Metro FMR · CBSA 31020 · HUD FY2026

Longview-Kelso, WA MSA Fair Market Rent

HUD's FY2026 Fair Market Rent for the Longview-Kelso, WA MSA metro area - 25% above the US average.

$1,199
1-bedroom FMR
$1,451
2-bedroom FMR
+1.1%
YoY change
+25%
vs US avg

The verdict

A 2-bedroom in the Longview-Kelso, WA MSA area rents at $1,451 under HUD's FY2026 Fair Market Rent - 23% above the US average, higher than 65% of the 387 metro areas HUD tracks.

#135
priciest of 387 US metros (2BR)
+23%
vs the US 2-bedroom average
$58,040
income to afford it (30% rule)
+1.1%
1BR change, FY2025→2026

Affordability & income context

Longview-Kelso: #135 priciest nationally · income context

At the metro's ACS median household income of $72,932, this 1-bedroom FMR takes 19.7% of annual income. It is well below the 30% affordability guide for a median-income household.

The 2-bedroom figure places Longview-Kelso in the middle half of HUD metro areas, using the same FY2026 HUD schedule as the national comparison.

With 110,621 residents, this is a smaller-metro benchmark rather than a single-neighborhood rent quote.

Population grew 6.1% over the past five years (Census ACS) - among the faster-growing metros nationally, a trend that typically adds upward pressure on rents.

The ACS rental vacancy rate here is 2.3%, a tight rental market where HUD's annual FMR schedule can lag what landlords are actually asking.

The Census ACS median gross rent across all rental units here is $1,169/month - the FY2026 HUD two-bedroom FMR of $1,451 runs 24.1% above that all-unit-types median. The two figures measure different things (ACS covers every rented unit; FMR targets a specific bedroom count), so a gap is expected, not an error.

Its 2-bedroom FMR sits in the middle half of HUD metro areas, so the local-income comparison is more informative than the national rank alone.

The studio-through-two-bedroom FMR bands stay below 30% of recorded median income here; the larger-bedroom rows show where that headroom narrows.

Observed renter burden: 46.9% of the 14,693 renter households counted by ACS paid at least 30% of income in gross rent. This ACS 2023 household measure is distinct from the FY2026 HUD FMR benchmark.

ACS median household income lags the FY2026 HUD FMR schedule. The income share is a same-metro cross-source read (Census ACS B19013 vs HUD FMR), not a same-vintage ratio.

Studio

$1,000/mo

16.5% of median income

1 Bedroom

$1,199/mo

19.7% of median income

2 Bedroom

$1,451/mo

23.9% of median income

3 Bedroom

$2,018/mo

33.2% of median income

4 Bedroom

$2,434/mo

40.0% of median income

FMR filing desk

CBSA CBSA·31020

Longview-Kelso: $1,199/mo 1BR · #135 of 387 metros (2BR) · FY2026 CBSA 31020

  • CBSA 31020
  • 1BR-FMR $1,199
  • 2BR-FMR $1,451
  • RANK-MID #135
  • YOY-FLAT +1.1%
  • VSUS-HIGH +25%
  • IN-ST-LOW #5 WA
  • INC-ROOM 20%
  • POP-MID 111K
  • PHOTO-NEAR Bellingham
  • VOUCH-90-110 $1,079–$1,319
  • FY-2026 FY2026

Photo-finish peer: Bellingham ($294 1BR gap)

Read with: Understanding rent burden

Where Longview-Kelso sits among every US metro

2-bedroom Fair Market Rent vs. all 387 HUD metro areas

$1,451 Top 35% higher than 65% of 387 metro areas

$800–$1,000: 28 metro areas (7%). Below this entry. $1,000–$1,200: 114 metro areas (29%). Below this entry. $1,200–$1,400: 95 metro areas (25%). Below this entry. $1,400–$1,600: 52 metro areas (13%). This entry sits in this band. $1,600–$1,800: 41 metro areas (11%). Above this entry. $1,800–$2,000: 26 metro areas (7%). Above this entry. $2,000–$2,200: 9 metro areas (2%). Above this entry. $2,200–$2,400: 5 metro areas (1%). Above this entry. $2,400–$2,600: 5 metro areas (1%). Above this entry. $2,600–$2,800: 5 metro areas (1%). Above this entry. $2,800–$3,000: 4 metro areas (1%). Above this entry. $3,000–$3,200: 2 metro areas (1%). Above this entry. $3,200–$3,400: 0 metro areas (0%). Above this entry. $3,400–$3,600: 0 metro areas (0%). Above this entry. $3,600–$3,800: 0 metro areas (0%). Above this entry. $3,800–$4,000: 0 metro areas (0%). Above this entry. $4,000–$4,200: 0 metro areas (0%). Above this entry. $4,200–$4,400: 1 metro areas (0%). Above this entry. This metro $800 $4,400 every US metro, bucketed by value

Each bar is a $0.2K-wide band; taller bars hold more metro areas. 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.

