Fair Market Rents (FMRs) are determined and published by The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) each fiscal year. For more information continue reading below.
FMRs represent the cost to rent a moderately priced housing unit in the housing market. FMRs, otherwise known as gross rents, are the cost of a shelter plus essential utilities.
Luxury utilities including television, internet, and telephone services are not calculated as part of FMRs. FMRs vary based on state, county, metro/ZIP code, and number of rooms.
The local Public Housing Authority (PHA) choses a value between 90 and 110 percent of the FMR value to be used in the Housing Voucher Program. This value is known as the payment standard.
Average Fair Market Rents by state
The map below shows average FMRs in each state. Click on the map to see a detailed breakdown by county.
States(51)
Overseas Territories (5)
Mandated Small Fair Market Rent Areas
The map below shows HUD mandated SAFMR areas in each county. Click on the map to see a detailed breakdown of the SAFMRs for the selected county.
Top Counties for each Mandated Area (24)
Fair Market Rents Tables
2025 National Averages
studio
1-Bedroom
2-Bedroom
3-Bedroom
4-Bedroom
| Housing Type | Lowest Fair Market Rents | Highest Fair Market Rents |
|---|---|---|
| Studio | $638 (South Dakota) | $2,012 (District of Columbia) |
| 1-Bedroom | $716 (Arkansas) | $2,056 (District of Columbia) |
| 2-Bedroom | $901 (Arkansas) | $2,314 (District of Columbia) |
| 3-Bedroom | $1,184 (Arkansas) | $2,941 (Hawaii) |
| 4-Bedroom | $1,317 (Nebraska) | $3,417 (Hawaii) |
Breaking Down Fair Market Rents
Fair Market Rents are established and published each fiscal year by The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).
FMRs are used by the Housing Voucher Program to provide affordable housing to low-income families.
Families who qualify for the Housing Voucher program must only pay 30 percent of their monthly income, HUD pays the rest of the payment standard.
FMRs represent the cost of rent + essential utilities including water, heat, and electricity, in other words FMRs are the gross rents for affordable housing.
How Much Do Tenants Pay?
The qualifying tenant must only pay 30% of their monthly income, the HUD will cover between 90 and 110 percent of the adjusted gross monthly rent depending on the PHA, except in the following cases:
- If the tenant pays for utilities the rent calculation must include a utility allowance.
- If the housing unit rent is greater than the payment standard (FMR for that area and dwelling type +-10%) the tenant must pay the additional amount.
Who Should Care About FMRS?
- Those who qualify for the Housing Voucher Program pay for housing based on the FMR value.
- Those who own rental property and house low income tenants who regularly fail to meet rent deadlines can seek help from Section 8 in order to get more consistent rent payments.
What Is The Section 8 Housing Voucher Program?
Section 8 is a program administered by the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to assist low-income families in affording moderate, secure, and clean housing. In order to qualify you must:
- Be a U.S. citizen
- Have a low annual gross income
- Need modest, secure, and clean housing
How are FMRs Established?
FMRs are calculated by HUD across the country for Office of Budget and Management Defined Metro Areas and HUD Metro FMR Areas. These FMRs are published each fiscal year by HUD (Effective October 1st). FMRs vary based on state, county, and housing type.
40th Percentile FMRs
40th percentile FMRs are estimates of the 40th percentile (10% below median price) gross rents for standard quality units within a metropolitan area or nonmetropolitan county.
The 40th percentile FMR value is used in all counties which do not use Small Area FMRs.
For counties without Small Area FMRs the payment standard for use in Section 8 is determined as a value between 90 and 110 percent of that county's FMR by PHAs.
Small Area FMRS
Small Area Fair Market Rents (SAFMRs) are FMRs calculated for Zip Codes within metropolitan areas.
Public Housing Authorities in areas designated by HUD must use SAFMRs to set Section 8 payment standards. PHAs operating in areas outside of the designated SAMR areas can choose to use SAFMRs for higher price precision.
PHAs may also use SAFMRs to set exception payment standards from 90 percent up to 110 percent of the SAFMR value. PHAs administering Public Housing units can use SAFMRs instead of FMRs when calculating Flat Rents.
FMR History (2006 - 2025)
The graph shows minimum and maximum FMRs for two-bedroom housing in each year since 2006.
Want to Learn More?
- Loan Limits to learn about conventional loans
- Property Taxes to learn about Property Taxes
- Income Limits to learn about income assistance
- Housing Authorites to learn about Housing Authorities
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Data Source
Fair Market Rents are estimated by the HUD. Section 8 data was created by benefits.gov.