County FMR · HUD FY2026

Lincoln County Fair Market Rent

HUD's FY2026 Fair Market Rent for Lincoln County, NM - 14% below the US average.

$820
1-bedroom FMR
$999
2-bedroom FMR
+3.8%
YoY change
-14%
vs US avg

The verdict

Lincoln is the 14th cheapest of 33 counties in New Mexico by 2-bedroom FMR; nationally it ranks #1,416 most affordable of 3,145 HUD counties.

#1,416
most affordable of 3,145 US counties (2BR)
#14
cheapest of 33 in New Mexico (2BR)
-12%
vs the state average
$32,800
income to afford it (30% rule)

Software Developers spend the smallest share of income on rent here (8.1%), while Fast Food and Counter Workers spend the most (34.3%); 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 Lincoln County, NM. Verify with HUD →

Lincoln County, New Mexico carries an FY 2026 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent of $820 per month, the federal benchmark HUD publishes for this county. A 2-bedroom costs $999/mo and a studio is $815/mo. That's 14% below the national benchmark of $959 and 12% below the New Mexico average of $927.

Rent increased3.8% from FY 2025 ($790), outpacing inflation. Under the 30% rule, affordability starts near $32,800/year for a 1-bedroom.

Observed renter burden: 43.1% of the 1,921 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 New Mexico. Population: 20,222. Population has held roughly steady over the past five years (+3.8%, Census ACS). That's faster than New Mexico's statewide growth of +1.1% over the same period.

FMR filing desk

Area LINCOLN·COUNTY·NM·NM

Lincoln County, NM: $820/mo 1BR · #1416 of 3145 counties (2BR) · FY2026

  • FMR-AREA NM
  • 1BR-FMR $820
  • 2BR-FMR $999
  • RANK-MID #1,416
  • YOY-UP +3.8%
  • VSUS-BELOW -14%
  • VS-ST-LOW -12% NM
  • INC-ROOM 19%
  • POP-SMALL 20K
  • PHOTO-NEAR Bernalillo County
  • VOUCH-90-110 $738–$902
  • FY-2026 FY2026

Photo-finish peer: Bernalillo ($365 1BR gap)

Read with: How Fair Market Rent works

Fair Market Rents (2026)

Studio
State avg: $828 · US avg: $893
$815/mo
↑ 20.2% YoY -2% vs state -9% vs US
1 Bedroom
State avg: $927 · US avg: $959
$820/mo
↑ 3.8% YoY -12% vs state -14% vs US
2 Bedroom
State avg: $1,129 · US avg: $1,175
$999/mo
↑ 7.1% YoY -12% vs state -15% vs US
3 Bedroom
State avg: $1,496 · US avg: $1,525
$1,305/mo
↑ 2.7% YoY -13% vs state -14% vs US
4 Bedroom
State avg: $1,758 · US avg: $1,756
$1,611/mo
↑ 4.0% YoY -8% vs state -8% vs US

Year-over-Year Comparison

Bedrooms FY 2025 FY 2026 Change
Studio $678
$815
+$137 (+20.2%)
1 Bedroom $790
$820
+$30 (+3.8%)
2 Bedroom $933
$999
+$66 (+7.1%)
3 Bedroom $1,271
$1,305
+$34 (+2.7%)
4 Bedroom $1,549
$1,611
+$62 (+4.0%)

Rent Burden Analysis

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

Studio
18.9%
Affordable
Need $32,600/yr for 30% rule
1 Bedroom
19.1%
Affordable
Need $32,800/yr for 30% rule
2 Bedroom
23.2%
Affordable
Need $39,960/yr for 30% rule
3 Bedroom
30.3%
Burdened
Need $52,200/yr for 30% rule
4 Bedroom
37.4%
Burdened
Need $64,440/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%23.2%
Lincoln County 2-bedroom rent burden
County median income: $51,643 · National avg burden: 21.7% ·View New Mexico rent burden →

Where Lincoln sits among every US county

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

$999 higher than 45% of 3,145 counties

$600–$800: 23 counties (1%). Below this entry. $800–$1,000: 1,406 counties (45%). This entry sits in this band. $1,000–$1,200: 723 counties (23%). Above this entry. $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 Lincoln compares on 1-bedroom rent

1-bedroom FMR vs other New Mexico counties

1BR FMR / mo

What this shows Lincoln 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), Lincoln County (this county) ($820).

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

Can Common Jobs Afford Rent Here?

How a 1-bedroom at $820/mo compares to New Mexico salaries for popular occupations (BLS wage data, 30%-of-income rule).