What this shows #135 of 387 HUD-tracked metro areas, 23% above the national 2-bedroom average. 51 other metro areas fall in this same rent band.

Source U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Fair Market Rents · FY2026

Longview-Kelso studio–4BR schedule (FY2026) · 2BR #135 nationally

1BR $1,199 (+25% vs US, +1.1% YoY). Each bedroom band below is FY2026 HUD FMR for CBSA 31020.

Studio
$1,000
US avg $893
↑3.8% YoY +12% vs US
1 Bedroom
$1,199
US avg $959
↑1.1% YoY +25% vs US
2 Bedroom
$1,451
US avg $1,175
↑3.3% YoY +23% vs US
3 Bedroom
$2,018
US avg $1,525
↑2.6% YoY +32% vs US
4 Bedroom
$2,434
US avg $1,756
↑3.2% YoY +39% vs US

How Longview-Kelso compares on 1-bedroom rent

1-bedroom FMR vs other WA metro areas

1BR FMR / mo

What this shows Longview-Kelso highlighted among 5 peers · FY2026 1BR HUD FMR.

Source U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) As of FY2026

Longview-Kelso: out-of-state FMR & burden peers

PlainRent pairs Longview-Kelso with the 4 nearest HUD 2BR schedules and 4 nearest burden matches outside WA (burden peers exclude the FMR set; pop ≥50k).

2BR FMR · outside WA

Nearest schedules by 2BR delta (FY2026).

Provo-Orem-Lehi
UT · 2 BR $1,460/mo
Victoria
TX · 2 BR $1,442/mo
Albuquerque
NM · 2 BR $1,464/mo
Myrtle Beach-North Myrtle Beach-Conway
SC · 2 BR $1,465/mo

Burden % · outside WA

Nearest 2BR FMR ÷ ACS median income (FY2026).

Rocky Mount
NC · 23.9% of income · 2 BR $1,143/mo
Colorado Springs
CO · 23.9% of income · 2 BR $1,735/mo
College Station-Bryan
TX · 23.8% of income · 2 BR $1,186/mo
Brunswick-St. Simons
GA · 23.9% of income · 2 BR $1,293/mo

Longview-Kelso: quick answers

What is the average rent in the Longview-Kelso, WA MSA metro area? ▼
The FY 2026 Fair Market Rent for a 1-bedroom in Longview-Kelso, WA MSA is $1,199 per month. A 2-bedroom is $1,451 and a studio is $1,000.
How does Longview-Kelso, WA MSA rent compare to the national average? ▼
Rent in the Longview-Kelso, WA MSA metro area is 25% above the national average. A 1-bedroom costs $1,199 compared to $959 nationally.
Where does Longview-Kelso rank nationally for Fair Market Rent? ▼
HUD's FY 2026 2-bedroom FMR of $1,451 ranks #135 most expensive among 387 US metro areas (the middle half of HUD metro areas).
What income do I need to afford rent in Longview-Kelso, WA MSA? ▼
Based on the 30% affordability rule, you need an annual income of at least $47,960 ($3,997/month) to afford a 1-bedroom at Fair Market Rent in the Longview-Kelso, WA MSA area.
Is Longview-Kelso's population growing, and how tight is its rental market? ▼
Population grew 6.1% over the past five years (Census ACS) - among the faster-growing metros nationally, a trend that typically adds upward pressure on rents. The ACS rental vacancy rate here is 2.3%, a tight rental market where HUD's annual FMR schedule can lag what landlords are actually asking.

Compare Longview-Kelso vs Bellingham →

What this means for renters

Treat Longview-Kelso'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 $1,199 implies about $47,960/yr to rent without being cost-burdened. Run your numbers
  • See how Longview-Kelso stacks up against a comparable metro before assuming this figure applies elsewhere. Compare vs Bellingham
  • See where Longview-Kelso ranks nationally on rent. National rankings

Fair Market Rent is HUD's 40th-percentile policy benchmark used to set Housing Choice Voucher payment standards. This is a metro-wide figure across 1 county; actual asking rents in any specific county can run higher or lower, and HUD updates FMRs once a year. This site is informational and not financial or relocation advice.

Data as of FY 2026. Source: U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Fair Market Rents. Population and demographic data from U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS).

Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.

FY 2026 HUD FMR $1,199/mo · 1BR WA

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.