Texas · Census, HUD and BEA figures · Updated

Cost of Living in Brooks County, TX

Prices around Brooks County, TX run 2.9% below the U.S. average (BEA, Texas). The typical household there earns $47,764 a year, and HUD puts a two-bedroom at $973 a month. Keeping that rent under 30% of income takes about $38,920 a year.

Brooks County, TX at a glance

Median household income

$47,764$3,980 per month · U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year
2-bedroom rent$973HUD FY2026 Fair Market Rent
Price level (U.S. = 100)97.1-2.9% · BEA, Texas
Electricity15.9¢per kWh · EIA Residential TX
Population6,943Census ACS 5-year estimate

How much rent can you afford in Brooks 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$973Monthly market rent
Share of gross income24.4%Recommended max: 30%
Annual income needed$38,920To meet the 30% standard
Max affordable rent$1,194At 30% of $47,764
0%30% (Affordability standard)100%
Compare against:

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

HUD's fiscal 2026 Fair Market Rents for Brooks County, TX, with the income each one takes if rent stays under 30% of it.

HUD Fair Market Rent in Brooks County, TX, fiscal 2026
Unit SizeMonthly RentAnnual Rent30% Rule Min. Income% of Median Income
Studio / Efficiency$756$9,072$30,24019%
1-Bedroom Apartment$778$9,336$31,12019.5%
2-Bedroom ApartmentBenchmark$973$11,676$38,92024.4%
3-Bedroom Home$1,353$16,236$54,12034%
4-Bedroom Home$1,432$17,184$57,28036%

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

What a typical income covers in Brooks County, TX

The 50/30/20 rule applied to the local median of $47,764 a year ($3,980 a month before tax).

Needs (50%)$1,990/moRent ($973 2-BR), utilities (~$143/mo), groceries, transit
Wants (30%)$1,194/moEating out, travel, subscriptions and the rest
Savings and debt (20%)$796/moEmergency fund, retirement, paying down loans

What $47,764 leaves after Texas taxes

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

$47,764
$15,000$100,000
Filing status:
Gross salary breakdown$47,764
Net 85%
Fed 7%
FICA 8%
Annual take-home$40,558After all taxes
Monthly deposit$3,380Estimated per month
Biweekly paycheck$1,560Every 2 weeks (26/yr)
Effective tax rate15.1%Total tax burden
Federal income tax$3,552 / yr
Texas state income taxNo state wage tax$0
FICA (Social Security & Medicare)$3,654 / yr

Living in Brooks County, TX: common questions

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

According to the latest U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year survey, the median household income in Brooks County, TX is $47,764 per year (approximately $3,980 per month).

What is the average rent in Brooks County, TX?

The closest official figure is HUD's Fair Market Rent for 2026: $756 for a studio, $778 for one bedroom, $973 for two, $1,353 for three and $1,432 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 Brooks County, TX expensive to live in?

Prices there run 2.9% below the U.S. average. BEA's regional price parity for Texas is 97.1, 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 Brooks County, TX?

To keep a $973 two-bedroom under 30% of gross income, a household needs about $38,920 a year, or $3,243 a month. That is 81% of what the typical household in Brooks County, TX earns.

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

On the local median income of $47,764 ($3,980 a month before tax), the 50/30/20 rule leaves $1,990 a month for needs like rent, utilities and groceries, $1,194 for everything else and $796 for savings or debt. A two-bedroom at $973 takes 49% of the needs share.

How much is the electric bill in Brooks 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.