household here earns. Change the income to see yours.

Affordable (< 30% of income)
HUD Fair Market Rent$1,233Monthly market rent
Share of gross income21.5%Recommended max: 30%
Annual income needed$49,320To meet the 30% standard
Max affordable rent$1,722At 30% of $68,865
0%30% (Affordability standard)100%
Compare against:

How much is rent in Bell County, TX? By bedroom, 2026

HUD's fiscal 2026 Fair Market Rents for Killeen-Temple, TX HUD Metro FMR Area, with the income each one takes if rent stays under 30% of it.

HUD Fair Market Rent in Bell County, TX, fiscal 2026
Unit SizeMonthly RentAnnual Rent30% Rule Min. Income% of Median Income
Studio / Efficiency$983$11,796$39,32017.1%
1-Bedroom Apartment$990$11,880$39,60017.3%
2-Bedroom ApartmentBenchmark$1,233$14,796$49,32021.5%
3-Bedroom Home$1,711$20,532$68,44029.8%
4-Bedroom Home$2,068$24,816$82,72036%

Rent in Bell County, TX, with the wage each unit needs →

What a typical income covers in Bell County, TX

The 50/30/20 rule applied to the local median of $68,865 a year ($5,739 a month before tax).

Needs (50%)$2,869/moRent ($1,233 2-BR), utilities (~$143/mo), groceries, transit
Wants (30%)$1,722/moEating out, travel, subscriptions and the rest
Savings and debt (20%)$1,148/moEmergency fund, retirement, paying down loans

What $68,865 leaves after Texas taxes

Federal income tax, Social Security, Medicare and Texas tax on the local median income. Change the salary to see yours.

$68,865
$25,000$140,000
Filing status:
Gross salary breakdown$68,865
Net 83%
Fed 9%
FICA 8%
Annual take-home$57,277After all taxes
Monthly deposit$4,773Estimated per month
Biweekly paycheck$2,203Every 2 weeks (26/yr)
Effective tax rate16.8%Total tax burden
Federal income tax$6,320 / yr
Texas state income taxNo state wage tax$0
FICA (Social Security & Medicare)$5,268 / yr

Living in Bell County, TX: common questions

What is the median household income in Bell County, TX?

According to the latest U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year survey, the median household income in Bell County, TX is $68,865 per year (approximately $5,739 per month).

What is the average rent in Bell County, TX?

The closest official figure is HUD's Fair Market Rent for 2026: $983 for a studio, $990 for one bedroom, $1,233 for two, $1,711 for three and $2,068 for four, utilities included.

It is not an average of listings. HUD sets it at the rent 40% of recent movers paid or less for a standard unit, so a new lease on a nicer place will usually cost more.

Is Bell County, TX expensive to live in?

Prices there run 8.9% below the U.S. average. BEA's regional price parity for the metro area is 91.1, where the U.S. is 100. Rent moves the number most: housing is where places differ, while goods cost about the same everywhere.

How much do you need to earn to comfortably afford rent in Bell County, TX?

To keep a $1,233 two-bedroom under 30% of gross income, a household needs about $49,320 a year, or $4,110 a month. That is 72% of what the typical household in Bell County, TX earns.

How much do you need to live comfortably in Bell County, TX?

On the local median income of $68,865 ($5,739 a month before tax), the 50/30/20 rule leaves $2,869 a month for needs like rent, utilities and groceries, $1,722 for everything else and $1,148 for savings or debt. A two-bedroom at $1,233 takes 43% of the needs share.

How much is the electric bill in Bell County, TX?

Homes in Texas paid 15.9¢ per kWh on average (EIA). At 900 kWh a month, a typical use, that is about $143. Your bill depends mostly on heating and cooling.