Metro FMR · CBSA 42660 · HUD FY2026

Seattle-Bellevue, WA HUD Metro FMR Area Fair Market Rent

HUD's FY2026 Fair Market Rent for the Seattle-Bellevue, WA HUD Metro FMR Area metro area - 124% above the US average.

$2,146
1-bedroom FMR
$2,501
2-bedroom FMR
-6.4%
YoY change
+124%
vs US avg

The verdict

A 2-bedroom in the Seattle-Bellevue, WA HUD Metro FMR Area area rents at $2,501 under HUD's FY2026 Fair Market Rent - 113% above the US average, higher than 96% of the 387 metro areas HUD tracks.

#15
priciest of 387 US metros (2BR)
+113%
vs the US 2-bedroom average
$100,040
income to afford it (30% rule)
-6.4%
1BR change, FY2025→2026

Affordability & income context

Seattle-Bellevue: #15 priciest nationally · income context

At the metro's ACS median household income of $112,594, this 1-bedroom FMR takes 22.9% of annual income. It remains below the 30% affordability guide, but is a material part of a median-income household's budget.

The 2-bedroom figure places Seattle-Bellevue in the highest-rent tenth of HUD metro areas, using the same FY2026 HUD schedule as the national comparison.

With 4,001,701 residents, this is a large metro benchmark rather than a single-neighborhood rent quote.

Population grew 5.6% 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 4.7%, close to the range where market rents and HUD's FMR benchmark tend to track each other.

The Census ACS median gross rent across all rental units here is $1,932/month - the FY2026 HUD two-bedroom FMR of $2,501 runs 29.5% 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.

That budget pressure matches a top-decile 2-bedroom FMR nationally (#15 of 387 HUD-tracked metros).

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: 46.7% of the 628,055 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

$2,074/mo

22.1% of median income

1 Bedroom

$2,146/mo

22.9% of median income

2 Bedroom

$2,501/mo

26.7% of median income

3 Bedroom

$3,272/mo

34.9% of median income

4 Bedroom

$3,847/mo

41.0% of median income

FMR filing desk

CBSA CBSA·42660

Seattle-Bellevue: $2,146/mo 1BR · #15 of 387 metros (2BR) · FY2026 CBSA 42660

  • CBSA 42660
  • 1BR-FMR $2,146
  • 2BR-FMR $2,501
  • RANK-UPPER #15
  • YOY-DOWN -6.4%
  • VSUS-HIGH +124%
  • IN-ST-HIGH #11 WA
  • INC-MID 23%
  • POP-MEGA 4.0M
  • PHOTO-NEAR Bellingham
  • VOUCH-90-110 $1,931–$2,361
  • FY-2026 FY2026

Photo-finish peer: Bellingham ($653 1BR gap)

Read with: Understanding rent burden

Where Seattle-Bellevue sits among every US metro

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

$2,501 Top 4% higher than 96% 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%). Below this entry. $1,600–$1,800: 41 metro areas (11%). Below this entry. $1,800–$2,000: 26 metro areas (7%). Below this entry. $2,000–$2,200: 9 metro areas (2%). Below this entry. $2,200–$2,400: 5 metro areas (1%). Below this entry. $2,400–$2,600: 5 metro areas (1%). This entry sits in this band. $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 #15 of 387 HUD-tracked metro areas, 113% above the national 2-bedroom average. 4 other metro areas fall in this same rent band.

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

CBSA 42660

Counties inside Seattle-Bellevue

HUD publishes one metro-wide FMR for CBSA 42660, but county-level schedules inside Seattle-Bellevue still diverge: 3 counties range from $1,971 (2BR in Pierce) to $2,501 (King), a 27% spread. King is the largest county by population.

King County 2BR $2,501 · 2.3M Pierce County 2BR $1,971 · 919K Snohomish County 2BR $2,501 · 828K

Seattle-Bellevue studio–4BR schedule (FY2026) · 2BR #15 nationally

1BR $2,146 (+124% vs US, -6.4% YoY). Each bedroom band below is FY2026 HUD FMR for CBSA 42660.

Studio
$2,074
US avg $893
↓7.3% YoY +132% vs US
1 Bedroom
$2,146
US avg $959
↓6.4% YoY +124% vs US
2 Bedroom
$2,501
US avg $1,175
↓6.4% YoY +113% vs US
3 Bedroom
$3,272
US avg $1,525
↓7.1% YoY +115% vs US
4 Bedroom
$3,847
US avg $1,756
↓6.3% YoY +119% vs US

How Seattle-Bellevue compares on 1-bedroom rent

1-bedroom FMR vs other WA metro areas

1BR FMR / mo

What this shows Seattle-Bellevue highlighted among 5 peers · FY2026 1BR HUD FMR.

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

Seattle-Bellevue: out-of-state FMR & burden peers

PlainRent pairs Seattle-Bellevue 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).

Kalawao County
HI · 2 BR $2,492/mo
Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury
CT · 2 BR $2,511/mo
San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles
CA · 2 BR $2,512/mo
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale
CA · 2 BR $2,601/mo

Burden % · outside WA

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

Punta Gorda
FL · 26.7% of income · 2 BR $1,470/mo
Kingston
NY · 26.7% of income · 2 BR $1,818/mo
Dallas
TX · 26.6% of income · 2 BR $1,931/mo
Homosassa Springs
FL · 26.6% of income · 2 BR $1,225/mo

Seattle-Bellevue: quick answers

What is the average rent in the Seattle-Bellevue, WA HUD Metro FMR Area metro area? ▼
The FY 2026 Fair Market Rent for a 1-bedroom in Seattle-Bellevue, WA HUD Metro FMR Area is $2,146 per month. A 2-bedroom is $2,501 and a studio is $2,074.
How does Seattle-Bellevue, WA HUD Metro FMR Area rent compare to the national average? ▼
Rent in the Seattle-Bellevue, WA HUD Metro FMR Area metro area is 124% above the national average. A 1-bedroom costs $2,146 compared to $959 nationally.
Where does Seattle-Bellevue rank nationally for Fair Market Rent? ▼
HUD's FY 2026 2-bedroom FMR of $2,501 ranks #15 most expensive among 387 US metro areas (the highest-rent tenth of HUD metro areas).
Do county rents differ inside the Seattle-Bellevue metro area? ▼
Yes. HUD assigns one metro-wide FMR for CBSA 42660, but 3 constituent counties publish their own county FMR schedules spanning $1,971–$2,501 for a 2-bedroom (27% spread). Use county pages for filing at the county level.
Is Seattle-Bellevue's population growing, and how tight is its rental market? ▼
Population grew 5.6% 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 4.7%, close to the range where market rents and HUD's FMR benchmark tend to track each other.

Compare Seattle-Bellevue vs Bellingham →

What this means for renters

Treat Seattle-Bellevue'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 $2,146 implies about $85,840/yr to rent without being cost-burdened. Run your numbers
  • See how Seattle-Bellevue stacks up against a comparable metro before assuming this figure applies elsewhere. Compare vs Bellingham
  • See where Seattle-Bellevue 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 3 counties; 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 $2,146/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.