County FMR · HUD FY2026

King County Fair Market Rent

HUD's FY2026 Fair Market Rent for King County, WA - 124% above the US average.

$2,146
1-bedroom FMR
$2,501
2-bedroom FMR
-6.4%
YoY change
+124%
vs US avg

The verdict

King is the 2nd most expensive of 39 counties in Washington by 2-bedroom FMR; nationally it ranks #31 most expensive of 3,145 HUD counties; rent here has fallen 6.4% since FY 2025, a modest shift relative to most counties.

#31
most expensive of 3,145 US counties (2BR)
#2
most expensive of 39 in Washington (2BR)
+82%
vs the state average
$85,840
income to afford it (30% rule)

Software Developers spend the smallest share of income on rent here (15.4%), while Fast Food and Counter Workers spend the most (69.9%); nearby Washington counties range as much as 80% apart in 1-bedroom FMR, so the county line itself can matter for renters comparing options.

FY 2026 HUD Fair Market Rent for King County, WA. Verify with HUD →

King County, Washington carries an FY 2026 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent of $2,146 per month, the federal benchmark HUD publishes for this county. A 2-bedroom costs $2,501/mo and a studio is $2,074/mo. That's 124% above the national benchmark of $959 and 82% above the Washington average of $1,180.

Rent decreased6.4% from FY 2025 ($2,293), declining against the trend. Clearing the 30% rule here takes $85,840/year, a high bar relative to most US counties.

FY 2026 HUD Fair Market Rents in Washington. Population: 2,254,371. Population has held roughly steady over the past five years (+4.6%, Census ACS). That's slower than Washington's statewide growth of +6.1% over the same period.

FMR filing desk

Area KING·COUNTY·WA·WA

King County, WA: $2,146/mo 1BR · #31 of 3145 counties (2BR) · FY2026

  • FMR-AREA WA
  • 1BR-FMR $2,146
  • 2BR-FMR $2,501
  • RANK-UPPER #31
  • YOY-DOWN -6.4%
  • VSUS-HIGH +124%
  • VS-ST-HIGH +82% WA
  • INC-MID 21%
  • POP-MEGA 2.3M
  • PHOTO-NEAR Pierce County
  • VOUCH-90-110 $1,931–$2,361
  • FY-2026 FY2026

Photo-finish peer: Pierce ($541 1BR gap)

Read with: Understanding rent burden

Fair Market Rents (2026)

Studio
State avg: $1,082 · US avg: $893
$2,074/mo
↓ 7.3% YoY +92% vs state +132% vs US
1 Bedroom
State avg: $1,180 · US avg: $959
$2,146/mo
↓ 6.4% YoY +82% vs state +124% vs US
2 Bedroom
State avg: $1,472 · US avg: $1,175
$2,501/mo
↓ 6.4% YoY +70% vs state +113% vs US
3 Bedroom
State avg: $2,003 · US avg: $1,525
$3,272/mo
↓ 7.1% YoY +63% vs state +115% vs US
4 Bedroom
State avg: $2,351 · US avg: $1,756
$3,847/mo
↓ 6.3% YoY +64% vs state +119% vs US

Year-over-Year Comparison

Bedrooms FY 2025 FY 2026 Change
Studio $2,238
$2,074
$-164 (-7.3%)
1 Bedroom $2,293
$2,146
$-147 (-6.4%)
2 Bedroom $2,671
$2,501
$-170 (-6.4%)
3 Bedroom $3,521
$3,272
$-249 (-7.1%)
4 Bedroom $4,104
$3,847
$-257 (-6.3%)

Rent Burden Analysis

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

Studio
20.4%
Affordable
Need $82,960/yr for 30% rule
1 Bedroom
21.1%
Affordable
Need $85,840/yr for 30% rule
2 Bedroom
24.6%
Affordable
Need $100,040/yr for 30% rule
3 Bedroom
32.1%
Burdened
Need $130,880/yr for 30% rule
4 Bedroom
37.8%
Burdened
Need $153,880/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%24.6%
King County 2-bedroom rent burden
County median income: $122,148 · National avg burden: 21.7% ·View Washington rent burden →

Where King sits among every US county

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

$2,501 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%). This entry sits in this band. $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 King compares on 1-bedroom rent

1-bedroom FMR vs other Washington counties

1BR FMR / mo

What this shows King is highlighted. Nearby Washington counties by 1-bedroom FMR, highest to lowest: King County (this county) ($2,146), Snohomish County ($2,146), Thurston County ($1,682), Clark County ($1,677), Pierce County ($1,605), Kitsap County ($1,548), Spokane County ($1,193).

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 $2,146/mo, which of 15 common occupations still clear the 30% line using Washington BLS wages?

