What does rent actually cost
in your county?
Official HUD Fair Market Rents for 3,153 counties and 400 metro areas. Studio through 4‑bedroom · year‑over‑year change · ranked.
- Counties
- 3,153
- Metro areas
- 400
- States + DC
- 51
- Fiscal year
- 2026
The national picture
Across 3,153 counties and 400 metro areas, HUD's FY2026 2-bedroom Fair Market Rent averages $1,175 — but ranges from $924 in Mississippi to $2,433 in Hawaii, a 2.6× spread.
- $1,175
- US average 2-bedroom FMR
- 2.6×
- priciest state vs cheapest (HI vs MS)
- $47,000
- income to afford the US average (30% rule)
- 3,153
- counties + 400 metros tracked
Average 2-bedroom rent across America
Each tile is a state, shaded by its average county-level HUD 2-bedroom Fair Market Rent (FY2026). Tap any state for its full breakdown.
How rent is distributed across the states
Most states cluster near the national average; a handful in the expensive tail pull it upward. 25 states sit above the $1,175 US 2-bedroom average.
State average 2-bedroom FMR vs. the US average
Each bar is a band of states; the marker is the national average — HUD FY2026
$1,175 Top 49% higher than 51% of 51 states
Each bar is a $0.1K-wide band; taller bars hold more states. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development — Fair Market Rents · FY2026
Research
Original analysis from our editorial team, every statistic derived from our own database. See all research.
Top 10 Most Expensive US Counties by 2-Bedroom Fair Market Rent 2026
PlainRent ranks all 3,000+ US counties by HUD 2-bedroom Fair Market Rent for fiscal year 2026. Rendered server-side from a live SELECT against fmr_county joined with counties and states.
ResearchTop 10 Most Expensive US Metros by 2-Bedroom Fair Market Rent 2026
PlainRent ranks all 380+ US metropolitan statistical areas by HUD 2-bedroom Fair Market Rent. Live SSR query against fmr_metro joined with metros.
ResearchUS State Fair Market Rent Distribution and Homeownership 2026
PlainRent ranks all 50 US states by population-weighted county FMRs and contextualizes the ranking against state-level homeownership and median income.
National Average Fair Market Rents (2026)
Most Affordable Counties
Lowest 1-bedroom FMR in the US
Most Expensive Counties
Highest 1-bedroom FMR in the US
Browse by State
Learn & Explore
Go beyond the numbers with our in-depth guides on renting, housing affordability, and how government rent data works.
How Fair Market Rent Works
Learn how HUD calculates FMRs and what the 40th percentile benchmark means for renters.
Cheapest States to Rent in the US
Which states have the lowest fair market rents? A data-driven look at housing affordability across the country.
Section 8 Housing Voucher Guide
How Housing Choice Vouchers work, what FMRs have to do with it, and how to find eligible rentals.
What Are Fair Market Rents?
Fair Market Rents (FMRs) are set annually by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). They represent the 40th percentile of gross rents for standard quality units in a given area — meaning 40% of the area's rentals cost less than the FMR.
FMRs are used to determine payment standards for the Housing Choice Voucher program (Section 8), rent ceilings for HOME and Emergency Solutions Grants, and maximum rents for Continuum of Care programs.
Data source: U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, FY 2026 Fair Market Rents.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where does PlainRent get its rent data?
All rent data comes from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Fair Market Rent estimates, which are used to set Section 8 voucher payment standards. This is the federal government's official measure of local rental costs.
How many counties does PlainRent cover?
PlainRent includes Fair Market Rent data for 3,153 counties across all 50 states and Washington, D.C., broken down by bedroom count (studio through 4-bedroom).
Is PlainRent free?
Yes, PlainRent is completely free. You can look up Fair Market Rents, compare counties, metros, and states, and use the affordability calculator without any account or subscription.
How is rent burden calculated?
Rent burden compares the local Fair Market Rent against household income using the federal 30% rule: a household is "rent burdened" when rent exceeds 30% of gross income, and "severely burdened" above 50%. Our rent-burden rankings apply this to every county using HUD FMRs and Census median-income data.
US fair-market rent growth (HUD FMR, 2BR, 2020-2026)
Source: federal data — see /methodology/ for the full computation pipeline and data vintage.