County FMR · HUD FY2026

Queens County Fair Market Rent

HUD's FY2026 Fair Market Rent for Queens County, NY - 177% above the US average.

$2,655
1-bedroom FMR
$2,910
2-bedroom FMR
+13.9%
YoY change
+177%
vs US avg

The verdict

Queens is the 4th most expensive of 62 counties in New York by 2-bedroom FMR; nationally it ranks #31 most expensive of 3,145 HUD counties; rent here has climbed 13.9% since FY 2025, a sharp move relative to most counties.

#31
most expensive of 3,145 US counties (2BR)
#4
most expensive of 62 in New York (2BR)
+102%
vs the state average
$106,200
income to afford it (30% rule)

Software Developers spend the smallest share of income on rent here (19.8%), while Fast Food and Counter Workers spend the most (90.3%); only 2 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 Queens County, NY. Verify with HUD →

HUD sets the FY 2026 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent for Queens County, New York at $2,655 per month - the federal rental-assistance benchmark for this county. A 2-bedroom costs $2,910/mo and a studio is $2,529/mo. This is 177% higher than the national average of $959 and 102% above the New York average of $1,315.

Rent increased13.9% from FY 2025 ($2,330), outpacing inflation. Clearing the 30% rule here takes $106,200/year, a high bar relative to most US counties.

FY 2026 HUD Fair Market Rents in New York. Population: 2,360,826. Population has held roughly steady over the past five years (+1.4%, Census ACS). That's in line with New York's statewide growth of +1.3% over the same period.

FMR filing desk

Area QUEENS·COUNTY·NY·NY

Queens County, NY: $2,655/mo 1BR · #31 of 3145 counties (2BR) · FY2026

  • FMR-AREA NY
  • 1BR-FMR $2,655
  • 2BR-FMR $2,910
  • RANK-UPPER #31
  • YOY-SURGE +13.9%
  • VSUS-HIGH +177%
  • VS-ST-HIGH +102% NY
  • INC-STRETCH 37%
  • POP-MEGA 2.4M
  • PHOTO-FINISH Kings County
  • VOUCH-90-110 $2,390–$2,921
  • FY-2026 FY2026

Photo-finish peer: Kings ($0 1BR gap)

Read with: Understanding rent burden

Fair Market Rents (2026)

Studio
State avg: $1,215 · US avg: $893
$2,529/mo
↑ 13.3% YoY +108% vs state +183% vs US
1 Bedroom
State avg: $1,315 · US avg: $959
$2,655/mo
↑ 13.9% YoY +102% vs state +177% vs US
2 Bedroom
State avg: $1,579 · US avg: $1,175
$2,910/mo
↑ 12.8% YoY +84% vs state +148% vs US
3 Bedroom
State avg: $1,976 · US avg: $1,525
$3,644/mo
↑ 13.3% YoY +84% vs state +139% vs US
4 Bedroom
State avg: $2,193 · US avg: $1,756
$3,959/mo
↑ 14.1% YoY +81% vs state +125% vs US

Year-over-Year Comparison

Bedrooms FY 2025 FY 2026 Change
Studio $2,233
$2,529
+$296 (+13.3%)
1 Bedroom $2,330
$2,655
+$325 (+13.9%)
2 Bedroom $2,580
$2,910
+$330 (+12.8%)
3 Bedroom $3,215
$3,644
+$429 (+13.3%)
4 Bedroom $3,469
$3,959
+$490 (+14.1%)

Rent Burden Analysis

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

Studio
35.7%
Burdened
Need $101,160/yr for 30% rule
1 Bedroom
37.5%
Burdened
Need $106,200/yr for 30% rule
2 Bedroom
41.1%
Burdened
Need $116,400/yr for 30% rule
3 Bedroom
51.5%
Severe
Need $145,760/yr for 30% rule
4 Bedroom
55.9%
Severe
Need $158,360/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%41.1%
Queens County 2-bedroom rent burden
County median income: $84,961 · National avg burden: 21.7% ·View New York rent burden →

Where Queens sits among every US county

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

$2,910 Top 1% higher than 99% 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%). Below this entry. $1,600–$1,800: 172 counties (5%). Below this entry. $1,800–$2,000: 108 counties (3%). Below this entry. $2,000–$2,200: 29 counties (1%). Below this entry. $2,200–$2,400: 40 counties (1%). Below this entry. $2,400–$2,600: 13 counties (0%). Below this entry. $2,600–$2,800: 9 counties (0%). Below this entry. $2,800–$3,000: 15 counties (0%). This entry sits in this band. $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 Queens compares on 1-bedroom rent

1-bedroom FMR vs other New York counties

1BR FMR / mo

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

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 $2,655/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 19.8% Affordable
General & Operations Managers $129,990 24.5% Affordable
Registered Nurses $105,600 30.2% Stretched
Accountants & Auditors $101,780 31.3% Stretched
Police & Sheriff's Patrol Officers $93,050 34.2% Stretched
Elementary School Teachers $82,480 38.6% Stretched
Electricians $77,460 41.1% Stretched
Paralegals & Legal Assistants $66,390 48% Stretched
Heavy & Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers $60,520 52.6% Unaffordable
Customer Service Representatives $47,840 66.6% Unaffordable
Pharmacy Technicians $40,840 78% Unaffordable
Janitors & Cleaners $39,920 79.8% Unaffordable
Retail Salespersons $37,020 86.1% Unaffordable
Teaching Assistants $36,600 87% Unaffordable
Fast Food & Counter Workers $35,270 90.3% Unaffordable
Salaries: BLS OES (New York) median · 30% = affordable threshold · Try the salary calculator →

Rent Trends (2020–2026)

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

Over the 6-year span HUD has tracked for Queens (FY 2020-2026), the 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent has risen 54.9% overall, from $1,714 to $2,655. Most of that movement was gradual except for a single sharp jump of +14.0% in FY 2022, well above this county's typical year-to-year change.