Occupation WA Salary Rent Burden Verdict
Software Developers $166,910 15.4% Affordable
General & Operations Managers $130,240 19.8% Affordable
Registered Nurses $112,180 23% Affordable
Police & Sheriff's Patrol Officers $102,640 25.1% Affordable
Elementary School Teachers $99,110 26% Affordable
Electricians $96,530 26.7% Affordable
Accountants & Auditors $96,180 26.8% Affordable
Paralegals & Legal Assistants $78,010 33% Stretched
Heavy & Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers $63,760 40.4% Stretched
Pharmacy Technicians $56,140 45.9% Stretched
Customer Service Representatives $49,150 52.4% Unaffordable
Teaching Assistants $47,210 54.5% Unaffordable
Janitors & Cleaners $43,720 58.9% Unaffordable
Retail Salespersons $38,350 67.1% Unaffordable
Fast Food & Counter Workers $36,820 69.9% Unaffordable
Salaries: BLS OES (Washington) median · 30% = affordable threshold · Try the salary calculator →

Rent Trends (2020–2026)

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

Over the 6-year span HUD has tracked for King (FY 2020-2026), the 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent has risen 23.3% overall, from $1,741 to $2,146. The path there hasn't been smooth: year-over-year moves have swung by as much as 20.8% (FY 2023), a volatility pattern that makes single-year comparisons a poor guide to the underlying trend.

$1,400$1,600$1,800$2,000$2,200$2,400 FY2020FY2021FY2022FY2023FY2024FY2025FY2026 $2,146
King County 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent, FY2020–FY2026
Year Studio 1 BR 2 BR
FY 2026 ↓6.4% $2,074 $2,146 $2,501
FY 2025 ↑1.1% $2,238 $2,293 $2,671
FY 2024 ↑8.0% $2,211 $2,269 $2,645
FY 2023 ↑20.8% $2,042 $2,100 $2,455
FY 2022 ↑8.8% $1,674 $1,739 $2,044
FY 2021 ↓8.2% $1,523 $1,599 $1,906
FY 2020 $1,627 $1,741 $2,099
Total change (6yr): +23.3%
Annualized: +3.5%/yr
1 BR: $1,741 → $2,146

Part of the Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA Metro Area

King County is a central county of the Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA metropolitan statistical area, alongside 2 other metro-area counties.

King County ranks #2 of 3 counties in this metro area by 1-bedroom FMR. Every county sharing this metro, highest to lowest: Snohomish County ($2,146), King County (this county) ($2,146), Pierce County ($1,605).

Snohomish County
1 BR: $2,146/mo
King County (this county)
1 BR: $2,146/mo
Pierce County
1 BR: $1,605/mo

Nationwide peers by 2BR FMR & rent burden

Two PlainRent-derived comparison paths for King County, both outside Washington 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 WA (FY2026).

Monroe County
FL · 2 BR $2,504/mo
Kalawao County
HI · 2 BR $2,492/mo
Greater Bridgeport Planning Region
CT · 2 BR $2,511/mo
Western Connecticut Planning Region
CT · 2 BR $2,511/mo

Similar rent burden

Nearest 2BR FMR as a share of median household income (outside WA).

Polk County
TN · 24.6% of income · 2 BR $1,233/mo
Albany County
NY · 24.6% of income · 2 BR $1,702/mo
Gloucester County
VA · 24.6% of income · 2 BR $1,713/mo
Dillon County
SC · 24.6% of income · 2 BR $902/mo

Nearby Counties in Washington

Largest counties by population in Washington

Showing the 8 largest of 38 other counties in Washington.

Pierce County
1 BR: $1,605/mo Pop: 918,993
Snohomish County
1 BR: $2,146/mo Pop: 828,337
Spokane County
1 BR: $1,193/mo Pop: 538,711
Clark County
1 BR: $1,677/mo Pop: 504,091
Thurston County
1 BR: $1,682/mo Pop: 294,272
Kitsap County
1 BR: $1,548/mo Pop: 275,411
Yakima County
1 BR: $1,047/mo Pop: 256,143
Whatcom County
1 BR: $1,493/mo Pop: 226,523
View all counties in Washington →

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the average rent in King County? ▼
The FY 2026 Fair Market Rent for a 1-bedroom in King County is $2,146 per month. A 2-bedroom is $2,501 and a studio is $2,074.
How does King County rent compare to the national average? ▼
Rent in King County is 124% above the national average. A 1-bedroom here costs $2,146 compared to $959 nationally.
Where does King County rank nationally for Fair Market Rent? ▼
According to HUD's FY 2026 Fair Market Rent schedule, King County's 2-bedroom FMR of $2,501 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 King County? ▼
Based on the 30% affordability rule, you need an annual income of at least $85,840 ($7,153/month) to afford a 1-bedroom at Fair Market Rent in King County.
Is rent going up or down in King County? ▼
The 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent in King County decreased by 6.4% from FY 2025 to FY 2026, going from $2,293 to $2,146.
Which jobs can afford rent in King County? ▼
Based on Washington BLS salary data and the 30% affordability rule, jobs like Software Developers, General and Operations Managers, Registered Nurses can afford a 1-bedroom at $2,146/mo. 7 of 15 common occupations are affordable here.
How much has rent changed in King County over time? ▼
The 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent in King County went from $1,741 in FY 2020 to $2,146 in FY 2026, a total change of +23.3% over 6 years.
How does Fair Market Rent affect Section 8 vouchers in King County? ▼
In King County, the FY 2026 FMR of $2,146/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 King County? ▼
For King County, it's the specific 40th-percentile rent HUD publishes each year ($2,146/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.