County FMR · HUD FY2026
Dutchess County Fair Market Rent
HUD's FY2026 Fair Market Rent for Dutchess County, NY - 62% above the US average.
- $1,549
- 1-bedroom FMR
- $1,979
- 2-bedroom FMR
- +3.8%
- YoY change
- +62%
- vs US avg
The verdict
Dutchess is the 12th most expensive of 62 counties in New York by 2-bedroom FMR; nationally it ranks #126 most expensive of 3,145 HUD counties.
- #126
- most expensive of 3,145 US counties (2BR)
- #12
- most expensive of 62 in New York (2BR)
- +18%
- vs the state average
- $61,960
- income to afford it (30% rule)
Software Developers spend the smallest share of income on rent here (11.5%), while Fast Food and Counter Workers spend the most (52.7%).
FY 2026 HUD Fair Market Rent for Dutchess County, NY. Verify with HUD →
Dutchess County, New York carries an FY 2026 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent of $1,549 per month, the federal benchmark HUD publishes for this county. A 2-bedroom costs $1,979/mo and a studio is $1,364/mo. That's 62% above the national benchmark of $959 and 18% above the New York average of $1,315.
Rent increased3.8% from FY 2025 ($1,492), outpacing inflation. Clearing the 30% rule here takes $61,960/year, a high bar relative to most US counties.
Observed renter burden: 48.7% of the 35,900 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 3.6%, a tight rental market where HUD's annual FMR schedule can lag what landlords are actually asking.
Local labor market: The county's BLS unemployment rate has averaged 3.5% over the past 12 months, close to the typical US county range.
FY 2026 HUD Fair Market Rents in New York. Population: 296,467. Population has held roughly steady over the past five years (+1.1%, Census ACS). That's in line with New York's statewide growth of +1.3% over the same period.
FMR filing desk
Area DUTCHESS·COUNTY·NY·NY
Dutchess County, NY: $1,549/mo 1BR · #126 of 3145 counties (2BR) · FY2026
- FMR-AREA NY
- 1BR-FMR $1,549
- 2BR-FMR $1,979
- RANK-UPPER #126
- YOY-UP +3.8%
- VSUS-HIGH +62%
- VS-ST-HIGH +18% NY
- INC-ROOM 19%
- POP-MAJOR 296K
- PHOTO-NEAR Kings County
- VOUCH-90-110 $1,394–$1,704
- FY-2026 FY2026
Photo-finish peer: Kings ($1,106 1BR gap)
Read with: Understanding rent burden
Fair Market Rents (2026)
Year-over-Year Comparison
| Bedrooms | FY 2025 | FY 2026 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Studio | $1,308 | $1,364 | +$56 (+4.3%) |
| 1 Bedroom | $1,492 | $1,549 | +$57 (+3.8%) |
| 2 Bedroom | $1,907 | $1,979 | +$72 (+3.8%) |
| 3 Bedroom | $2,433 | $2,511 | +$78 (+3.2%) |
| 4 Bedroom | $2,631 | $2,694 | +$63 (+2.4%) |
Rent Burden Analysis
How much of household income goes to rent in Dutchess 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 Dutchess sits among every US county
2-bedroom Fair Market Rent vs. all 3,145 HUD counties
$1,979 Top 4% higher than 96% 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 Dutchess compares on 1-bedroom rent
1-bedroom FMR vs other New York counties
- Kings
Kings County
$2,655 1BR FMR / mo
- Queens
Queens County
$2,655 1BR FMR / mo
- New York
New York County
$2,655 1BR FMR / mo
- Bronx
Bronx County
$2,655 1BR FMR / mo
- Suffolk
Suffolk County
$2,379 1BR FMR / mo
- Nassau
Nassau County
$2,379 1BR FMR / mo
- Dutchess
Dutchess County
$1,549 1BR FMR / mo
What this shows Dutchess is highlighted. Nearby New York counties by 1-bedroom FMR, highest to lowest: Kings County ($2,655), Queens County ($2,655), New York County ($2,655), Bronx County ($2,655), Suffolk County ($2,379), Nassau County ($2,379), Dutchess County (this county) ($1,549).
Can Common Jobs Afford Rent Here?
