County FMR · HUD FY2026

Lawrence County Fair Market Rent

HUD's FY2026 Fair Market Rent for Lawrence County, PA - 19% below the US average.

$780
1-bedroom FMR
$1,023
2-bedroom FMR
+7.1%
YoY change
-19%
vs US avg

The verdict

Lawrence is the 25th cheapest of 67 counties in Pennsylvania by 2-bedroom FMR; nationally it ranks #1,542 most affordable of 3,145 HUD counties; rent here has climbed 7.1% since FY 2025, a modest shift relative to most counties.

#1,542
most affordable of 3,145 US counties (2BR)
#25
cheapest of 67 in Pennsylvania (2BR)
-22%
vs the state average
$31,200
income to afford it (30% rule)

Software Developers spend the smallest share of income on rent here (7.6%), while Fast Food and Counter Workers spend the most (32.9%).

FY 2026 HUD Fair Market Rent for Lawrence County, PA. Verify with HUD →

HUD sets the FY 2026 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent for Lawrence County, Pennsylvania at $780 per month - the federal rental-assistance benchmark for this county. A 2-bedroom costs $1,023/mo and a studio is $705/mo. This is 19% lower than the national average of $959 and 22% below the Pennsylvania average of $996.

Rent increased7.1% from FY 2025 ($728), outpacing inflation. The 30% affordability floor is comparatively reachable here at $31,200/year.

FY 2026 HUD Fair Market Rents in Pennsylvania. Population: 85,907. Population has held roughly steady over the past five years (-2.2%, Census ACS). That's slower than Pennsylvania's statewide growth of +1.5% over the same period.

FMR filing desk

Area LAWRENCE·COUNTY·PA·PA

Lawrence County, PA: $780/mo 1BR · #1542 of 3145 counties (2BR) · FY2026

  • FMR-AREA PA
  • 1BR-FMR $780
  • 2BR-FMR $1,023
  • RANK-MID #1,542
  • YOY-SURGE +7.1%
  • VSUS-BELOW -19%
  • VS-ST-LOW -22% PA
  • INC-ROOM 15%
  • POP-MID 86K
  • PHOTO-NEAR Philadelphia Count
  • VOUCH-90-110 $702–$858
  • FY-2026 FY2026

Photo-finish peer: Philadelphia ($740 1BR gap)

Read with: Section 8 housing guide

Fair Market Rents (2026)

Studio
State avg: $900 · US avg: $893
$705/mo
↑ 7.6% YoY -22% vs state -21% vs US
1 Bedroom
State avg: $996 · US avg: $959
$780/mo
↑ 7.1% YoY -22% vs state -19% vs US
2 Bedroom
State avg: $1,225 · US avg: $1,175
$1,023/mo
↑ 7.1% YoY -16% vs state -13% vs US
3 Bedroom
State avg: $1,570 · US avg: $1,525
$1,423/mo
↑ 6.4% YoY -9% vs state -7% vs US
4 Bedroom
State avg: $1,744 · US avg: $1,756
$1,610/mo
↑ 5.9% YoY -8% vs state -8% vs US

Year-over-Year Comparison

Bedrooms FY 2025 FY 2026 Change
Studio $655
$705
+$50 (+7.6%)
1 Bedroom $728
$780
+$52 (+7.1%)
2 Bedroom $955
$1,023
+$68 (+7.1%)
3 Bedroom $1,338
$1,423
+$85 (+6.4%)
4 Bedroom $1,520
$1,610
+$90 (+5.9%)

Rent Burden Analysis

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

Studio
13.9%
Affordable
Need $28,200/yr for 30% rule
1 Bedroom
15.4%
Affordable
Need $31,200/yr for 30% rule
2 Bedroom
20.2%
Affordable
Need $40,920/yr for 30% rule
3 Bedroom
28.1%
Affordable
Need $56,920/yr for 30% rule
4 Bedroom
31.8%
Burdened
Need $64,400/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%20.2%
Lawrence County 2-bedroom rent burden
County median income: $60,779 · National avg burden: 21.7% ·View Pennsylvania rent burden →

Where Lawrence sits among every US county

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

$1,023 higher than 49% 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%). This entry sits in this band. $1,200–$1,400: 417 counties (13%). Above this entry. $1,400–$1,600: 181 counties (6%). Above this entry. $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 Lawrence compares on 1-bedroom rent

1-bedroom FMR vs other Pennsylvania counties

1BR FMR / mo

What this shows Lawrence is highlighted. Nearby Pennsylvania counties by 1-bedroom FMR, highest to lowest: Philadelphia County ($1,520), Montgomery County ($1,520), Bucks County ($1,520), Delaware County ($1,520), Lancaster County ($1,220), Allegheny County ($1,077), Lawrence County (this county) ($780).

Source U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) As of FY2026

Can Common Jobs Afford Rent Here?

With a below-average 1-bedroom at $780/mo, most of these Pennsylvania occupations clear, or miss, the 30% affordability line.

