County FMR · HUD FY2026
Otero County Fair Market Rent
HUD's FY2026 Fair Market Rent for Otero County, CO - 23% below the US average.
- $742
- 1-bedroom FMR
- $973
- 2-bedroom FMR
- +4.4%
- YoY change
- -23%
- vs US avg
The verdict
Otero is the 4th cheapest of 64 counties in Colorado by 2-bedroom FMR; nationally it ranks #976 most affordable of 3,145 HUD counties.
- #976
- most affordable of 3,145 US counties (2BR)
- #4
- cheapest of 64 in Colorado (2BR)
- -36%
- vs the state average
- $29,680
- income to afford it (30% rule)
Software Developers spend the smallest share of income on rent here (6.6%), while Teaching Assistants, Except Postsecondary spend the most (28.4%); 15 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 Otero County, CO. Verify with HUD →
Otero County, Colorado carries an FY 2026 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent of $742 per month, the federal benchmark HUD publishes for this county. A 2-bedroom costs $973/mo and a studio is $737/mo. That's 23% below the national benchmark of $959 and 36% below the Colorado average of $1,161.
Rent increased4.4% from FY 2025 ($711), outpacing inflation. The 30% affordability floor is comparatively reachable here at $29,680/year.
Observed renter burden: 45.4% of the 2,379 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 Colorado. Population: 18,580. Population has held roughly steady over the past five years (+0.7%, Census ACS). That's slower than Colorado's statewide growth of +5.1% over the same period.
FMR filing desk
Area OTERO·COUNTY·CO·CO
Otero County, CO: $742/mo 1BR · #976 of 3145 counties (2BR) · FY2026
- FMR-AREA CO
- 1BR-FMR $742
- 2BR-FMR $973
- RANK-MID #976
- YOY-UP +4.4%
- VSUS-BELOW -23%
- VS-ST-LOW -36% CO
- INC-ROOM 16%
- POP-SMALL 19K
- PHOTO-NEAR El Paso County
- VOUCH-90-110 $668–$816
- FY-2026 FY2026
Photo-finish peer: El Paso ($722 1BR gap)
Read with: Section 8 housing guide
Fair Market Rents (2026)
Year-over-Year Comparison
| Bedrooms | FY 2025 | FY 2026 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Studio | $707 | $737 | +$30 (+4.2%) |
| 1 Bedroom | $711 | $742 | +$31 (+4.4%) |
| 2 Bedroom | $933 | $973 | +$40 (+4.3%) |
| 3 Bedroom | $1,297 | $1,303 | +$6 (+0.5%) |
| 4 Bedroom | $1,567 | $1,632 | +$65 (+4.1%) |
Rent Burden Analysis
How much of household income goes to rent in Otero County. The 30% threshold indicates cost burden.
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.
Where Otero sits among every US county
2-bedroom Fair Market Rent vs. all 3,145 HUD counties
$973 higher than 31% of 3,145 counties
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 Otero compares on 1-bedroom rent
1-bedroom FMR vs other Colorado counties
- Denver
Denver County
$1,754 1BR FMR / mo
- Arapahoe
Arapahoe County
$1,754 1BR FMR / mo
- Jefferson
Jefferson County
$1,754 1BR FMR / mo
- Adams
Adams County
$1,754 1BR FMR / mo
- Douglas
Douglas County
$1,754 1BR FMR / mo
- El Paso
El Paso County
$1,464 1BR FMR / mo
- Otero
Otero County
$742 1BR FMR / mo
What this shows Otero is highlighted. Nearby Colorado counties by 1-bedroom FMR, highest to lowest: Denver County ($1,754), Arapahoe County ($1,754), Jefferson County ($1,754), Adams County ($1,754), Douglas County ($1,754), El Paso County ($1,464), Otero County (this county) ($742).
Can Common Jobs Afford Rent Here?
With a below-average 1-bedroom at $742/mo, most of these Colorado occupations clear, or miss, the 30% affordability line.
| Occupation | CO Salary | Rent Burden | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|
| Software Developers | $134,540 | 6.6% | Affordable |
| General & Operations Managers | $130,340 | 6.8% | Affordable |
| Registered Nurses | $96,520 | 9.2% | Affordable |
| Police & Sheriff's Patrol Officers | $96,100 | 9.3% | Affordable |
| Accountants & Auditors | $90,030 | 9.9% | Affordable |
| Paralegals & Legal Assistants | $73,380 | 12.1% | Affordable |
| Electricians | $62,090 | 14.3% | Affordable |
| Elementary School Teachers | $61,550 | 14.5% | Affordable |
| Heavy & Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers | $60,260 | 14.8% | Affordable |
| Pharmacy Technicians | $48,070 | 18.5% | Affordable |
| Customer Service Representatives | $46,020 | 19.3% | Affordable |
| Janitors & Cleaners | $37,270 | 23.9% | Affordable |
| Retail Salespersons | $36,960 | 24.1% | Affordable |
| Fast Food & Counter Workers | $35,440 | 25.1% | Affordable |
| Teaching Assistants | $31,390 | 28.4% | Affordable |
Rent Trends (2020–2026)
7-year Fair Market Rent history for Otero County. Shows how HUD rental rates have changed over time.
Over the 6-year span HUD has tracked for Otero (FY 2020-2026), the 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent has risen 29.3% overall, from $574 to $742. The path there hasn't been smooth: year-over-year moves have swung by as much as 13.3% (FY 2024), a volatility pattern that makes single-year comparisons a poor guide to the underlying trend.
| Year | Studio | 1 BR | 2 BR |
|---|---|---|---|
| FY 2026 ↑4.4% | $737 | $742 | $973 |
| FY 2025 ↓8.1% | $707 | $711 | $933 |
| FY 2024 ↑13.3% | $769 | $774 | $1,017 |
| FY 2023 ↓3.5% | $678 | $683 | $899 |
| FY 2022 ↑12.2% | $703 | $708 | $931 |
| FY 2021 ↑9.9% | $627 | $631 | $832 |
| FY 2020 | $570 | $574 | $756 |
Where Otero County Ranks in Colorado
Otero County is not part of any federally-designated metropolitan or micropolitan statistical area -- an independent rental market not administratively tied to a larger urban core. By 2-bedroom FMR, it ranks #4 of 64 counties in Colorado. Nearest by rank: Baca County ($973), Conejos County ($973), Costilla County ($973), Otero County (this county) ($973), Prowers County ($973), Sedgwick County ($973), Saguache County ($975), Jackson County ($989), Alamosa County ($999), Rio Blanco County ($1,009), Huerfano County ($1,013), Lincoln County ($1,016).
Nationwide peers by 2BR FMR & rent burden
Two PlainRent-derived comparison paths for Otero County, both outside Colorado 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 CO (FY2026).
Similar rent burden
Nearest 2BR FMR as a share of median household income (outside CO).
Nearby Counties in Colorado
Largest counties by population in Colorado
Showing the 8 largest of 63 other counties in Colorado.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the average rent in Otero County? ▼
How does Otero County rent compare to the national average? ▼
Where does Otero County rank nationally for Fair Market Rent? ▼
What income do I need to afford rent in Otero County? ▼
Is rent going up or down in Otero County? ▼
Which jobs can afford rent in Otero County? ▼
How much has rent changed in Otero County over time? ▼
How does Fair Market Rent affect Section 8 vouchers in Otero County? ▼
What does Fair Market Rent mean for Otero County? ▼
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.
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.