Occupation NM Salary Rent Burden Verdict
Software Developers $120,820 8.1% Affordable
General & Operations Managers $100,200 9.8% Affordable
Registered Nurses $88,260 11.1% Affordable
Accountants & Auditors $77,420 12.7% Affordable
Elementary School Teachers $65,510 15% Affordable
Police & Sheriff's Patrol Officers $63,340 15.5% Affordable
Electricians $56,890 17.3% Affordable
Paralegals & Legal Assistants $56,620 17.4% Affordable
Heavy & Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers $48,360 20.3% Affordable
Pharmacy Technicians $44,970 21.9% Affordable
Customer Service Representatives $38,060 25.9% Affordable
Janitors & Cleaners $33,640 29.3% Affordable
Retail Salespersons $31,360 31.4% Stretched
Teaching Assistants $30,350 32.4% Stretched
Fast Food & Counter Workers $28,650 34.3% Stretched
Salaries: BLS OES (New Mexico) median · 30% = affordable threshold · Try the salary calculator →

Rent Trends (2020–2026)

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

Over the 6-year span HUD has tracked for Lincoln (FY 2020-2026), the 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent has risen 24.2% overall, from $660 to $820. The path there hasn't been smooth: year-over-year moves have swung by as much as 18.4% (FY 2025), a volatility pattern that makes single-year comparisons a poor guide to the underlying trend.

$600$650$700$750$800$850 FY2020FY2021FY2022FY2023FY2024FY2025FY2026 $820
Lincoln County 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent, FY2020–FY2026
Year Studio 1 BR 2 BR
FY 2026 ↑3.8% $815 $820 $999
FY 2025 ↑18.4% $678 $790 $933
FY 2024 ↑8.6% $627 $667 $877
FY 2023 ↓2.1% $582 $614 $795
FY 2022 ↓9.9% $610 $627 $779
FY 2021 ↑5.5% $677 $696 $865
FY 2020 $605 $660 $869
Total change (6yr): +24.2%
Annualized: +3.7%/yr
1 BR: $660 → $820

Part of the Ruidoso, NM Micro Area

Lincoln County is a central county of the Ruidoso, NM micropolitan statistical area.

Nationwide peers by 2BR FMR & rent burden

Two PlainRent-derived comparison paths for Lincoln County, both outside New Mexico 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 NM (FY2026).

McLeod County
MN · 2 BR $999/mo
Washington County
GA · 2 BR $999/mo
Alamosa County
CO · 2 BR $999/mo
Perquimans County
NC · 2 BR $999/mo

Similar rent burden

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

Bacon County
GA · 23.2% of income · 2 BR $973/mo
Marion County
AR · 23.2% of income · 2 BR $908/mo
Concho County
TX · 23.2% of income · 2 BR $1,153/mo
Lackawanna County
PA · 23.2% of income · 2 BR $1,252/mo

Nearby Counties in New Mexico

Largest counties by population in New Mexico

Showing the 8 largest of 32 other counties in New Mexico.

Bernalillo County
1 BR: $1,185/mo Pop: 674,692
Dona Ana County
1 BR: $951/mo Pop: 219,870
Santa Fe County
1 BR: $1,390/mo Pop: 154,481
Sandoval County
1 BR: $1,185/mo Pop: 149,460
San Juan County
1 BR: $885/mo Pop: 121,798
Valencia County
1 BR: $1,185/mo Pop: 76,613
Lea County
1 BR: $1,068/mo Pop: 73,103
McKinley County
1 BR: $894/mo Pop: 72,073
View all counties in New Mexico →

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the average rent in Lincoln County? ▼
The FY 2026 Fair Market Rent for a 1-bedroom in Lincoln County is $820 per month. A 2-bedroom is $999 and a studio is $815.
How does Lincoln County rent compare to the national average? ▼
Rent in Lincoln County is 14% below the national average. A 1-bedroom here costs $820 compared to $959 nationally.
Where does Lincoln County rank nationally for Fair Market Rent? ▼
According to HUD's FY 2026 Fair Market Rent schedule, Lincoln County's 2-bedroom FMR of $999 ranks #1,416 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 Lincoln County? ▼
Based on the 30% affordability rule, you need an annual income of at least $32,800 ($2,733/month) to afford a 1-bedroom at Fair Market Rent in Lincoln County.
Is rent going up or down in Lincoln County? ▼
The 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent in Lincoln County increased by 3.8% from FY 2025 to FY 2026, going from $790 to $820.
Which jobs can afford rent in Lincoln County? ▼
Based on New Mexico BLS salary data and the 30% affordability rule, jobs like Software Developers, General and Operations Managers, Registered Nurses can afford a 1-bedroom at $820/mo. 12 of 15 common occupations are affordable here.
How much has rent changed in Lincoln County over time? ▼
The 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent in Lincoln County went from $660 in FY 2020 to $820 in FY 2026, a total change of +24.2% over 6 years.
How does Fair Market Rent affect Section 8 vouchers in Lincoln County? ▼
In Lincoln County, the FY 2026 FMR of $820/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 Lincoln County? ▼
For Lincoln County, it's the specific 40th-percentile rent HUD publishes each year ($820/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.