Texas · Census, HUD and BEA figures · Updated

Cost of Living in Rusk County, TX

Prices around Rusk County, TX run 10.5% below the U.S. average (BEA, the metro area). The typical household there earns $68,658 a year, and HUD puts a two-bedroom at $1,175 a month. Keeping that rent under 30% of income takes about $47,000 a year.

Rusk County, TX at a glance

Median household income

$68,658$5,722 per month · U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year
2-bedroom rent$1,175HUD FY2026 Fair Market Rent
Price level (U.S. = 100)89.5-10.5% · BEA, the metro area
Electricity15.9¢per kWh · EIA Residential TX
Population52,842Census ACS 5-year estimate

How much rent can you afford in Rusk 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$1,175Monthly market rent
Share of gross income20.5%Recommended max: 30%
Annual income needed$47,000To meet the 30% standard
Max affordable rent$1,716At 30% of $68,658
0%30% (Affordability standard)100%
Compare against:

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

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

HUD Fair Market Rent in Rusk County, TX, fiscal 2026
Unit SizeMonthly RentAnnual Rent30% Rule Min. Income% of Median Income
Studio / Efficiency$890$10,680$35,60015.6%
1-Bedroom Apartment$895$10,740$35,80015.6%
2-Bedroom ApartmentBenchmark$1,175$14,100$47,00020.5%
3-Bedroom Home$1,451$17,412$58,04025.4%
4-Bedroom Home$1,606$19,272$64,24028.1%

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

What a typical income covers in Rusk County, TX

The 50/30/20 rule applied to the local median of $68,658 a year ($5,722 a month before tax).

Needs (50%)$2,861/moRent ($1,175 2-BR), utilities (~$143/mo), groceries, transit
Wants (30%)$1,716/moEating out, travel, subscriptions and the rest
Savings and debt (20%)$1,144/moEmergency fund, retirement, paying down loans

What $68,658 leaves after Texas taxes

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

$68,658
$25,000$140,000
Filing status:
Gross salary breakdown$68,658
Net 83%
Fed 9%
FICA 8%
Annual take-home$57,131After all taxes
Monthly deposit$4,761Estimated per month
Biweekly paycheck$2,197Every 2 weeks (26/yr)
Effective tax rate16.8%Total tax burden
Federal income tax$6,275 / yr
Texas state income taxNo state wage tax$0
FICA (Social Security & Medicare)$5,252 / yr

Living in Rusk County, TX: common questions

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

According to the latest U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year survey, the median household income in Rusk County, TX is $68,658 per year (approximately $5,722 per month).

What is the average rent in Rusk County, TX?

The closest official figure is HUD's Fair Market Rent for 2026: $890 for a studio, $895 for one bedroom, $1,175 for two, $1,451 for three and $1,606 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 Rusk County, TX expensive to live in?

Prices there run 10.5% below the U.S. average. BEA's regional price parity for the metro area is 89.5, 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 Rusk County, TX?

To keep a $1,175 two-bedroom under 30% of gross income, a household needs about $47,000 a year, or $3,917 a month. That is 68% of what the typical household in Rusk County, TX earns.

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

On the local median income of $68,658 ($5,722 a month before tax), the 50/30/20 rule leaves $2,861 a month for needs like rent, utilities and groceries, $1,716 for everything else and $1,144 for savings or debt. A two-bedroom at $1,175 takes 41% of the needs share.

How much is the electric bill in Rusk 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.