County FMR · HUD FY2026

Monroe County Fair Market Rent

HUD's FY2026 Fair Market Rent for Monroe County, NY - 31% above the US average.

$1,256
1-bedroom FMR
$1,573
2-bedroom FMR
+9.3%
YoY change
+31%
vs US avg

The verdict

Monroe is the 23rd most expensive of 62 counties in New York by 2-bedroom FMR; nationally it ranks #409 most expensive of 3,145 HUD counties; rent here has climbed 9.3% since FY 2025, a modest shift relative to most counties.

#409
most expensive of 3,145 US counties (2BR)
#23
most expensive of 62 in New York (2BR)
-4%
vs the state average
$50,240
income to afford it (30% rule)

Software Developers spend the smallest share of income on rent here (9.3%), while Fast Food and Counter Workers spend the most (42.7%).

FY 2026 HUD Fair Market Rent for Monroe County, NY. Verify with HUD →

Monroe County, New York carries an FY 2026 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent of $1,256 per month, the federal benchmark HUD publishes for this county. A 2-bedroom costs $1,573/mo and a studio is $1,116/mo. That's 31% above the national benchmark of $959 and 4% below the New York average of $1,315.

Rent increased9.3% from FY 2025 ($1,149), outpacing inflation. A household needs about $50,240/year to stay under the 30% rent-to-income line.

FY 2026 HUD Fair Market Rents in New York. Population: 756,406. Population has held roughly steady over the past five years (+1.3%, Census ACS). That's in line with New York's statewide growth of +1.3% over the same period.

FMR filing desk

Area MONROE·COUNTY·NY·NY

Monroe County, NY: $1,256/mo 1BR · #409 of 3145 counties (2BR) · FY2026

  • FMR-AREA NY
  • 1BR-FMR $1,256
  • 2BR-FMR $1,573
  • RANK-MID #409
  • YOY-SURGE +9.3%
  • VSUS-HIGH +31%
  • VS-ST-NEAR -4% NY
  • INC-MID 20%
  • POP-MAJOR 756K
  • PHOTO-NEAR Kings County
  • VOUCH-90-110 $1,130–$1,382
  • FY-2026 FY2026

Photo-finish peer: Kings ($1,399 1BR gap)

Read with: Understanding rent burden

Fair Market Rents (2026)

Studio
State avg: $1,215 · US avg: $893
$1,116/mo
↑ 9.2% YoY -8% vs state +25% vs US
1 Bedroom
State avg: $1,315 · US avg: $959
$1,256/mo
↑ 9.3% YoY -4% vs state +31% vs US
2 Bedroom
State avg: $1,579 · US avg: $1,175
$1,573/mo
↑ 10.2% YoY -0% vs state +34% vs US
3 Bedroom
State avg: $1,976 · US avg: $1,525
$1,895/mo
↑ 10.2% YoY -4% vs state +24% vs US
4 Bedroom
State avg: $2,193 · US avg: $1,756
$2,083/mo
↑ 10.1% YoY -5% vs state +19% vs US

Year-over-Year Comparison

Bedrooms FY 2025 FY 2026 Change
Studio $1,022
$1,116
+$94 (+9.2%)
1 Bedroom $1,149
$1,256
+$107 (+9.3%)
2 Bedroom $1,427
$1,573
+$146 (+10.2%)
3 Bedroom $1,720
$1,895
+$175 (+10.2%)
4 Bedroom $1,892
$2,083
+$191 (+10.1%)

Rent Burden Analysis

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

Studio
18%
Affordable
Need $44,640/yr for 30% rule
1 Bedroom
20.3%
Affordable
Need $50,240/yr for 30% rule
2 Bedroom
25.4%
Affordable
Need $62,920/yr for 30% rule
3 Bedroom
30.6%
Burdened
Need $75,800/yr for 30% rule
4 Bedroom
33.6%
Burdened
Need $83,320/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%25.4%
Monroe County 2-bedroom rent burden
County median income: $74,409 · National avg burden: 21.7% ·View New York rent burden →

Where Monroe sits among every US county

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

$1,573 Top 13% higher than 87% 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%). This entry sits in this band. $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 Monroe compares on 1-bedroom rent

1-bedroom FMR vs other New York counties

1BR FMR / mo

What this shows Monroe is highlighted. Nearby New York counties by 1-bedroom FMR, highest to lowest: Kings County ($2,655), Queens County ($2,655), New York County ($2,655), Bronx County ($2,655), Suffolk County ($2,379), Nassau County ($2,379), Monroe County (this county) ($1,256).

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 $1,256/mo, which of 15 common occupations still clear the 30% line using New York BLS wages?

