County FMR · HUD FY2026

Honolulu County Fair Market Rent

HUD's FY2026 Fair Market Rent for Honolulu County, HI - 110% above the US average.

$2,016
1-bedroom FMR
$2,642
2-bedroom FMR
-1.8%
YoY change
+110%
vs US avg

The verdict

Honolulu is the 1st most expensive of 5 counties in Hawaii by 2-bedroom FMR; nationally it ranks #31 most expensive of 3,145 HUD counties.

#31
most expensive of 3,145 US counties (2BR)
#1
most expensive of 5 in Hawaii (2BR)
+8%
vs the state average
$80,640
income to afford it (30% rule)

Registered Nurses spend the smallest share of income on rent here (17.7%), while Fast Food and Counter Workers spend the most (78.4%); only 5 of 15 common occupations here can afford a 1-bedroom at Fair Market Rent without exceeding the 30% threshold.

FY 2026 HUD Fair Market Rent for Honolulu County, HI. Verify with HUD →

HUD sets the FY 2026 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent for Honolulu County, Hawaii at $2,016 per month - the federal rental-assistance benchmark for this county. A 2-bedroom costs $2,642/mo and a studio is $1,877/mo. This is 110% higher than the national average of $959 and 8% above the Hawaii average of $1,859.

Rent decreased1.8% from FY 2025 ($2,052), declining against the trend. Clearing the 30% rule here takes $80,640/year, a high bar relative to most US counties.

FY 2026 HUD Fair Market Rents in Hawaii. Population: 1,010,100. Population has held roughly steady over the past five years (+1.6%, Census ACS). That's in line with Hawaii's statewide growth of +1.7% over the same period.

What these rents mean for Honolulu 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, Honolulu County's 2-bedroom of $2,642 ranks #31 most expensive of 3,145 US counties, in the highest-rent tenth of HUD counties.

Honolulu County sits in the expensive tier: 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent is 110% above the US average of $959, and 8% above the Hawaii average of $1,859. Voucher payment standards and renter budgets both feel that premium. From FY 2025 to FY 2026 the 1-bedroom schedule moved $2,052 → $2,016 (-1.8%), a rare easing in a high-rent county.

At $2,016/mo for a 1-bedroom, the 30% rule wants $80,640/year: still within reach of the county median income of $104,264, though a 2-bedroom at $2,642 raises the bar.

Fair Market Rents (2026)

Studio
State avg: $1,786 · US avg: $893
$1,877/mo
↓ 0.5% YoY +5% vs state +110% vs US
1 Bedroom
State avg: $1,859 · US avg: $959
$2,016/mo
↓ 1.8% YoY +8% vs state +110% vs US
2 Bedroom
State avg: $2,433 · US avg: $1,175
$2,642/mo
↓ 1.7% YoY +9% vs state +125% vs US
3 Bedroom
State avg: $3,157 · US avg: $1,525
$3,674/mo
↓ 2.4% YoY +16% vs state +141% vs US
4 Bedroom
State avg: $3,779 · US avg: $1,756
$4,432/mo
↓ 1.8% YoY +17% vs state +152% vs US

Year-over-Year Comparison

Bedrooms FY 2025 FY 2026 Change
Studio $1,887
$1,877
$-10 (-0.5%)
1 Bedroom $2,052
$2,016
$-36 (-1.8%)
2 Bedroom $2,687
$2,642
$-45 (-1.7%)
3 Bedroom $3,765
$3,674
$-91 (-2.4%)
4 Bedroom $4,512
$4,432
$-80 (-1.8%)

Affordability Snapshot

Based on the standard that rent should not exceed 30% of gross income:

Required annual income for 1 BR
$80,640
$6,720/month gross
Required annual income for 2 BR
$105,680
$8,807/month gross

Rent Burden Analysis

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

Studio
21.6%
Affordable
Need $75,080/yr for 30% rule
1 Bedroom
23.2%
Affordable
Need $80,640/yr for 30% rule
2 Bedroom
30.4%
Burdened
Need $105,680/yr for 30% rule
3 Bedroom
42.3%
Burdened
Need $146,960/yr for 30% rule
4 Bedroom
51%
Severe
Need $177,280/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%30.4%
Honolulu County 2-bedroom rent burden
County median income: $104,264 · National avg burden: 21.7% ·View Hawaii rent burden →

Where Honolulu sits among every US county

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

$2,642 Top 1% higher than 99% 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%). Below this entry. $1,600–$1,800: 172 counties (5%). Below this entry. $1,800–$2,000: 108 counties (3%). Below this entry. $2,000–$2,200: 29 counties (1%). Below this entry. $2,200–$2,400: 40 counties (1%). Below this entry. $2,400–$2,600: 13 counties (0%). Below this entry. $2,600–$2,800: 9 counties (0%). This entry sits in this band. $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 Honolulu compares on 1-bedroom rent

1-bedroom FMR vs other Hawaii counties

1BR FMR / mo

What this shows Honolulu is highlighted. Nearby Hawaii counties by 1-bedroom FMR, highest to lowest: Honolulu County (this county) ($2,016), Maui County ($2,000), Kalawao County ($1,899), Kauai County ($1,777), Hawaii County ($1,603).

