County FMR · HUD FY2026
Grant County Fair Market Rent
HUD's FY2026 Fair Market Rent for Grant County, NM - 16% below the US average.
- $801
- 1-bedroom FMR
- $1,048
- 2-bedroom FMR
- +6.4%
- YoY change
- -16%
- vs US avg
The verdict
Grant is the 14th most expensive of 33 counties in New Mexico by 2-bedroom FMR; nationally it ranks #1,478 most expensive of 3,145 HUD counties; rent here has climbed 6.4% since FY 2025, a modest shift relative to most counties.
- #1,478
- most expensive of 3,145 US counties (2BR)
- #14
- most expensive of 33 in New Mexico (2BR)
- -14%
- vs the state average
- $32,040
- income to afford it (30% rule)
Software Developers spend the smallest share of income on rent here (8%), while Fast Food and Counter Workers spend the most (33.5%); nearby New Mexico counties range as much as 57% apart in 1-bedroom FMR, so the county line itself can matter for renters comparing options.
FY 2026 HUD Fair Market Rent for Grant County, NM. Verify with HUD →
Grant County, New Mexico carries an FY 2026 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent of $801 per month, the federal benchmark HUD publishes for this county. A 2-bedroom costs $1,048/mo and a studio is $795/mo. That's 16% below the national benchmark of $959 and 14% below the New Mexico average of $927.
Rent increased6.4% from FY 2025 ($753), outpacing inflation. The 30% affordability floor is comparatively reachable here at $32,040/year.
FY 2026 HUD Fair Market Rents in New Mexico. Population: 28,006. Population has held roughly steady over the past five years (-0.7%, Census ACS). That's slower than New Mexico's statewide growth of +1.1% over the same period.
What these rents mean for Grant County
HUD publishes one FMR schedule per FMR area (often the county). Local housing authorities use it as the Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher payment-standard baseline. See how FMR is calculated.
According to HUD's FY 2026 Fair Market Rent schedule, Grant County's 2-bedroom of $1,048 ranks #1,478 most expensive of 3,145 US counties, in the middle half of HUD counties.
This is a below-average rent market: 1-bedroom FMR is 16% under the US average of $959 and 14% below New Mexico's $927. HUD's 1-bedroom figure shifted from $753 (FY 2025) to $801 (FY 2026), a +6.4% move that still leaves this county below the US mid-point.
A 1-bedroom at $801 needs $32,040/year under the 30% rule against a county median of $45,921, and the median household clears that line with room to spare. A 2-bedroom at $1,048 is the next step up.
Fair Market Rents (2026)
Year-over-Year Comparison
| Bedrooms | FY 2025 | FY 2026 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Studio | $748 | $795 | +$47 (+6.3%) |
| 1 Bedroom | $753 | $801 | +$48 (+6.4%) |
| 2 Bedroom | $933 | $1,048 | +$115 (+12.3%) |
| 3 Bedroom | $1,242 | $1,304 | +$62 (+5.0%) |
| 4 Bedroom | $1,284 | $1,388 | +$104 (+8.1%) |
Affordability Snapshot
Based on the standard that rent should not exceed 30% of gross income:
Rent Burden Analysis
How much of household income goes to rent in Grant 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 Grant sits among every US county
2-bedroom Fair Market Rent vs. all 3,145 HUD counties
$1,048 higher than 53% 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 Grant compares on 1-bedroom rent
1-bedroom FMR vs other New Mexico counties
- Santa Fe
Santa Fe County
$1,390 1BR FMR / mo
- Bernalillo
Bernalillo County
$1,185 1BR FMR / mo
- Sandoval
Sandoval County
$1,185 1BR FMR / mo
- Valencia
Valencia County
$1,185 1BR FMR / mo
- Dona Ana
Dona Ana County
$951 1BR FMR / mo
- San Juan
San Juan County
$885 1BR FMR / mo
- Grant
Grant County
$801 1BR FMR / mo
What this shows Grant is highlighted. Nearby New Mexico counties by 1-bedroom FMR, highest to lowest: Santa Fe County ($1,390), Bernalillo County ($1,185), Sandoval County ($1,185), Valencia County ($1,185), Dona Ana County ($951), San Juan County ($885), Grant County (this county) ($801).