Occupation NY Salary Rent Burden Verdict
Software Developers $161,260 9.3% Affordable
General & Operations Managers $129,990 11.6% Affordable
Registered Nurses $105,600 14.3% Affordable
Accountants & Auditors $101,780 14.8% Affordable
Police & Sheriff's Patrol Officers $93,050 16.2% Affordable
Elementary School Teachers $82,480 18.3% Affordable
Electricians $77,460 19.5% Affordable
Paralegals & Legal Assistants $66,390 22.7% Affordable
Heavy & Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers $60,520 24.9% Affordable
Customer Service Representatives $47,840 31.5% Stretched
Pharmacy Technicians $40,840 36.9% Stretched
Janitors & Cleaners $39,920 37.8% Stretched
Retail Salespersons $37,020 40.7% Stretched
Teaching Assistants $36,600 41.2% Stretched
Fast Food & Counter Workers $35,270 42.7% Stretched
Salaries: BLS OES (New York) median · 30% = affordable threshold · Try the salary calculator →

Rent Trends (2020–2026)

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

Over the 6-year span HUD has tracked for Monroe (FY 2020-2026), the 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent has risen 62.1% overall, from $775 to $1,256. Most of that movement was gradual except for a single sharp jump of +14.7% in FY 2023, well above this county's typical year-to-year change.

$600$800$1,000$1,200$1,400 FY2020FY2021FY2022FY2023FY2024FY2025FY2026 $1,256
Monroe County 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent, FY2020–FY2026
Year Studio 1 BR 2 BR
FY 2026 ↑9.3% $1,116 $1,256 $1,573
FY 2025 ↑9.4% $1,022 $1,149 $1,427
FY 2024 ↑10.5% $938 $1,050 $1,307
FY 2023 ↑14.7% $839 $950 $1,186
FY 2022 ↑2.9% $727 $828 $1,039
FY 2021 ↑3.9% $698 $805 $1,006
FY 2020 $668 $775 $972
Total change (6yr): +62.1%
Annualized: +8.4%/yr
1 BR: $775 → $1,256

Part of the Rochester, NY Metro Area

Monroe County is a central county of the Rochester, NY metropolitan statistical area, alongside 4 other metro-area counties.

Monroe County ranks #5 of 5 counties in this metro area by 1-bedroom FMR. Every county sharing this metro, highest to lowest: Ontario County ($1,256), Wayne County ($1,256), Livingston County ($1,256), Orleans County ($1,256), Monroe County (this county) ($1,256).

Ontario County
1 BR: $1,256/mo
Wayne County
1 BR: $1,256/mo
Livingston County
1 BR: $1,256/mo
Orleans County
1 BR: $1,256/mo
Monroe County (this county)
1 BR: $1,256/mo

Nationwide peers by 2BR FMR & rent burden

Two PlainRent-derived comparison paths for Monroe County, both outside New York 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 NY (FY2026).

Harris County
TX · 2 BR $1,573/mo
Fort Bend County
TX · 2 BR $1,573/mo
Montgomery County
TX · 2 BR $1,573/mo
Galveston County
TX · 2 BR $1,573/mo

Similar rent burden

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

Yuba County
CA · 25.4% of income · 2 BR $1,550/mo
Bee County
TX · 25.4% of income · 2 BR $1,185/mo
District of Columbia
DC · 25.4% of income · 2 BR $2,246/mo
Bullock County
AL · 25.4% of income · 2 BR $776/mo

Nearby Counties in New York

Largest counties by population in New York

Showing the 8 largest of 61 other counties in New York.

Kings County
1 BR: $2,655/mo Pop: 2,679,620
Queens County
1 BR: $2,655/mo Pop: 2,360,826
New York County
1 BR: $2,655/mo Pop: 1,645,867
Suffolk County
1 BR: $2,379/mo Pop: 1,524,486
Bronx County
1 BR: $2,655/mo Pop: 1,443,229
Nassau County
1 BR: $2,379/mo Pop: 1,389,160
Westchester County
1 BR: $2,655/mo Pop: 997,904
Erie County
1 BR: $1,139/mo Pop: 951,232
View all counties in New York →

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the average rent in Monroe County? ▼
The FY 2026 Fair Market Rent for a 1-bedroom in Monroe County is $1,256 per month. A 2-bedroom is $1,573 and a studio is $1,116.
How does Monroe County rent compare to the national average? ▼
Rent in Monroe County is 31% above the national average. A 1-bedroom here costs $1,256 compared to $959 nationally.
Where does Monroe County rank nationally for Fair Market Rent? ▼
According to HUD's FY 2026 Fair Market Rent schedule, Monroe County's 2-bedroom FMR of $1,573 ranks #409 most expensive among 3,145 HUD counties, placing it in the upper-rent quarter of HUD counties.
What income do I need to afford rent in Monroe County? ▼
Based on the 30% affordability rule, you need an annual income of at least $50,240 ($4,187/month) to afford a 1-bedroom at Fair Market Rent in Monroe County.
Is rent going up or down in Monroe County? ▼
The 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent in Monroe County increased by 9.3% from FY 2025 to FY 2026, going from $1,149 to $1,256.
Which jobs can afford rent in Monroe County? ▼
Based on New York BLS salary data and the 30% affordability rule, jobs like Software Developers, General and Operations Managers, Registered Nurses can afford a 1-bedroom at $1,256/mo. 9 of 15 common occupations are affordable here.
How much has rent changed in Monroe County over time? ▼
The 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent in Monroe County went from $775 in FY 2020 to $1,256 in FY 2026, a total change of +62.1% over 6 years.
How does Fair Market Rent affect Section 8 vouchers in Monroe County? ▼
In Monroe County, the FY 2026 FMR of $1,256/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 Monroe County? ▼
For Monroe County, it's the specific 40th-percentile rent HUD publishes each year ($1,256/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.