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 $2,016/mo, which of 15 common occupations still clear the 30% line using Hawaii BLS wages?

Occupation HI Salary Rent Burden Verdict
Registered Nurses $136,320 17.7% Affordable
Software Developers $119,880 20.2% Affordable
General & Operations Managers $105,160 23% Affordable
Police & Sheriff's Patrol Officers $89,390 27.1% Affordable
Electricians $83,200 29.1% Affordable
Accountants & Auditors $67,820 35.7% Stretched
Paralegals & Legal Assistants $60,890 39.7% Stretched
Elementary School Teachers $60,420 40% Stretched
Heavy & Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers $59,320 40.8% Stretched
Pharmacy Technicians $45,380 53.3% Unaffordable
Customer Service Representatives $40,630 59.5% Unaffordable
Janitors & Cleaners $37,120 65.2% Unaffordable
Retail Salespersons $36,050 67.1% Unaffordable
Teaching Assistants $35,420 68.3% Unaffordable
Fast Food & Counter Workers $30,860 78.4% Unaffordable
Salaries: BLS OES (Hawaii) median · 30% = affordable threshold · Try the salary calculator →

Rent Trends (2020–2026)

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

Over the 6-year span HUD has tracked for Honolulu (FY 2020-2026), the 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent has risen 22.9% overall, from $1,640 to $2,016. Most of that movement was gradual except for a single sharp jump of +12.5% in FY 2025, well above this county's typical year-to-year change.

$1,400$1,600$1,800$2,000$2,200 FY2020FY2021FY2022FY2023FY2024FY2025FY2026 $2,016
Honolulu County 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent, FY2020–FY2026
Year Studio 1 BR 2 BR
FY 2026 ↓1.8% $1,877 $2,016 $2,642
FY 2025 ↑12.5% $1,887 $2,052 $2,687
FY 2024 ↑6.3% $1,668 $1,824 $2,388
FY 2023 ↑0.6% $1,563 $1,716 $2,247
FY 2022 ↑8.1% $1,552 $1,705 $2,240
FY 2021 ↓3.8% $1,433 $1,577 $2,073
FY 2020 $1,473 $1,640 $2,160
Total change (6yr): +22.9%
Annualized: +3.5%/yr
1 BR: $1,640 → $2,016

Part of the Urban Honolulu, HI Metro Area

Honolulu County is a central county of the Urban Honolulu, HI metropolitan statistical area.

Nearby Counties in Hawaii

Largest counties by population in Hawaii

Hawaii County
1 BR: $1,603/mo Pop: 202,163
Maui County
1 BR: $2,000/mo Pop: 164,765
Kauai County
1 BR: $1,777/mo Pop: 73,511
Kalawao County
1 BR: $1,899/mo Pop: 50
View all counties in Hawaii →

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the average rent in Honolulu County? ▼
The FY 2026 Fair Market Rent for a 1-bedroom in Honolulu County is $2,016 per month. A 2-bedroom is $2,642 and a studio is $1,877.
How does Honolulu County rent compare to the national average? ▼
Rent in Honolulu County is 110% above the national average. A 1-bedroom here costs $2,016 compared to $959 nationally.
Where does Honolulu County rank nationally for Fair Market Rent? ▼
According to HUD's FY 2026 Fair Market Rent schedule, Honolulu County's 2-bedroom FMR of $2,642 ranks #31 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 Honolulu County? ▼
Based on the 30% affordability rule, you need an annual income of at least $80,640 ($6,720/month) to afford a 1-bedroom at Fair Market Rent in Honolulu County.
Is rent going up or down in Honolulu County? ▼
The 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent in Honolulu County decreased by 1.8% from FY 2025 to FY 2026, going from $2,052 to $2,016.
Which jobs can afford rent in Honolulu County? ▼
Based on Hawaii BLS salary data and the 30% affordability rule, jobs like Registered Nurses, Software Developers, General and Operations Managers can afford a 1-bedroom at $2,016/mo. 5 of 15 common occupations are affordable here.
How much has rent changed in Honolulu County over time? ▼
The 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent in Honolulu County went from $1,640 in FY 2020 to $2,016 in FY 2026, a total change of +22.9% over 6 years.
How does Fair Market Rent affect Section 8 vouchers in Honolulu County? ▼
In Honolulu County, the FY 2026 FMR of $2,016/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 Honolulu County? ▼
For Honolulu County, it's the specific 40th-percentile rent HUD publishes each year ($2,016/mo for a 1-bedroom in FY 2026).

What this means for renters

Treat Honolulu'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 $2,016 implies about $80,640/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 Honolulu 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.

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.