County FMR · HUD FY2026
Potter County Fair Market Rent
HUD's FY2026 Fair Market Rent for Potter County, PA - 23% below the US average.
- $742
- 1-bedroom FMR
- $973
- 2-bedroom FMR
- +7.2%
- YoY change
- -23%
- vs US avg
The verdict
Potter is the 13th cheapest of 67 counties in Pennsylvania by 2-bedroom FMR; nationally it ranks #976 most affordable of 3,145 HUD counties; rent here has climbed 7.2% since FY 2025, a modest shift relative to most counties.
- #976
- most affordable of 3,145 US counties (2BR)
- #13
- cheapest of 67 in Pennsylvania (2BR)
- -26%
- vs the state average
- $29,680
- income to afford it (30% rule)
Software Developers spend the smallest share of income on rent here (7.2%), while Fast Food and Counter Workers spend the most (31.3%); 14 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 Potter County, PA. Verify with HUD →
Potter County, Pennsylvania 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 $708/mo. That's 23% below the national benchmark of $959 and 26% below the Pennsylvania average of $996.
Rent increased7.2% from FY 2025 ($692), outpacing inflation. The 30% affordability floor is comparatively reachable here at $29,680/year.
Observed renter burden: 30.3% of the 1,336 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.
Market slack: The ACS rental vacancy rate here is 2.1%, a tight rental market where HUD's annual FMR schedule can lag what landlords are actually asking.
Local labor market: The county's BLS unemployment rate has averaged 5.6% over the past 12 months, close to the typical US county range.
FY 2026 HUD Fair Market Rents in Pennsylvania. Population: 16,390. Population has held roughly steady over the past five years (-3.9%, Census ACS). That's slower than Pennsylvania's statewide growth of +1.5% over the same period.
FMR filing desk
Area POTTER·COUNTY·PA·PA
Potter County, PA: $742/mo 1BR · #976 of 3145 counties (2BR) · FY2026
- FMR-AREA PA
- 1BR-FMR $742
- 2BR-FMR $973
- RANK-MID #976
- YOY-SURGE +7.2%
- VSUS-BELOW -23%
- VS-ST-LOW -26% PA
- INC-ROOM 15%
- POP-SMALL 16K
- PHOTO-NEAR Philadelphia Count
- VOUCH-90-110 $668–$816
- FY-2026 FY2026
Photo-finish peer: Philadelphia ($778 1BR gap)
Read with: Section 8 housing guide
Fair Market Rents (2026)
Year-over-Year Comparison
| Bedrooms | FY 2025 | FY 2026 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Studio | $664 | $708 | +$44 (+6.6%) |
| 1 Bedroom | $692 | $742 | +$50 (+7.2%) |
| 2 Bedroom | $908 | $973 | +$65 (+7.2%) |
| 3 Bedroom | $1,136 | $1,223 | +$87 (+7.7%) |
| 4 Bedroom | $1,282 | $1,352 | +$70 (+5.5%) |
Rent Burden Analysis
How much of household income goes to rent in Potter 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 Potter 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 Potter compares on 1-bedroom rent
1-bedroom FMR vs other Pennsylvania counties
- Philadelphia
Philadelphia County
$1,520 1BR FMR / mo
- Montgomery
Montgomery County
$1,520 1BR FMR / mo
- Bucks
Bucks County
$1,520 1BR FMR / mo
- Delaware
Delaware County
$1,520 1BR FMR / mo
- Lancaster
Lancaster County
$1,220 1BR FMR / mo
- Allegheny
Allegheny County
$1,077 1BR FMR / mo
- Potter
Potter County
$742 1BR FMR / mo
What this shows Potter 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), Potter County (this county) ($742).
Can Common Jobs Afford Rent Here?
With a below-average 1-bedroom at $742/mo, most of these Pennsylvania occupations clear, or miss, the 30% affordability line.
| Occupation | PA Salary | Rent Burden | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|
| Software Developers | $123,740 | 7.2% | Affordable |
| General & Operations Managers | $100,400 | 8.9% | Affordable |
| Registered Nurses | $87,610 | 10.2% | Affordable |
| Police & Sheriff's Patrol Officers | $86,350 | 10.3% | Affordable |
| Accountants & Auditors | $77,330 | 11.5% | Affordable |
| Elementary School Teachers | $74,160 | 12% | Affordable |
| Electricians | $65,400 | 13.6% | Affordable |
| Paralegals & Legal Assistants | $60,950 | 14.6% | Affordable |
| Heavy & Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers | $58,540 | 15.2% | Affordable |
| Customer Service Representatives | $43,080 | 20.7% | Affordable |
| Pharmacy Technicians | $37,560 | 23.7% | Affordable |
| Janitors & Cleaners | $35,670 | 25% | Affordable |
| Teaching Assistants | $30,550 | 29.1% | Affordable |
| Retail Salespersons | $30,410 | 29.3% | Affordable |
| Fast Food & Counter Workers | $28,490 | 31.3% | Stretched |
Rent Trends (2020–2026)
7-year Fair Market Rent history for Potter County. Shows how HUD rental rates have changed over time.
