County FMR · HUD FY2026

Berks County Fair Market Rent

HUD's FY2026 Fair Market Rent for Berks County, PA - 29% above the US average.

$1,237
1-bedroom FMR
$1,575
2-bedroom FMR
+15.1%
YoY change
+29%
vs US avg

The verdict

Berks is the 9th most expensive of 67 counties in Pennsylvania by 2-bedroom FMR; nationally it ranks #409 most expensive of 3,145 HUD counties; rent here has climbed 15.1% since FY 2025, a sharp move relative to most counties.

#409
most expensive of 3,145 US counties (2BR)
#9
most expensive of 67 in Pennsylvania (2BR)
+24%
vs the state average
$49,480
income to afford it (30% rule)

Software Developers spend the smallest share of income on rent here (12%), while Fast Food and Counter Workers spend the most (52.1%).

FY 2026 HUD Fair Market Rent for Berks County, PA. Verify with HUD →

Berks County, Pennsylvania carries an FY 2026 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent of $1,237 per month, the federal benchmark HUD publishes for this county. A 2-bedroom costs $1,575/mo and a studio is $1,086/mo. That's 29% above the national benchmark of $959 and 24% above the Pennsylvania average of $996.

Rent increased15.1% from FY 2025 ($1,075), outpacing inflation. A household needs about $49,480/year to stay under the 30% rent-to-income line.

FY 2026 HUD Fair Market Rents in Pennsylvania. Population: 428,483. Population has held roughly steady over the past five years (+3.2%, Census ACS). That's faster than Pennsylvania's statewide growth of +1.5% over the same period.

FMR filing desk

Area BERKS·COUNTY·PA·PA

Berks County, PA: $1,237/mo 1BR · #409 of 3145 counties (2BR) · FY2026

  • FMR-AREA PA
  • 1BR-FMR $1,237
  • 2BR-FMR $1,575
  • RANK-MID #409
  • YOY-SURGE +15.1%
  • VSUS-HIGH +29%
  • VS-ST-HIGH +24% PA
  • INC-ROOM 19%
  • POP-MAJOR 428K
  • PHOTO-NEAR Philadelphia Count
  • VOUCH-90-110 $1,113–$1,361
  • FY-2026 FY2026

Photo-finish peer: Philadelphia ($283 1BR gap)

Read with: Understanding rent burden

Fair Market Rents (2026)

Studio
State avg: $900 · US avg: $893
$1,086/mo
↑ 17.0% YoY +21% vs state +22% vs US
1 Bedroom
State avg: $996 · US avg: $959
$1,237/mo
↑ 15.1% YoY +24% vs state +29% vs US
2 Bedroom
State avg: $1,225 · US avg: $1,175
$1,575/mo
↑ 16.4% YoY +29% vs state +34% vs US
3 Bedroom
State avg: $1,570 · US avg: $1,525
$1,937/mo
↑ 14.7% YoY +23% vs state +27% vs US
4 Bedroom
State avg: $1,744 · US avg: $1,756
$2,085/mo
↑ 16.2% YoY +20% vs state +19% vs US

Year-over-Year Comparison

Bedrooms FY 2025 FY 2026 Change
Studio $928
$1,086
+$158 (+17.0%)
1 Bedroom $1,075
$1,237
+$162 (+15.1%)
2 Bedroom $1,353
$1,575
+$222 (+16.4%)
3 Bedroom $1,689
$1,937
+$248 (+14.7%)
4 Bedroom $1,794
$2,085
+$291 (+16.2%)

Rent Burden Analysis

How much of household income goes to rent in Berks County. The 30% threshold indicates cost burden.

Studio
16.8%
Affordable
Need $43,440/yr for 30% rule
1 Bedroom
19.1%
Affordable
Need $49,480/yr for 30% rule
2 Bedroom
24.3%
Affordable
Need $63,000/yr for 30% rule
3 Bedroom
29.9%
Affordable
Need $77,480/yr for 30% rule
4 Bedroom
32.2%
Burdened
Need $83,400/yr for 30% rule
How we calculate this

Rent burden = (FMR × 12) ÷ county median household income. Required income = (FMR × 12) ÷ 0.3, the federal 30%-of-gross-income rule HUD uses to define cost burden. Median household income is from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey; FMR is from HUD's FY2026 release. See methodology.

