Metro FMR · CBSA 48300 · HUD FY2026

Wenatchee-East Wenatchee, WA MSA Fair Market Rent

HUD's FY2026 Fair Market Rent for the Wenatchee-East Wenatchee, WA MSA metro area - 19% above the US average.

$1,143
1-bedroom FMR
$1,500
2-bedroom FMR
+0.8%
YoY change
+19%
vs US avg

The verdict

A 2-bedroom in the Wenatchee-East Wenatchee, WA MSA area rents at $1,500 under HUD's FY2026 Fair Market Rent - 28% above the US average, higher than 69% of the 387 metro areas HUD tracks.

#120
priciest of 387 US metros (2BR)
+28%
vs the US 2-bedroom average
$60,000
income to afford it (30% rule)
+0.8%
1BR change, FY2025→2026

Affordability & income context

Wenatchee-East Wenatchee: #120 priciest nationally · income context

At the metro's ACS median household income of $79,007, this 1-bedroom FMR takes 17.4% of annual income. It is well below the 30% affordability guide for a median-income household.

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

With 122,265 residents, this is a smaller-metro benchmark rather than a single-neighborhood rent quote.

Population grew 5.2% 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 3.7%, 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 $1,198/month - the FY2026 HUD two-bedroom FMR of $1,500 runs 25.2% 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: 36.7% of the 16,266 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

$1,034/mo

15.7% of median income

1 Bedroom

$1,143/mo

17.4% of median income

2 Bedroom

$1,500/mo

22.8% of median income

3 Bedroom

$2,063/mo

31.3% of median income

4 Bedroom

$2,516/mo

38.2% of median income

FMR filing desk

CBSA CBSA·48300

Wenatchee-East Wenatchee: $1,143/mo 1BR · #120 of 387 metros (2BR) · FY2026 CBSA 48300

  • CBSA 48300
  • 1BR-FMR $1,143
  • 2BR-FMR $1,500
  • RANK-MID #120
  • YOY-FLAT +0.8%
  • VSUS-ABOVE +19%
  • IN-ST-LOW #2 WA
  • INC-ROOM 17%
  • POP-MID 122K
  • PHOTO-NEAR Bellingham
  • VOUCH-90-110 $1,029–$1,257
  • FY-2026 FY2026

Photo-finish peer: Bellingham ($350 1BR gap)

Read with: Understanding rent burden

Where Wenatchee-East Wenatchee sits among every US metro

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

$1,500 Top 31% higher than 69% 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 #120 of 387 HUD-tracked metro areas, 28% 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

CBSA 48300

Counties inside Wenatchee-East Wenatchee

Across 2 HUD counties in CBSA 48300, 2-bedroom FMRs cluster tightly ($1,500–$1,500, 0% spread), so the metro-wide schedule tracks most constituent counties closely.

Chelan County 2BR $1,500 · 79K Douglas County 2BR $1,500 · 43K

Wenatchee-East Wenatchee studio–4BR schedule (FY2026) · 2BR #120 nationally

1BR $1,143 (+19% vs US, +0.8% YoY). Each bedroom band below is FY2026 HUD FMR for CBSA 48300.

Studio
$1,034
US avg $893
↑1.4% YoY +16% vs US
1 Bedroom
$1,143
US avg $959
↑0.8% YoY +19% vs US
2 Bedroom
$1,500
US avg $1,175
↑0.8% YoY +28% vs US
3 Bedroom
$2,063
US avg $1,525
↓0.1% YoY +35% vs US
4 Bedroom
$2,516
US avg $1,756
↑2.9% YoY +43% vs US

How Wenatchee-East Wenatchee compares on 1-bedroom rent

1-bedroom FMR vs other WA metro areas

1BR FMR / mo

What this shows Wenatchee-East Wenatchee highlighted among 5 peers · FY2026 1BR HUD FMR.

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

Wenatchee-East Wenatchee: out-of-state FMR & burden peers

PlainRent pairs Wenatchee-East Wenatchee 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).

Albany
OR · 2 BR $1,500/mo
Lakeland-Winter Haven
FL · 2 BR $1,497/mo
Merced
CA · 2 BR $1,503/mo
Harrisburg-Carlisle
PA · 2 BR $1,493/mo

Burden % · outside WA

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

Eagle Pass
TX · 22.8% of income · 2 BR $973/mo
Billings
MT · 22.8% of income · 2 BR $1,417/mo
Ann Arbor
MI · 22.8% of income · 2 BR $1,656/mo
Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos
TX · 22.8% of income · 2 BR $1,852/mo

Wenatchee-East Wenatchee: quick answers

What is the average rent in the Wenatchee-East Wenatchee, WA MSA metro area? ▼
The FY 2026 Fair Market Rent for a 1-bedroom in Wenatchee-East Wenatchee, WA MSA is $1,143 per month. A 2-bedroom is $1,500 and a studio is $1,034.
How does Wenatchee-East Wenatchee, WA MSA rent compare to the national average? ▼
Rent in the Wenatchee-East Wenatchee, WA MSA metro area is 19% above the national average. A 1-bedroom costs $1,143 compared to $959 nationally.
Where does Wenatchee-East Wenatchee rank nationally for Fair Market Rent? ▼
HUD's FY 2026 2-bedroom FMR of $1,500 ranks #120 most expensive among 387 US metro areas (the middle half of HUD metro areas).
Do county rents differ inside the Wenatchee-East Wenatchee metro area? ▼
Yes. HUD assigns one metro-wide FMR for CBSA 48300, but 2 constituent counties publish their own county FMR schedules spanning $1,500–$1,500 for a 2-bedroom (0% spread). Use county pages for filing at the county level.
Is Wenatchee-East Wenatchee's population growing, and how tight is its rental market? ▼
Population grew 5.2% 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 3.7%, a tight rental market where HUD's annual FMR schedule can lag what landlords are actually asking.

Compare Wenatchee-East Wenatchee vs Bellingham →

What this means for renters

Treat Wenatchee-East Wenatchee'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 $1,143 implies about $45,720/yr to rent without being cost-burdened. Run your numbers
  • See how Wenatchee-East Wenatchee stacks up against a comparable metro before assuming this figure applies elsewhere. Compare vs Bellingham
  • See where Wenatchee-East Wenatchee 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 2 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 $1,143/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.