Occupation PA Salary Rent Burden Verdict
Software Developers $123,740 7.6% Affordable
General & Operations Managers $100,400 9.3% Affordable
Registered Nurses $87,610 10.7% Affordable
Police & Sheriff's Patrol Officers $86,350 10.8% Affordable
Accountants & Auditors $77,330 12.1% Affordable
Elementary School Teachers $74,160 12.6% Affordable
Electricians $65,400 14.3% Affordable
Paralegals & Legal Assistants $60,950 15.4% Affordable
Heavy & Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers $58,540 16% Affordable
Customer Service Representatives $43,080 21.7% Affordable
Pharmacy Technicians $37,560 24.9% Affordable
Janitors & Cleaners $35,670 26.2% Affordable
Teaching Assistants $30,550 30.6% Stretched
Retail Salespersons $30,410 30.8% Stretched
Fast Food & Counter Workers $28,490 32.9% Stretched
Salaries: BLS OES (Pennsylvania) median · 30% = affordable threshold · Try the salary calculator →

Rent Trends (2020–2026)

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

Over the 6-year span HUD has tracked for Lawrence (FY 2020-2026), the 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent has risen 34.5% overall, from $580 to $780. The increases have been fairly steady year to year, with no single jump exceeding 9.8% (FY 2025).

$550$600$650$700$750$800 FY2020FY2021FY2022FY2023FY2024FY2025FY2026 $780
Lawrence County 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent, FY2020–FY2026
Year Studio 1 BR 2 BR
FY 2026 ↑7.1% $705 $780 $1,023
FY 2025 ↑9.8% $655 $728 $955
FY 2024 ↑3.9% $590 $663 $871
FY 2023 ↑6.3% $562 $638 $840
FY 2022 ↑1.4% $525 $600 $790
FY 2021 ↑2.1% $515 $592 $780
FY 2020 $497 $580 $763
Total change (6yr): +34.5%
Annualized: +5.1%/yr
1 BR: $580 → $780

Part of the Pittsburgh, PA Metro Area

Lawrence County is a outlying county of the Pittsburgh, PA metropolitan statistical area, alongside 7 other metro-area counties.

Lawrence County ranks #7 of 8 counties in this metro area by 1-bedroom FMR. Every county sharing this metro, highest to lowest: Allegheny County ($1,077), Westmoreland County ($1,077), Washington County ($1,077), Butler County ($1,077), Beaver County ($1,077), Fayette County ($1,077), Lawrence County (this county) ($780), Armstrong County ($767).

Allegheny County
1 BR: $1,077/mo
Westmoreland County
1 BR: $1,077/mo
Washington County
1 BR: $1,077/mo
Butler County
1 BR: $1,077/mo
Beaver County
1 BR: $1,077/mo
Fayette County
1 BR: $1,077/mo
Lawrence County (this county)
1 BR: $780/mo
Armstrong County
1 BR: $767/mo

Nationwide peers by 2BR FMR & rent burden

Two PlainRent-derived comparison paths for Lawrence County, both outside Pennsylvania 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 PA (FY2026).

Tuscarawas County
OH · 2 BR $1,023/mo
Hill County
TX · 2 BR $1,023/mo
Mackinac County
MI · 2 BR $1,023/mo
Daniels County
MT · 2 BR $1,023/mo

Similar rent burden

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

Hancock County
MS · 20.2% of income · 2 BR $1,140/mo
Phelps County
MO · 20.2% of income · 2 BR $933/mo
Morgan County
GA · 20.2% of income · 2 BR $1,442/mo
Dyer County
TN · 20.2% of income · 2 BR $925/mo

Nearby Counties in Pennsylvania

Largest counties by population in Pennsylvania

Showing the 8 largest of 66 other counties in Pennsylvania.

Philadelphia County
1 BR: $1,520/mo Pop: 1,593,208
Allegheny County
1 BR: $1,077/mo Pop: 1,245,310
Montgomery County
1 BR: $1,520/mo Pop: 856,399
Bucks County
1 BR: $1,520/mo Pop: 645,163
Delaware County
1 BR: $1,520/mo Pop: 575,312
Lancaster County
1 BR: $1,220/mo Pop: 553,202
Chester County
1 BR: $1,520/mo Pop: 536,474
York County
1 BR: $1,060/mo Pop: 457,051
View all counties in Pennsylvania →

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the average rent in Lawrence County? ▼
The FY 2026 Fair Market Rent for a 1-bedroom in Lawrence County is $780 per month. A 2-bedroom is $1,023 and a studio is $705.
How does Lawrence County rent compare to the national average? ▼
Rent in Lawrence County is 19% below the national average. A 1-bedroom here costs $780 compared to $959 nationally.
Where does Lawrence County rank nationally for Fair Market Rent? ▼
According to HUD's FY 2026 Fair Market Rent schedule, Lawrence County's 2-bedroom FMR of $1,023 ranks #1,542 most affordable among 3,145 HUD counties, placing it in the middle half of HUD counties.
What income do I need to afford rent in Lawrence County? ▼
Based on the 30% affordability rule, you need an annual income of at least $31,200 ($2,600/month) to afford a 1-bedroom at Fair Market Rent in Lawrence County.
Is rent going up or down in Lawrence County? ▼
The 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent in Lawrence County increased by 7.1% from FY 2025 to FY 2026, going from $728 to $780.
Which jobs can afford rent in Lawrence County? ▼
Based on Pennsylvania BLS salary data and the 30% affordability rule, jobs like Software Developers, General and Operations Managers, Registered Nurses can afford a 1-bedroom at $780/mo. 12 of 15 common occupations are affordable here.
How much has rent changed in Lawrence County over time? ▼
The 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent in Lawrence County went from $580 in FY 2020 to $780 in FY 2026, a total change of +34.5% over 6 years.
How does Fair Market Rent affect Section 8 vouchers in Lawrence County? ▼
In Lawrence County, the FY 2026 FMR of $780/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 Lawrence County? ▼
For Lawrence County, it's the specific 40th-percentile rent HUD publishes each year ($780/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.