$1,500$2,000$2,500$3,000 FY2020FY2021FY2022FY2023FY2024FY2025FY2026 $2,655
Queens County 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent, FY2020–FY2026
Year Studio 1 BR 2 BR
FY 2026 ↑13.9% $2,529 $2,655 $2,910
FY 2025 ↓4.9% $2,233 $2,330 $2,580
FY 2024 ↑12.9% $2,386 $2,451 $2,752
FY 2023 ↑5.6% $2,123 $2,170 $2,451
FY 2022 ↑14.0% $2,018 $2,054 $2,340
FY 2021 ↑5.1% $1,760 $1,801 $2,053
FY 2020 $1,665 $1,714 $1,951
Total change (6yr): +54.9%
Annualized: +7.6%/yr
1 BR: $1,714 → $2,655

Part of the New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ Metro Area

Queens County is a central county of the New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ metropolitan statistical area, alongside 21 other metro-area counties.

Queens County ranks #8 of 22 counties in this metro area by 1-bedroom FMR. Every county sharing this metro, highest to lowest: Kings County ($2,655), New York County ($2,655), Bronx County ($2,655), Westchester County ($2,655), Richmond County ($2,655), Rockland County ($2,655), Putnam County ($2,655), Queens County (this county) ($2,655), Hudson County ($2,458), Suffolk County ($2,379), Nassau County ($2,379), Bergen County ($2,024), Passaic County ($2,024), Middlesex County ($1,978), Somerset County ($1,978), Hunterdon County ($1,978), Monmouth County ($1,889), Ocean County ($1,889), Essex County ($1,822), Union County ($1,822), Morris County ($1,822), Sussex County ($1,822).

Kings County
1 BR: $2,655/mo
New York County
1 BR: $2,655/mo
Bronx County
1 BR: $2,655/mo
Westchester County
1 BR: $2,655/mo
Richmond County
1 BR: $2,655/mo
Rockland County
1 BR: $2,655/mo
Putnam County
1 BR: $2,655/mo
Queens County (this county)
1 BR: $2,655/mo
Hudson County
1 BR: $2,458/mo
Suffolk County
1 BR: $2,379/mo
Nassau County
1 BR: $2,379/mo
Bergen County
1 BR: $2,024/mo
Show all 22 counties in this metro area
Passaic County
1 BR: $2,024/mo
Middlesex County
1 BR: $1,978/mo
Somerset County
1 BR: $1,978/mo
Hunterdon County
1 BR: $1,978/mo
Monmouth County
1 BR: $1,889/mo
Ocean County
1 BR: $1,889/mo
Essex County
1 BR: $1,822/mo
Union County
1 BR: $1,822/mo
Morris County
1 BR: $1,822/mo
Sussex County
1 BR: $1,822/mo

Nationwide peers by 2BR FMR & rent burden

Two PlainRent-derived comparison paths for Queens 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).

Alameda County
CA · 2 BR $2,912/mo
Contra Costa County
CA · 2 BR $2,912/mo
San Benito County
CA · 2 BR $2,902/mo
Suffolk County
MA · 2 BR $2,941/mo

Similar rent burden

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

Prairie County
MT · 41.1% of income · 2 BR $1,548/mo
Hopewell city
VA · 40.8% of income · 2 BR $1,655/mo
Jackson County
SD · 41.8% of income · 2 BR $929/mo
Presidio County
TX · 42% of income · 2 BR $1,015/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
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
Monroe County
1 BR: $1,256/mo Pop: 756,406
View all counties in New York →

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the average rent in Queens County? ▼
The FY 2026 Fair Market Rent for a 1-bedroom in Queens County is $2,655 per month. A 2-bedroom is $2,910 and a studio is $2,529.
How does Queens County rent compare to the national average? ▼
Rent in Queens County is 177% above the national average. A 1-bedroom here costs $2,655 compared to $959 nationally.
Where does Queens County rank nationally for Fair Market Rent? ▼
According to HUD's FY 2026 Fair Market Rent schedule, Queens County's 2-bedroom FMR of $2,910 ranks #31 most expensive among 3,145 HUD counties, placing it in the highest-rent tenth of HUD counties.
What income do I need to afford rent in Queens County? ▼
Based on the 30% affordability rule, you need an annual income of at least $106,200 ($8,850/month) to afford a 1-bedroom at Fair Market Rent in Queens County.
Is rent going up or down in Queens County? ▼
The 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent in Queens County increased by 13.9% from FY 2025 to FY 2026, going from $2,330 to $2,655.
Which jobs can afford rent in Queens County? ▼
Based on New York BLS salary data and the 30% affordability rule, jobs like Software Developers, General and Operations Managers can afford a 1-bedroom at $2,655/mo. 2 of 15 common occupations are affordable here.
How much has rent changed in Queens County over time? ▼
The 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent in Queens County went from $1,714 in FY 2020 to $2,655 in FY 2026, a total change of +54.9% over 6 years.
How does Fair Market Rent affect Section 8 vouchers in Queens County? ▼
In Queens County, the FY 2026 FMR of $2,655/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 Queens County? ▼
For Queens County, it's the specific 40th-percentile rent HUD publishes each year ($2,655/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.