0%100%National avg22%24.3%
Berks County 2-bedroom rent burden
County median income: $77,684 · National avg burden: 21.7% ·View Pennsylvania rent burden →

Where Berks sits among every US county

2-bedroom Fair Market Rent vs. all 3,145 HUD counties

$1,575 Top 13% higher than 87% of 3,145 counties

$600–$800: 23 counties (1%). Below this entry. $800–$1,000: 1,406 counties (45%). Below this entry. $1,000–$1,200: 723 counties (23%). Below this entry. $1,200–$1,400: 417 counties (13%). Below this entry. $1,400–$1,600: 181 counties (6%). This entry sits in this band. $1,600–$1,800: 172 counties (5%). Above this entry. $1,800–$2,000: 108 counties (3%). Above this entry. $2,000–$2,200: 29 counties (1%). Above this entry. $2,200–$2,400: 40 counties (1%). Above this entry. $2,400–$2,600: 13 counties (0%). Above this entry. $2,600–$2,800: 9 counties (0%). Above this entry. $2,800–$3,000: 15 counties (0%). Above this entry. $3,000–$3,200: 3 counties (0%). Above this entry. $3,200–$3,400: 1 counties (0%). Above this entry. $3,400–$3,600: 1 counties (0%). Above this entry. $3,600–$3,800: 3 counties (0%). Above this entry. $3,800–$4,000: 0 counties (0%). Above this entry. $4,000–$4,200: 0 counties (0%). Above this entry. $4,200–$4,400: 1 counties (0%). Above this entry. This county $600 $4,400 every US county, bucketed by value

Each bar is a $0.2K-wide band; taller bars hold more counties. 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

How Berks compares on 1-bedroom rent

1-bedroom FMR vs other Pennsylvania counties

1BR FMR / mo

What this shows Berks is highlighted. Nearby Pennsylvania counties by 1-bedroom FMR, highest to lowest: Philadelphia County ($1,520), Montgomery County ($1,520), Bucks County ($1,520), Delaware County ($1,520), Berks County (this county) ($1,237), Lancaster County ($1,220), Allegheny County ($1,077).

Source U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) As of FY2026

Can Common Jobs Afford Rent Here?

Against a high local FMR of $1,237/mo, which of 15 common occupations still clear the 30% line using Pennsylvania BLS wages?

Occupation PA Salary Rent Burden Verdict
Software Developers $123,740 12% Affordable
General & Operations Managers $100,400 14.8% Affordable
Registered Nurses $87,610 16.9% Affordable
Police & Sheriff's Patrol Officers $86,350 17.2% Affordable
Accountants & Auditors $77,330 19.2% Affordable
Elementary School Teachers $74,160 20% Affordable
Electricians $65,400 22.7% Affordable
Paralegals & Legal Assistants $60,950 24.4% Affordable
Heavy & Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers $58,540 25.4% Affordable
Customer Service Representatives $43,080 34.5% Stretched
Pharmacy Technicians $37,560 39.5% Stretched
Janitors & Cleaners $35,670 41.6% Stretched
Teaching Assistants $30,550 48.6% Stretched
Retail Salespersons $30,410 48.8% Stretched
Fast Food & Counter Workers $28,490 52.1% Unaffordable
Salaries: BLS OES (Pennsylvania) median · 30% = affordable threshold · Try the salary calculator →

Rent Trends (2020–2026)

7-year Fair Market Rent history for Berks County. Shows how HUD rental rates have changed over time.

Over the 6-year span HUD has tracked for Berks (FY 2020-2026), the 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent has risen 73.5% overall, from $713 to $1,237. Most of that movement was gradual except for a single sharp jump of +16.4% in FY 2024, well above this county's typical year-to-year change.

$600$800$1,000$1,200$1,400 FY2020FY2021FY2022FY2023FY2024FY2025FY2026 $1,237
Berks County 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent, FY2020–FY2026
Year Studio 1 BR 2 BR
FY 2026 ↑15.1% $1,086 $1,237 $1,575
FY 2025 ↑3.3% $928 $1,075 $1,353
FY 2024 ↑16.4% $895 $1,041 $1,320
FY 2023 ↑10.2% $760 $894 $1,136
FY 2022 ↑9.4% $690 $811 $1,038
FY 2021 ↑3.9% $628 $741 $952
FY 2020 $599 $713 $927
Total change (6yr): +73.5%
Annualized: +9.6%/yr
1 BR: $713 → $1,237

Part of the Reading, PA Metro Area

Berks County is a central county of the Reading, PA metropolitan statistical area.

Nationwide peers by 2BR FMR & rent burden

Two PlainRent-derived comparison paths for Berks County, both outside Pennsylvania so the link neighborhoods are not the same-state geography lattice above. Axes stay disjoint: burden peers exclude the FMR peer set.

