County FMR · HUD FY2026
Delaware County Fair Market Rent
HUD's FY2026 Fair Market Rent for Delaware County, PA - 58% above the US average.
- $1,520
- 1-bedroom FMR
- $1,810
- 2-bedroom FMR
- +0.5%
- YoY change
- +58%
- vs US avg
The verdict
Delaware is the 3rd most expensive of 67 counties in Pennsylvania by 2-bedroom FMR; nationally it ranks #220 most expensive of 3,145 HUD counties.
- #220
- most expensive of 3,145 US counties (2BR)
- #3
- most expensive of 67 in Pennsylvania (2BR)
- +53%
- vs the state average
- $60,800
- income to afford it (30% rule)
Software Developers spend the smallest share of income on rent here (14.7%), while Fast Food and Counter Workers spend the most (64%).
FY 2026 HUD Fair Market Rent for Delaware County, PA. Verify with HUD →
HUD sets the FY 2026 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent for Delaware County, Pennsylvania at $1,520 per month - the federal rental-assistance benchmark for this county. A 2-bedroom costs $1,810/mo and a studio is $1,397/mo. This is 58% higher than the national average of $959 and 53% above the Pennsylvania average of $996.
Rent increased0.5% from FY 2025 ($1,512), roughly tracking inflation. Clearing the 30% rule here takes $60,800/year, a high bar relative to most US counties.
Observed renter burden: 51.9% of the 65,772 renter households counted by ACS paid at least 30% of income in gross rent. This ACS 2023 household measure is distinct from HUD's FY2026 Fair Market Rent benchmark above.
Market slack: The ACS rental vacancy rate here is 4.2%, close to the range where market rents and HUD's FMR benchmark tend to track each other.
Local labor market: The county's BLS unemployment rate has averaged 4.2% over the past 12 months, close to the typical US county range.
FY 2026 HUD Fair Market Rents in Pennsylvania. Population: 575,312. Population has held roughly steady over the past five years (+2.2%, Census ACS). That's in line with Pennsylvania's statewide growth of +1.5% over the same period.
FMR filing desk
Area DELAWARE·COUNTY·PA·PA
Delaware County, PA: $1,520/mo 1BR · #220 of 3145 counties (2BR) · FY2026
- FMR-AREA PA
- 1BR-FMR $1,520
- 2BR-FMR $1,810
- RANK-UPPER #220
- YOY-FLAT +0.5%
- VSUS-HIGH +58%
- VS-ST-HIGH +53% PA
- INC-MID 21%
- POP-MAJOR 575K
- PHOTO-FINISH Philadelphia Count
- VOUCH-90-110 $1,368–$1,672
- FY-2026 FY2026
Photo-finish peer: Philadelphia ($0 1BR gap)
Read with: Understanding rent burden
Fair Market Rents (2026)
Year-over-Year Comparison
| Bedrooms | FY 2025 | FY 2026 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Studio | $1,372 | $1,397 | +$25 (+1.8%) |
| 1 Bedroom | $1,512 | $1,520 | +$8 (+0.5%) |
| 2 Bedroom | $1,802 | $1,810 | +$8 (+0.4%) |
| 3 Bedroom | $2,171 | $2,170 | $-1 (-0.0%) |
| 4 Bedroom | $2,468 | $2,423 | $-45 (-1.8%) |
Rent Burden Analysis
How much of household income goes to rent in Delaware County. The 30% threshold indicates cost burden.
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.
Where Delaware sits among every US county
2-bedroom Fair Market Rent vs. all 3,145 HUD counties
$1,810 Top 7% higher than 93% of 3,145 counties
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 Delaware compares on 1-bedroom rent
1-bedroom FMR vs other Pennsylvania counties
- Delaware
Delaware County
$1,520 1BR FMR / mo
- Philadelphia
Philadelphia County
$1,520 1BR FMR / mo
- Montgomery
Montgomery County
$1,520 1BR FMR / mo
- Bucks
Bucks County
$1,520 1BR FMR / mo
- Chester
Chester County
$1,520 1BR FMR / mo
- Lancaster
Lancaster County
$1,220 1BR FMR / mo
- Allegheny
Allegheny County
$1,077 1BR FMR / mo
What this shows Delaware is highlighted. Nearby Pennsylvania counties by 1-bedroom FMR, highest to lowest: Delaware County (this county) ($1,520), Philadelphia County ($1,520), Montgomery County ($1,520), Bucks County ($1,520), Chester County ($1,520), Lancaster County ($1,220), Allegheny County ($1,077).
Can Common Jobs Afford Rent Here?
