Methodology · Data provenance

How We Source Fair Market Rent Data

Every rent figure on PlainRent comes straight from HUD's published Fair Market Rent schedules, refreshed periodically after each annual release and validated against the source documentation.

HUD
Primary source agency
Annual
Update cadence (each fall)
ACS + CPI
Underlying survey inputs

Primary Data Source

All rent data on PlainRent comes from the US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Fair Market Rent (FMR) documentation system. HUD publishes Fair Market Rents annually for every county and metropolitan area in the United States. We download annual FMR schedules directly from HUD's FMR documentation system. Methodology and historical schedules are documented in the Federal Register public-comment record.

What Are Fair Market Rents?

Fair Market Rents are HUD's estimates of the 40th percentile of gross rents for standard quality units in a given area. The 40th percentile is specifically chosen to reflect rents that are affordable to households with lower incomes while being achievable in the private rental market. Gross rent includes both contract rent and tenant-paid utilities (excluding telephone and internet), providing a total housing cost figure.

FMRs are used to determine payment standards for the Housing Choice Voucher program (Section 8), rent ceilings for HOME and Emergency Solutions Grants, and maximum rents for Continuum of Care programs. Because FMRs directly affect federal housing policy, they are calculated using rigorous statistical methodology and are subject to public comment before finalization.

Coverage

PlainRent covers over 3,100 counties and 400+ metropolitan areas across all 50 states and the District of Columbia. FMR data includes studio, 1-bedroom, 2-bedroom, 3-bedroom, and 4-bedroom unit sizes for each geographic area.

Processing Pipeline

We load HUD's annual FMR schedules into a searchable database organized by county and metropolitan area. Our pipeline:

  • Downloads annual FMR files from HUD's FMR documentation system for multiple years
  • Normalizes county and metro area identifiers across years
  • Computes year-over-year percentage changes where prior-year data is available
  • Generates state-level summaries aggregating county FMR data to show median rents and affordability indicators
  • Adds household-income context from the Census Bureau's American Community Survey (table B19013) so each area's rent can be compared against what local incomes can afford

Data Collection Method

HUD calculates Fair Market Rents primarily from American Community Survey (ACS) rental data collected by the U.S. Census Bureau, supplemented by local area random digit dialing surveys and BLS CPI rent trend adjustments. The 40th percentile is selected to reflect rents that are affordable to lower-income households while remaining achievable in the private market. HUD applies a gross rent concept that includes contract rent plus tenant-paid utilities (excluding telephone), providing a total cost-of-housing figure. Each year, HUD publishes preliminary FMRs for public comment, then finalizes them before the start of the federal fiscal year (October 1).

Update Schedule

HUD publishes final FMRs annually in the fall for the upcoming federal fiscal year. We update our database when new FMR schedules are released. Multi-year data allows year-over-year trend analysis showing which markets are experiencing the fastest rent growth. Between annual releases, actual market rents may shift significantly, particularly in high-growth or high-volatility markets.

Limitations

  • FMRs represent the 40th percentile of gross rents in the HUD-surveyed dataset, not current market listing prices. In rapidly appreciating markets, FMRs may lag actual rental prices by 12-24 months.
  • FMRs cover standard quality units and may not reflect luxury or substandard housing market segments.
  • Geographic boundaries use HUD's FMR areas, which may differ from Census-defined counties in some areas.
  • HUD publishes FMRs annually in the fall for the following federal fiscal year. Data is updated once per year.
  • Household-income context comes from the most recent American Community Survey 5-year estimates (table B19013), whose reference period may not align exactly with the FMR year, so income-to-afford comparisons are directional rather than point-in-time.

Not Affiliated

PlainRent is not affiliated with HUD, the Census Bureau, or any government agency. This site is for informational purposes only and does not constitute housing or financial advice.