Similar 2-bedroom FMR

Nearest HUD 2BR Fair Market Rents outside PA (FY2026).

Washington County
UT · 2 BR $1,575/mo
Harris County
TX · 2 BR $1,573/mo
Fort Bend County
TX · 2 BR $1,573/mo
Monroe County
NY · 2 BR $1,573/mo

Similar rent burden

Nearest 2BR FMR as a share of median household income (outside PA).

Hidalgo County
TX · 24.3% of income · 2 BR $1,060/mo
Emporia city
VA · 24.3% of income · 2 BR $1,001/mo
Brown County
IN · 24.3% of income · 2 BR $1,473/mo
Northampton County
NC · 24.3% of income · 2 BR $972/mo

Nearby Counties in Pennsylvania

Largest counties by population in Pennsylvania

Showing the 8 largest of 66 other counties in Pennsylvania.

Philadelphia County
1 BR: $1,520/mo Pop: 1,593,208
Allegheny County
1 BR: $1,077/mo Pop: 1,245,310
Montgomery County
1 BR: $1,520/mo Pop: 856,399
Bucks County
1 BR: $1,520/mo Pop: 645,163
Delaware County
1 BR: $1,520/mo Pop: 575,312
Lancaster County
1 BR: $1,220/mo Pop: 553,202
Chester County
1 BR: $1,520/mo Pop: 536,474
York County
1 BR: $1,060/mo Pop: 457,051
View all counties in Pennsylvania →

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the average rent in Berks County? ▼
The FY 2026 Fair Market Rent for a 1-bedroom in Berks County is $1,237 per month. A 2-bedroom is $1,575 and a studio is $1,086.
How does Berks County rent compare to the national average? ▼
Rent in Berks County is 29% above the national average. A 1-bedroom here costs $1,237 compared to $959 nationally.
Where does Berks County rank nationally for Fair Market Rent? ▼
According to HUD's FY 2026 Fair Market Rent schedule, Berks County's 2-bedroom FMR of $1,575 ranks #409 most expensive among 3,145 HUD counties, placing it in the upper-rent quarter of HUD counties.
What income do I need to afford rent in Berks County? ▼
Based on the 30% affordability rule, you need an annual income of at least $49,480 ($4,123/month) to afford a 1-bedroom at Fair Market Rent in Berks County.
Is rent going up or down in Berks County? ▼
The 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent in Berks County increased by 15.1% from FY 2025 to FY 2026, going from $1,075 to $1,237.
Which jobs can afford rent in Berks County? ▼
Based on Pennsylvania BLS salary data and the 30% affordability rule, jobs like Software Developers, General and Operations Managers, Registered Nurses can afford a 1-bedroom at $1,237/mo. 9 of 15 common occupations are affordable here.
How much has rent changed in Berks County over time? ▼
The 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent in Berks County went from $713 in FY 2020 to $1,237 in FY 2026, a total change of +73.5% over 6 years.
How does Fair Market Rent affect Section 8 vouchers in Berks County? ▼
In Berks County, the FY 2026 FMR of $1,237/mo for a 1-bedroom sets the baseline that local housing authorities use for Section 8 payment standards.
What does Fair Market Rent mean for Berks County? ▼
For Berks County, it's the specific 40th-percentile rent HUD publishes each year ($1,237/mo for a 1-bedroom in FY 2026).

Disclaimer: This information is provided for informational purposes only and does not constitute professional advice. Data is sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau and HUD Fair Market Rents. Consult a qualified professional before making decisions based on this data.

All federal data sources used on this page
  • HUD Fair Market Rents (FMR) - county-level fair-market rent estimates by bedroom count. huduser.gov/datasets/fmr
  • HUD Income Limits - area median income for affordability calculations. huduser.gov/datasets/il
  • HUD Comprehensive Housing Affordability Strategy (CHAS) - rent burden and housing-cost distribution. huduser.gov/datasets/cp
  • U.S. Census Bureau ACS - county and metro housing characteristics + median rent. census.gov/programs-surveys/acs
  • BLS Consumer Price Index, Rent of Primary Residence - rent inflation by metro. bls.gov/cpi
  • IRS Migration Data (SOI) - interstate migration aggregates affecting county demand. irs.gov/statistics/migration
  • BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics - state-level median wages by occupation, used for job affordability analysis. bls.gov/oes

Every figure on PlainRent is rendered directly from HUD's published Fair Market Rent records, no number is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of FY 2026.