Against a high local FMR of $1,520/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 | 14.7% | Affordable |
| General & Operations Managers | $100,400 | 18.2% | Affordable |
| Registered Nurses | $87,610 | 20.8% | Affordable |
| Police & Sheriff's Patrol Officers | $86,350 | 21.1% | Affordable |
| Accountants & Auditors | $77,330 | 23.6% | Affordable |
| Elementary School Teachers | $74,160 | 24.6% | Affordable |
| Electricians | $65,400 | 27.9% | Affordable |
| Paralegals & Legal Assistants | $60,950 | 29.9% | Affordable |
| Heavy & Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers | $58,540 | 31.2% | Stretched |
| Customer Service Representatives | $43,080 | 42.3% | Stretched |
| Pharmacy Technicians | $37,560 | 48.6% | Stretched |
| Janitors & Cleaners | $35,670 | 51.1% | Unaffordable |
| Teaching Assistants | $30,550 | 59.7% | Unaffordable |
| Retail Salespersons | $30,410 | 60% | Unaffordable |
| Fast Food & Counter Workers | $28,490 | 64% | Unaffordable |
Rent Trends (2020–2026)
7-year Fair Market Rent history for Delaware County. Shows how HUD rental rates have changed over time.
Over the 6-year span HUD has tracked for Delaware (FY 2020-2026), the 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent has risen 50.0% overall, from $1,013 to $1,520. Most of that movement was gradual except for a single sharp jump of +19.1% in FY 2024, well above this county's typical year-to-year change.
| Year | Studio | 1 BR | 2 BR |
|---|---|---|---|
| FY 2026 ↑0.5% | $1,397 | $1,520 | $1,810 |
| FY 2025 ↑4.2% | $1,372 | $1,512 | $1,802 |
| FY 2024 ↑19.1% | $1,303 | $1,451 | $1,737 |
| FY 2023 ↑13.7% | $1,081 | $1,218 | $1,470 |
| FY 2022 ↑3.0% | $940 | $1,071 | $1,298 |
| FY 2021 ↑2.7% | $900 | $1,040 | $1,260 |
| FY 2020 | $864 | $1,013 | $1,226 |
Part of the Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD Metro Area
Delaware County is a central county of the Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD metropolitan statistical area, alongside 10 other metro-area counties.
Delaware County ranks #11 of 11 counties in this metro area by 1-bedroom FMR. Every county sharing this metro, highest to lowest: Philadelphia County ($1,520), Montgomery County ($1,520), Bucks County ($1,520), New Castle County ($1,520), Chester County ($1,520), Camden County ($1,520), Burlington County ($1,520), Gloucester County ($1,520), Cecil County ($1,520), Salem County ($1,520), Delaware County (this county) ($1,520).
Nationwide peers by 2BR FMR & rent burden
Two PlainRent-derived comparison paths for Delaware 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).
Similar rent burden
Nearest 2BR FMR as a share of median household income (outside PA).
Nearby Counties in Pennsylvania
Largest counties by population in Pennsylvania
Showing the 8 largest of 66 other counties in Pennsylvania.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the average rent in Delaware County?
The FY 2026 Fair Market Rent for a 1-bedroom in Delaware County is $1,520 per month. A 2-bedroom is $1,810 and a studio is $1,397.
How does Delaware County rent compare to the national average?
Rent in Delaware County is 58% above the national average. A 1-bedroom here costs $1,520 compared to $959 nationally.
Where does Delaware County rank nationally for Fair Market Rent?
According to HUD's FY 2026 Fair Market Rent schedule, Delaware County's 2-bedroom FMR of $1,810 ranks #220 most expensive among 3,145 HUD counties, placing it in the highest-rent tenth of HUD counties.
What income do I need to afford rent in Delaware County?
Based on the 30% affordability rule, you need an annual income of at least $60,800 ($5,067/month) to afford a 1-bedroom at Fair Market Rent in Delaware County.
Is rent going up or down in Delaware County?
The 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent in Delaware County increased by 0.5% from FY 2025 to FY 2026, going from $1,512 to $1,520.
Which jobs can afford rent in Delaware 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 $1,520/mo. 8 of 15 common occupations are affordable here.
How much has rent changed in Delaware County over time?
The 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent in Delaware County went from $1,013 in FY 2020 to $1,520 in FY 2026, a total change of +50.0% over 6 years.
How does Fair Market Rent affect Section 8 vouchers in Delaware County?
In Delaware County, the FY 2026 FMR of $1,520/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 Delaware County?
For Delaware County, it's the specific 40th-percentile rent HUD publishes each year ($1,520/mo for a 1-bedroom in FY 2026).
Is the rental market tight or loose in Delaware County?
The ACS rental vacancy rate here is 4.2%, close to the range where market rents and HUD's FMR benchmark tend to track each other.
What is the unemployment rate in Delaware County?
The county's BLS unemployment rate has averaged 4.2% over the past 12 months, close to the typical US county range.
Data sources
What this means for renters
Treat Delaware's FY2026 Fair Market Rent as HUD's affordability benchmark, not a single market quote.
- Budget to roughly 30% of income: the FY2026 1-bedroom FMR of $1,520 implies about $60,800/yr to rent without being cost-burdened. Run your numbers
- Pennsylvania counties vary widely around this figure - compare specific counties before assuming this applies to yours. Compare vs Philadelphia
- See where Delaware ranks nationally on rent. National rankings
Fair Market Rent is HUD's 40th-percentile policy benchmark used to set Housing Choice Voucher payment standards. Actual asking rents can run higher or lower, and HUD updates FMRs once a year. This site is informational and not financial or relocation advice.
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.