Texas · Census, HUD and BEA figures · Updated

Cost of Living in Starr County, TX

Prices around Starr County, TX run 2.9% below the U.S. average (BEA, Texas). The typical household there earns $37,639 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.

Starr County, TX at a glance

Median household income

$37,639$3,137 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
Population66,067Census ACS 5-year estimate

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

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

Moderate cost burden (30–50%)
HUD Fair Market Rent$973Monthly market rent
Share of gross income31%Recommended max: 30%
Annual income needed$38,920To meet the 30% standard
Max affordable rent$941At 30% of $37,639
0%30% (Affordability standard)100%
Compare against:

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

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

HUD Fair Market Rent in Starr County, TX, fiscal 2026
Unit SizeMonthly RentAnnual Rent30% Rule Min. Income% of Median Income
Studio / Efficiency$737$8,844$29,48023.5%
1-Bedroom Apartment$742$8,904$29,68023.7%
2-Bedroom ApartmentBenchmark$973$11,676$38,92031%
3-Bedroom Home$1,353$16,236$54,12043.1%
4-Bedroom Home$1,490$17,880$59,60047.5%

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

What a typical income covers in Starr County, TX

The 50/30/20 rule applied to the local median of $37,639 a year ($3,137 a month before tax).

Needs (50%)$1,568/moRent ($973 2-BR), utilities (~$143/mo), groceries, transit
Wants (30%)$941/moEating out, travel, subscriptions and the rest
Savings and debt (20%)$627/moEmergency fund, retirement, paying down loans

What $37,639 leaves after Texas taxes

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

$37,639
$15,000$80,000
Filing status:
Gross salary breakdown$37,639
Net 86%
Fed 6%
FICA 8%
Annual take-home$32,423After all taxes
Monthly deposit$2,702Estimated per month
Biweekly paycheck$1,247Every 2 weeks (26/yr)
Effective tax rate13.9%Total tax burden
Federal income tax$2,337 / yr
Texas state income taxNo state wage tax$0
FICA (Social Security & Medicare)$2,879 / yr

Living in Starr County, TX: common questions

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

According to the latest U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year survey, the median household income in Starr County, TX is $37,639 per year (approximately $3,137 per month).

What is the average rent in Starr County, TX?

The closest official figure is HUD's Fair Market Rent for 2026: $737 for a studio, $742 for one bedroom, $973 for two, $1,353 for three and $1,490 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 Starr 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 Starr 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 103% of what the typical household in Starr County, TX earns.

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

On the local median income of $37,639 ($3,137 a month before tax), the 50/30/20 rule leaves $1,568 a month for needs like rent, utilities and groceries, $941 for everything else and $627 for savings or debt. A two-bedroom at $973 takes 62% of the needs share.

How much is the electric bill in Starr 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.