Can Common Jobs Afford Rent Here?
With a below-average 1-bedroom at $801/mo, most of these New Mexico occupations clear, or miss, the 30% affordability line.
| Occupation | NM Salary | Rent Burden | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|
| Software Developers | $120,820 | 8% | Affordable |
| General & Operations Managers | $100,200 | 9.6% | Affordable |
| Registered Nurses | $88,260 | 10.9% | Affordable |
| Accountants & Auditors | $77,420 | 12.4% | Affordable |
| Elementary School Teachers | $65,510 | 14.7% | Affordable |
| Police & Sheriff's Patrol Officers | $63,340 | 15.2% | Affordable |
| Electricians | $56,890 | 16.9% | Affordable |
| Paralegals & Legal Assistants | $56,620 | 17% | Affordable |
| Heavy & Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers | $48,360 | 19.9% | Affordable |
| Pharmacy Technicians | $44,970 | 21.4% | Affordable |
| Customer Service Representatives | $38,060 | 25.3% | Affordable |
| Janitors & Cleaners | $33,640 | 28.6% | Affordable |
| Retail Salespersons | $31,360 | 30.7% | Stretched |
| Teaching Assistants | $30,350 | 31.7% | Stretched |
| Fast Food & Counter Workers | $28,650 | 33.5% | Stretched |
Rent Trends (2020–2026)
7-year Fair Market Rent history for Grant County. Shows how HUD rental rates have changed over time.
Over the 6-year span HUD has tracked for Grant (FY 2020-2026), the 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent has risen 29.8% overall, from $617 to $801. The increases have been fairly steady year to year, with no single jump exceeding 10.7% (FY 2023).
| Year | Studio | 1 BR | 2 BR |
|---|---|---|---|
| FY 2026 ↑6.4% | $795 | $801 | $1,048 |
| FY 2025 ↑2.7% | $748 | $753 | $933 |
| FY 2024 ↑7.5% | $728 | $733 | $877 |
| FY 2023 ↑10.7% | $582 | $682 | $795 |
| FY 2022 ↓7.8% | $567 | $616 | $726 |
| FY 2021 ↑8.3% | $630 | $668 | $806 |
| FY 2020 | $598 | $617 | $745 |
Part of the Silver City, NM Micro Area
Grant County is a central county of the Silver City, NM micropolitan statistical area.
Nearby Counties in New Mexico
Largest counties by population in New Mexico
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the average rent in Grant County? ▼
How does Grant County rent compare to the national average? ▼
Where does Grant County rank nationally for Fair Market Rent? ▼
What income do I need to afford rent in Grant County? ▼
Is rent going up or down in Grant County? ▼
Which jobs can afford rent in Grant County? ▼
How much has rent changed in Grant County over time? ▼
How does Fair Market Rent affect Section 8 vouchers in Grant County? ▼
What does Fair Market Rent mean for Grant County? ▼
What this means for renters
Treat Grant's FY2026 Fair Market Rent as HUD's affordability benchmark, not a market quote.
- Budget to roughly 30% of income: the FY2026 1-bedroom FMR of $801 implies about $32,040/yr to rent without being cost-burdened. Run your numbers
- Compare this county against nearby metros and states before signing a lease. Compare areas
- See where it sits on the national rent map. View rankings
Fair Market Rent is HUD's 40th-percentile policy benchmark used to set Housing Choice Voucher payment standards. Actual asking rents in Grant can run higher or lower, and HUD updates FMRs once a year. This page is informational and not financial or relocation advice.
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.
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.