HUD Fair Market Rent by City 2026

FY2026 Fair Market Rents for all bedroom sizes across major U.S. metro areas

Source: HUD Office of Policy Development & ResearchUpdated March 202640 metros
HUD Fair Market Rent (FMR) is the 40th percentile of gross rents in a metro area, published annually by HUD. It sets the maximum payment standard for Section 8 Housing Choice Vouchers. If your unit is at or below FMR, it qualifies for Section 8 tenants — expanding your applicant pool. FMR is also a useful benchmark for checking whether your rent is above or below the government's definition of "affordable" for the area.

Key Findings

1
San Francisco leads at $2,848/mo for a 2BR — nearly 3x the national average. Boston ($2,499) and San Jose ($2,103) follow.
2
Most Sun Belt metros are 30–40% below coastal FMRs. A 2BR in Houston ($1,196) costs the same as a studio in San Francisco ($1,892).
3
FMR is not a rent cap. Landlords can charge above FMR for market-rate tenants. For Section 8 tenants, the housing authority's payment standard (typically 100–110% of FMR) sets the ceiling.
4
FMR covers gross rent — including estimated utility costs. A landlord who includes utilities can set rent slightly higher and still qualify for voucher tenants.

What Is HUD Fair Market Rent?

HUD Fair Market Rent (FMR) is a dollar figure published each fiscal year by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. It represents the 40th percentile of gross rents — including utilities — for standard-quality rental units in a given geographic area.

FMR is primarily used to set payment standards for the Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) program, which provides rental assistance to low-income households. A housing authority sets its payment standard at 90–110% of the local FMR. If a landlord's rent exceeds the payment standard, the tenant must pay the difference — which can make units unaffordable for voucher holders.

For non-Section 8 landlords, FMR is a useful benchmark: if your rent is significantly above FMR, your unit may be priced above what the government considers affordable for the local market, which can signal overpricing in softer markets.

Metro Area County Studio 1 BR 2 BR 3 BR 4 BR
San Jose, CA Orange County $1425 $1702 $2103 $2964 $3618
San Francisco, CA San Francisco County $1892 $2275 $2848 $3832 $4370
Boston, MA Suffolk County $1715 $2111 $2499 $3207 $3660
New York, NY New York County $1851 $2022 $2395 $3080 $3440
Seattle, WA King County $1389 $1683 $2083 $2959 $3440
Los Angeles, CA Los Angeles County $1380 $1672 $2040 $2880 $3336
Denver, CO Denver County $1078 $1369 $1699 $2326 $2685
Miami, FL Miami-Dade County $1172 $1399 $1715 $2302 $2699
San Diego, CA San Diego County $1314 $1656 $2062 $2867 $3237
Washington, DC DC $1454 $1698 $2085 $2848 $3402
Austin, TX Travis County $1048 $1289 $1573 $2095 $2415
Nashville, TN Davidson County $969 $1153 $1393 $1867 $2124
Phoenix, AZ Maricopa County $956 $1154 $1381 $1892 $2201
Portland, OR Multnomah County $965 $1227 $1548 $2149 $2449
Charlotte, NC Mecklenburg County $901 $1085 $1311 $1801 $2065
Atlanta, GA Fulton County $958 $1139 $1357 $1821 $2106
Chicago, IL Cook County $873 $1102 $1342 $1752 $1981
Minneapolis, MN Hennepin County $836 $1099 $1362 $1839 $2085
Tampa, FL Hillsborough County $868 $1046 $1265 $1700 $1956
Orlando, FL Orange County $878 $1054 $1301 $1730 $1978
Houston, TX Harris County $810 $987 $1196 $1606 $1849
Dallas, TX Dallas County $823 $1003 $1217 $1632 $1885
Philadelphia, PA Philadelphia County $877 $1061 $1262 $1625 $1861
San Antonio, TX Bexar County $776 $942 $1150 $1534 $1764
Las Vegas, NV Clark County $805 $966 $1158 $1556 $1798
Raleigh, NC Wake County $820 $993 $1214 $1640 $1898
Salt Lake City, UT Salt Lake County $838 $1012 $1231 $1656 $1917
Richmond, VA Richmond city $831 $1006 $1230 $1656 $1914
Jacksonville, FL Duval County $773 $933 $1130 $1519 $1753
Columbus, OH Franklin County $701 $857 $1041 $1389 $1606
Indianapolis, IN Marion County $693 $845 $1023 $1370 $1586
Kansas City, MO Jackson County $691 $842 $1021 $1370 $1589
Louisville, KY Jefferson County $673 $820 $992 $1331 $1543
Memphis, TN Shelby County $633 $773 $933 $1248 $1447
Oklahoma City, OK Oklahoma County $649 $793 $959 $1286 $1494
Albuquerque, NM Bernalillo County $670 $818 $996 $1339 $1555
Tucson, AZ Pima County $649 $793 $955 $1281 $1486
El Paso, TX El Paso County $607 $742 $893 $1197 $1387
Omaha, NE Douglas County $679 $828 $1003 $1342 $1558
Wichita, KS Sedgwick County $583 $712 $861 $1155 $1341
Source: U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, FY2026 Fair Market Rents. Data reflects the 40th percentile of gross rents (rent + utilities) for standard-quality units. Retrieved via HUD FMR API. HUD official FMR data →

How to Use This Data as a Landlord

Section 8 eligibility: If your unit's rent is at or below the local FMR for its bedroom size, it is eligible for Section 8 tenants. Housing authorities generally approve leases up to 100–110% of FMR. Setting rent at or near FMR maximizes your Section 8 applicant pool while staying within voucher limits.

Market positioning: FMR is a conservative benchmark — it represents the 40th percentile, meaning 60% of rentals in the area cost more. If your rent is significantly below FMR, you may have room to increase. If significantly above, your unit may be in the luxury segment or an exceptionally desirable sub-market.

Rent Intelligence: RentSolve AI's Rent Intelligence feature shows the HUD FMR for your county alongside Rentcast market comparables, so you can see both the government benchmark and the active market rate side by side.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is HUD Fair Market Rent?

HUD Fair Market Rent is the 40th percentile of gross rents for standard-quality units in a metropolitan area, published annually by HUD. It is used to set payment standards for the Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher program.

Can a landlord charge more than Fair Market Rent?

Yes. FMR is not a rent cap. For market-rate tenants, landlords can charge any amount. For Section 8 tenants, the housing authority's payment standard (typically 100–110% of FMR) limits how much the voucher will cover — tenants must pay any amount above that standard.

How often is HUD Fair Market Rent updated?

HUD publishes FMR data annually, typically effective October 1 of each year for the new fiscal year. FY2026 FMRs took effect October 1, 2025.

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