County FMR · HUD FY2026

Esmeralda County Fair Market Rent

HUD's FY2026 Fair Market Rent for Esmeralda County, NV - 17% above the US average.

$1,122
1-bedroom FMR
$1,472
2-bedroom FMR
-10.0%
YoY change
+17%
vs US avg

The verdict

Esmeralda is the 7th most expensive of 17 counties in Nevada by 2-bedroom FMR; nationally it ranks #503 most expensive of 3,145 HUD counties; rent here has fallen 10.0% since FY 2025, a modest shift relative to most counties.

#503
most expensive of 3,145 US counties (2BR)
#7
most expensive of 17 in Nevada (2BR)
-1%
vs the state average
$44,880
income to afford it (30% rule)

Software Developers spend the smallest share of income on rent here (10.4%), while Fast Food and Counter Workers spend the most (46.1%).

FY 2026 HUD Fair Market Rent for Esmeralda County, NV. Verify with HUD →

HUD sets the FY 2026 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent for Esmeralda County, Nevada at $1,122 per month - the federal rental-assistance benchmark for this county. A 2-bedroom costs $1,472/mo and a studio is $1,072/mo. This is 17% higher than the national average of $959 and 1% below the Nevada average of $1,135.

Rent decreased10.0% from FY 2025 ($1,246), declining against the trend. A household needs about $44,880/year to stay under the 30% rent-to-income line.

Observed renter burden: 59.7% of the 258 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.

FY 2026 HUD Fair Market Rents in Nevada. Population: 980.

FMR filing desk

Area ESMERALDA·COUNTY·NV·NV

Esmeralda County, NV: $1,122/mo 1BR · #503 of 3145 counties (2BR) · FY2026

  • FMR-AREA NV
  • 1BR-FMR $1,122
  • 2BR-FMR $1,472
  • RANK-MID #503
  • YOY-DOWN -10.0%
  • VSUS-ABOVE +17%
  • VS-ST-NEAR -1% NV
  • INC-NA Income n/a
  • POP-SMALL 980
  • PHOTO-NEAR Clark County
  • VOUCH-90-110 $1,010–$1,234
  • FY-2026 FY2026

Photo-finish peer: Clark ($356 1BR gap)

Read with: Understanding rent burden

Fair Market Rents (2026)

Studio
State avg: $1,056 · US avg: $893
$1,072/mo
↓ 10.0% YoY +2% vs state +20% vs US
1 Bedroom
State avg: $1,135 · US avg: $959
$1,122/mo
↓ 10.0% YoY -1% vs state +17% vs US
2 Bedroom
State avg: $1,428 · US avg: $1,175
$1,472/mo
↓ 10.0% YoY +3% vs state +25% vs US
3 Bedroom
State avg: $1,941 · US avg: $1,525
$2,062/mo
↓ 10.0% YoY +6% vs state +35% vs US
4 Bedroom
State avg: $2,352 · US avg: $1,756
$2,472/mo
↓ 10.0% YoY +5% vs state +41% vs US

Year-over-Year Comparison

Bedrooms FY 2025 FY 2026 Change
Studio $1,191
$1,072
$-119 (-10.0%)
1 Bedroom $1,246
$1,122
$-124 (-10.0%)
2 Bedroom $1,635
$1,472
$-163 (-10.0%)
3 Bedroom $2,291
$2,062
$-229 (-10.0%)
4 Bedroom $2,746
$2,472
$-274 (-10.0%)

Where Esmeralda sits among every US county

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

$1,472 Top 16% higher than 84% 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 Esmeralda compares on 1-bedroom rent

1-bedroom FMR vs other Nevada counties

1BR FMR / mo

What this shows Esmeralda is highlighted. Nearby Nevada counties by 1-bedroom FMR, highest to lowest: Washoe County ($1,489), Clark County ($1,478), Carson City ($1,212), Elko County ($1,166), Esmeralda County (this county) ($1,122), Lyon County ($1,076), Nye County ($1,000).

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 $1,122/mo, which of 15 common occupations still clear the 30% line using Nevada BLS wages?

Occupation NV Salary Rent Burden Verdict
Software Developers $129,030 10.4% Affordable
Registered Nurses $101,990 13.2% Affordable
General & Operations Managers $94,990 14.2% Affordable
Police & Sheriff's Patrol Officers $78,670 17.1% Affordable
Accountants & Auditors $78,220 17.2% Affordable
Electricians $64,950 20.7% Affordable
Elementary School Teachers $62,420 21.6% Affordable
Paralegals & Legal Assistants $62,090 21.7% Affordable
Heavy & Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers $60,900 22.1% Affordable
Pharmacy Technicians $46,670 28.8% Affordable
Customer Service Representatives $38,950 34.6% Stretched
Janitors & Cleaners $36,480 36.9% Stretched
Retail Salespersons $33,430 40.3% Stretched
Teaching Assistants $30,450 44.2% Stretched
Fast Food & Counter Workers $29,180 46.1% Stretched
Salaries: BLS OES (Nevada) median · 30% = affordable threshold · Try the salary calculator →

Rent Trends (2020–2026)

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

Over the 6-year span HUD has tracked for Esmeralda (FY 2020-2026), the 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent has risen 107.0% overall, from $542 to $1,122. The path there hasn't been smooth: year-over-year moves have swung by as much as 39.8% (FY 2024), a volatility pattern that makes single-year comparisons a poor guide to the underlying trend.

