Prince of Wales-Hyder Census Area Fair Market Rent

What these rents mean for Prince of Wales-Hyder Census Area

HUD's FY 2026 Fair Market Rent schedule sets the Prince of Wales-Hyder Census Area Alaska 1-bedroom at $1,030, with a studio at $827, 2-bedroom at $1,153, 3-bedroom at $1,464, and 4-bedroom at $1,899. These figures represent the 40th percentile of gross rents — meaning 60% of standard-quality rental units in this HUD area cost more. The Prince of Wales-Hyder Census Area FMR area applies to all ZIP codes inside the county boundary, and Alaska's housing authorities use it as the baseline when setting Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher payment standards (typically 90%–110% of FMR).

Compared to the rest of the country, a 1-bedroom here is 7% above the US average of $959 and 14% lower than the Alaska state average of $1,194. Year-over-year, the 1-bedroom FMR moved from $946 in FY 2025 to $1,030 in FY 2026 — a change of +8.9%, which outpaces typical consumer inflation.

For budgeting, the traditional 30% affordability rule says rent should not exceed 30% of gross household income. At the FY 2026 1-bedroom FMR of $1,030, that implies a household income of $41,200 per year (about $3,433/month) to stay affordable — a 2-bedroom at $1,153 pushes that threshold even higher. With a population of 5,799 and a county median household income of $59,079, the arithmetic here directly shapes which wage earners can rent without being cost-burdened. Rent-burdened households (paying more than 30% of income) and severely burdened households (above 50%) face a sharply higher risk of housing instability, and this county's numbers set the benchmark for assessing that risk.