Over the 6-year span HUD has tracked for Potter (FY 2020-2026), the 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent has risen 21.4% overall, from $611 to $742. The increases have been fairly steady year to year, with no single jump exceeding 7.6% (FY 2025).
| Year | Studio | 1 BR | 2 BR |
|---|---|---|---|
| FY 2026 ↑7.2% | $708 | $742 | $973 |
| FY 2025 ↑7.6% | $664 | $692 | $908 |
| FY 2024 ↑3.0% | $616 | $643 | $845 |
| FY 2023 ↑5.4% | $605 | $624 | $821 |
| FY 2022 ↑0.7% | $557 | $592 | $757 |
| FY 2021 ↓3.8% | $549 | $588 | $724 |
| FY 2020 | $609 | $611 | $714 |
Where Potter County Ranks in Pennsylvania
Potter 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 #13 of 67 counties in Pennsylvania. Nearest by rank: Forest County ($973), Fulton County ($973), Huntingdon County ($973), Jefferson County ($973), Juniata County ($973), McKean County ($973), Mifflin County ($973), Northumberland County ($973), Potter County (this county) ($973), Somerset County ($973), Sullivan County ($973), Venango County ($973), Warren County ($973), Clearfield County ($975), Cameron County ($981), Indiana County ($981), Clinton County ($995).
Nationwide peers by 2BR FMR & rent burden
Two PlainRent-derived comparison paths for Potter 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).
Similar rent burden
Nearest 2BR FMR as a share of median household income (outside PA).
Nearby Counties in Pennsylvania
Largest counties by population in Pennsylvania
Showing the 8 largest of 66 other counties in Pennsylvania.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the average rent in Potter County?
The FY 2026 Fair Market Rent for a 1-bedroom in Potter County is $742 per month. A 2-bedroom is $973 and a studio is $708.
How does Potter County rent compare to the national average?
Rent in Potter County is 23% below the national average. A 1-bedroom here costs $742 compared to $959 nationally.
Where does Potter County rank nationally for Fair Market Rent?
According to HUD's FY 2026 Fair Market Rent schedule, Potter County's 2-bedroom FMR of $973 ranks #976 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 Potter County?
Based on the 30% affordability rule, you need an annual income of at least $29,680 ($2,473/month) to afford a 1-bedroom at Fair Market Rent in Potter County.
Is rent going up or down in Potter County?
The 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent in Potter County increased by 7.2% from FY 2025 to FY 2026, going from $692 to $742.
Which jobs can afford rent in Potter 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 $742/mo. 14 of 15 common occupations are affordable here.
How much has rent changed in Potter County over time?
The 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent in Potter County went from $611 in FY 2020 to $742 in FY 2026, a total change of +21.4% over 6 years.
How does Fair Market Rent affect Section 8 vouchers in Potter County?
In Potter County, the FY 2026 FMR of $742/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 Potter County?
For Potter County, it's the specific 40th-percentile rent HUD publishes each year ($742/mo for a 1-bedroom in FY 2026).
Is the rental market tight or loose in Potter County?
The ACS rental vacancy rate here is 2.1%, a tight rental market where HUD's annual FMR schedule can lag what landlords are actually asking.
What is the unemployment rate in Potter County?
The county's BLS unemployment rate has averaged 5.6% over the past 12 months, close to the typical US county range.
Data sources
What this means for renters
Treat Potter's FY2026 Fair Market Rent as HUD's affordability benchmark, not a single market quote.
- Budget to roughly 30% of income: the FY2026 1-bedroom FMR of $742 implies about $29,680/yr to rent without being cost-burdened. Run your numbers
- Pennsylvania counties vary widely around this figure - compare specific counties before assuming this applies to yours. Compare vs Philadelphia
- See where Potter ranks nationally on rent. National rankings
Fair Market Rent is HUD's 40th-percentile policy benchmark used to set Housing Choice Voucher payment standards. Actual asking rents can run higher or lower, and HUD updates FMRs once a year. This site is informational and not financial or relocation advice.
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.