$400$600$800$1,000$1,200$1,400 FY2020FY2021FY2022FY2023FY2024FY2025FY2026 $1,122
Esmeralda County 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent, FY2020–FY2026
Year Studio 1 BR 2 BR
FY 2026 ↓10.0% $1,072 $1,122 $1,472
FY 2025 ↑16.2% $1,191 $1,246 $1,635
FY 2024 ↑39.8% $957 $1,072 $1,408
FY 2023 ↑29.1% $675 $767 $1,009
FY 2022 ↑6.6% $520 $594 $782
FY 2021 ↑2.8% $484 $557 $734
FY 2020 $465 $542 $714
Total change (6yr): +107.0%
Annualized: +12.9%/yr
1 BR: $542 → $1,122

Where Esmeralda County Ranks in Nevada

Esmeralda County is not part of any federally-designated metropolitan or micropolitan statistical area -- an independent rental market not administratively tied to a larger urban core. By 2-bedroom FMR, it ranks #11 of 17 counties in Nevada. Nearest by rank: White Pine County ($1,315), Eureka County ($1,393), Mineral County ($1,393), Churchill County ($1,421), Esmeralda County (this county) ($1,472), Elko County ($1,530), Carson City ($1,546), Douglas County ($1,605), Clark County ($1,735).

White Pine County
2 BR: $1,315/mo
Eureka County
2 BR: $1,393/mo
Mineral County
2 BR: $1,393/mo
Churchill County
2 BR: $1,421/mo
Esmeralda County (this county)
2 BR: $1,472/mo
Elko County
2 BR: $1,530/mo
Carson City
2 BR: $1,546/mo
Douglas County
2 BR: $1,605/mo
Clark County
2 BR: $1,735/mo

Nationwide peers by 2BR FMR & rent burden

Two PlainRent-derived comparison paths for Esmeralda County, both outside Nevada 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 NV (FY2026).

Marion County
IN · 2 BR $1,473/mo
Knox County
TN · 2 BR $1,471/mo
Hamilton County
IN · 2 BR $1,473/mo
Escambia County
FL · 2 BR $1,471/mo

Nearby Counties in Nevada

Largest counties by population in Nevada

Showing the 8 largest of 16 other counties in Nevada.

Clark County
1 BR: $1,478/mo Pop: 2,265,926
Washoe County
1 BR: $1,489/mo Pop: 486,674
Lyon County
1 BR: $1,076/mo Pop: 59,435
Carson City
1 BR: $1,212/mo Pop: 58,249
Elko County
1 BR: $1,166/mo Pop: 53,600
Nye County
1 BR: $1,000/mo Pop: 51,698
Douglas County
1 BR: $1,291/mo Pop: 49,476
Churchill County
1 BR: $1,083/mo Pop: 25,409
View all counties in Nevada →

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the average rent in Esmeralda County? ▼
The FY 2026 Fair Market Rent for a 1-bedroom in Esmeralda County is $1,122 per month. A 2-bedroom is $1,472 and a studio is $1,072.
How does Esmeralda County rent compare to the national average? ▼
Rent in Esmeralda County is 17% above the national average. A 1-bedroom here costs $1,122 compared to $959 nationally.
Where does Esmeralda County rank nationally for Fair Market Rent? ▼
According to HUD's FY 2026 Fair Market Rent schedule, Esmeralda County's 2-bedroom FMR of $1,472 ranks #503 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 Esmeralda County? ▼
Based on the 30% affordability rule, you need an annual income of at least $44,880 ($3,740/month) to afford a 1-bedroom at Fair Market Rent in Esmeralda County.
Is rent going up or down in Esmeralda County? ▼
The 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent in Esmeralda County decreased by 10.0% from FY 2025 to FY 2026, going from $1,246 to $1,122.
Which jobs can afford rent in Esmeralda County? ▼
Based on Nevada BLS salary data and the 30% affordability rule, jobs like Software Developers, Registered Nurses, General and Operations Managers can afford a 1-bedroom at $1,122/mo. 10 of 15 common occupations are affordable here.
How much has rent changed in Esmeralda County over time? ▼
The 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent in Esmeralda County went from $542 in FY 2020 to $1,122 in FY 2026, a total change of +107.0% over 6 years.
How does Fair Market Rent affect Section 8 vouchers in Esmeralda County? ▼
In Esmeralda County, the FY 2026 FMR of $1,122/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 Esmeralda County? ▼
For Esmeralda County, it's the specific 40th-percentile rent HUD publishes each year ($1,122/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.