Against a high local FMR of $1,549/mo, which of 15 common occupations still clear the 30% line using New York BLS wages?
| Occupation | NY Salary | Rent Burden | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|
| Software Developers | $161,260 | 11.5% | Affordable |
| General & Operations Managers | $129,990 | 14.3% | Affordable |
| Registered Nurses | $105,600 | 17.6% | Affordable |
| Accountants & Auditors | $101,780 | 18.3% | Affordable |
| Police & Sheriff's Patrol Officers | $93,050 | 20% | Affordable |
| Elementary School Teachers | $82,480 | 22.5% | Affordable |
| Electricians | $77,460 | 24% | Affordable |
| Paralegals & Legal Assistants | $66,390 | 28% | Affordable |
| Heavy & Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers | $60,520 | 30.7% | Stretched |
| Customer Service Representatives | $47,840 | 38.9% | Stretched |
| Pharmacy Technicians | $40,840 | 45.5% | Stretched |
| Janitors & Cleaners | $39,920 | 46.6% | Stretched |
| Retail Salespersons | $37,020 | 50.2% | Unaffordable |
| Teaching Assistants | $36,600 | 50.8% | Unaffordable |
| Fast Food & Counter Workers | $35,270 | 52.7% | Unaffordable |
Rent Trends (2020–2026)
7-year Fair Market Rent history for Dutchess County. Shows how HUD rental rates have changed over time.
Over the 6-year span HUD has tracked for Dutchess (FY 2020-2026), the 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent has risen 39.3% overall, from $1,112 to $1,549. Most of that movement was gradual except for a single sharp jump of +15.1% in FY 2024, well above this county's typical year-to-year change.
| Year | Studio | 1 BR | 2 BR |
|---|---|---|---|
| FY 2026 ↑3.8% | $1,364 | $1,549 | $1,979 |
| FY 2025 ↑5.1% | $1,308 | $1,492 | $1,907 |
| FY 2024 ↑15.1% | $1,237 | $1,419 | $1,825 |
| FY 2023 ↑11.4% | $1,126 | $1,233 | $1,583 |
| FY 2022 ↓4.6% | $1,033 | $1,107 | $1,412 |
| FY 2021 ↑4.3% | $1,088 | $1,160 | $1,467 |
| FY 2020 | $1,021 | $1,112 | $1,397 |
Part of the Kiryas Joel-Poughkeepsie-Newburgh, NY Metro Area
Dutchess County is a central county of the Kiryas Joel-Poughkeepsie-Newburgh, NY metropolitan statistical area, alongside 1 other metro-area county.
Dutchess County ranks #2 of 2 counties in this metro area by 1-bedroom FMR. Every county sharing this metro, highest to lowest: Orange County ($1,549), Dutchess County (this county) ($1,549).
Nationwide peers by 2BR FMR & rent burden
Two PlainRent-derived comparison paths for Dutchess County, both outside New York 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 NY (FY2026).
Similar rent burden
Nearest 2BR FMR as a share of median household income (outside NY).
Nearby Counties in New York
Largest counties by population in New York
Showing the 8 largest of 61 other counties in New York.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the average rent in Dutchess County?
The FY 2026 Fair Market Rent for a 1-bedroom in Dutchess County is $1,549 per month. A 2-bedroom is $1,979 and a studio is $1,364.
How does Dutchess County rent compare to the national average?
Rent in Dutchess County is 62% above the national average. A 1-bedroom here costs $1,549 compared to $959 nationally.
Where does Dutchess County rank nationally for Fair Market Rent?
According to HUD's FY 2026 Fair Market Rent schedule, Dutchess County's 2-bedroom FMR of $1,979 ranks #126 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 Dutchess County?
Based on the 30% affordability rule, you need an annual income of at least $61,960 ($5,163/month) to afford a 1-bedroom at Fair Market Rent in Dutchess County.
Is rent going up or down in Dutchess County?
The 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent in Dutchess County increased by 3.8% from FY 2025 to FY 2026, going from $1,492 to $1,549.
Which jobs can afford rent in Dutchess County?
Based on New York BLS salary data and the 30% affordability rule, jobs like Software Developers, General and Operations Managers, Registered Nurses can afford a 1-bedroom at $1,549/mo. 8 of 15 common occupations are affordable here.
How much has rent changed in Dutchess County over time?
The 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent in Dutchess County went from $1,112 in FY 2020 to $1,549 in FY 2026, a total change of +39.3% over 6 years.
How does Fair Market Rent affect Section 8 vouchers in Dutchess County?
In Dutchess County, the FY 2026 FMR of $1,549/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 Dutchess County?
For Dutchess County, it's the specific 40th-percentile rent HUD publishes each year ($1,549/mo for a 1-bedroom in FY 2026).
Is the rental market tight or loose in Dutchess County?
The ACS rental vacancy rate here is 3.6%, a tight rental market where HUD's annual FMR schedule can lag what landlords are actually asking.
What is the unemployment rate in Dutchess County?
The county's BLS unemployment rate has averaged 3.5% over the past 12 months, close to the typical US county range.
Data sources
What this means for renters
Treat Dutchess'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 $1,549 implies about $61,960/yr to rent without being cost-burdened. Run your numbers
- New York counties vary widely around this figure - compare specific counties before assuming this applies to yours. Compare vs Kings
- See where Dutchess 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.