State FMR profile · HUD FY2026

Fair Market Rents in Pennsylvania

The average 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent across Pennsylvania is $996/mo - 4% above the US average.

$996
Avg 1BR FMR
67
Counties
17
Metro areas

The verdict

Pennsylvania's 2-bedroom Fair Market Rent averages $1,225 - 4% above the US average, the 24th highest of 51 states.

Pennsylvania's FY2026 Fair Market Rent for a 2-bedroom averages $1,225, 4% above the US average - the 24th highest of 51 states. A household needs about $49,000 in annual income to afford it under HUD's 30% affordability rule, and rents vary 105% between the state's cheapest and priciest counties.

#24
most expensive of 51 states (2BR)
+4%
vs the US 2-bedroom average
$49,000
income to afford it (30% rule)
105%
gap, cheapest→priciest county

FY 2026 HUD Fair Market Rents for 67 counties and 17 metro areas in PA. Verify with HUD →

What these rents mean for Pennsylvania

Across Pennsylvania's 67 counties and 17 metro areas, HUD's FY 2026 Fair Market Rent averages $996/mo for a 1-bedroom (studio through 4-bedroom averages are broken out below). FMR is set at the county or metro FMR area level, not statewide, so that figure is the arithmetic average of every FMR area inside PA, weighted equally. Local housing authorities use each county's or metro's FMR (not the state average) to calibrate Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher payment standards, typically ranging from 90% to 110% of FMR.

Benchmarked against the rest of the country, Pennsylvania's average 1-bedroom FMR of $996 is 4% above the US average of $959. Inside the state, rents are not uniform - the cheapest 1-bedroom FMR is in Bedford County at $742, while the most expensive is in Philadelphia County at $1,520, a spread of roughly 105% between the lowest- and highest-cost counties. That intra-state dispersion is why urban voucher recipients, families relocating for jobs, and landlords setting Section 8 rents all need to check the specific FMR area rather than rely on a statewide figure.

For affordability, the 30% rule implies a household income of $39,840 per year (about $3,320/month) to afford Pennsylvania's average 1-bedroom at $996. With a state population of 12,986,518 and median household income of $76,081, a significant share of Pennsylvania renters fall above the 30% cost-burden threshold in higher-FMR counties. Pair these rent figures with Pennsylvania's rent burden rankings and year-over-year rent growth pages to see which counties are tightening fastest and which remain comparatively affordable.

Where Pennsylvania sits among all 50 states + DC

Average 2-bedroom Fair Market Rent vs. every US state

$1,225 higher than 53% of 51 states

$900–$1,000: 11 states (22%). Below this entry. $1,000–$1,100: 7 states (14%). Below this entry. $1,100–$1,200: 8 states (16%). Below this entry. $1,200–$1,300: 2 states (4%). This entry sits in this band. $1,300–$1,400: 3 states (6%). Above this entry. $1,400–$1,500: 8 states (16%). Above this entry. $1,500–$1,600: 3 states (6%). Above this entry. $1,600–$1,700: 1 states (2%). Above this entry. $1,700–$1,800: 1 states (2%). Above this entry. $1,800–$1,900: 1 states (2%). Above this entry. $1,900–$2,000: 1 states (2%). Above this entry. $2,000–$2,100: 1 states (2%). Above this entry. $2,100–$2,200: 1 states (2%). Above this entry. $2,200–$2,300: 2 states (4%). Above this entry. $2,300–$2,400: 0 states (0%). Above this entry. $2,400–$2,500: 1 states (2%). Above this entry. PA $900 $2,500 every US state, bucketed by value

Each bar is a $0.1K-wide band; taller bars hold more states. 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

State Average vs National Average

Studio
$900
+1% vs US avg
1 BR
$996
+4% vs US avg
2 BR
$1,225
+4% vs US avg
3 BR
$1,570
+3% vs US avg
4 BR
$1,744
-1% vs US avg

Most expensive counties in Pennsylvania by 1-bedroom FMR

FY 2026 HUD Fair Market Rent, the highest-cost 10 of 67 PA counties

1BR FMR / mo

What this shows Inside PA, 1-bedroom FMR runs from $742 in Bedford County to $1,520 in Philadelphia County.

Source HUD Fair Market Rents and U.S. Census Bureau ACS data As of FY2026

Cheapest Counties

Lowest FMR rental costs →

Most Expensive Counties

Highest FMR rental costs →

Rent Burden

% of income spent on rent →

Rent Growth

YoY rent trends by county →

Metro areas in Pennsylvania

Each metro FMR area applies one rent schedule across all its counties, ranked here by 1-bedroom FMR.

17 of 17
# Metro area Studio1 BR2 BR3 BR4 BR
1 Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD MSA $1,397
$1,520
$1,810$2,170$2,423
2 Reading, PA MSA $1,086
$1,237
$1,575$1,937$2,085
3 Lancaster, PA MSA $1,102
$1,220
$1,526$1,980$2,020
4 Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA MSA $1,058
$1,212
$1,493$1,920$1,977
5 State College, PA MSA $1,187
$1,194
$1,406$1,760$1,862
6 Chambersburg, PA MSA $1,014
$1,119
$1,379$1,825$1,991
7 Lebanon, PA MSA $1,035
$1,112
$1,411$1,797$1,959
8 Gettysburg, PA MSA $1,006
$1,099
$1,374$1,834$1,939
9 Pittsburgh, PA HUD Metro FMR Area $1,001
$1,077
$1,299$1,661$1,789
10 York-Hanover, PA MSA $925
$1,060
$1,335$1,796$1,850
11 Scranton--Wilkes-Barre, PA MSA $863
$1,028
$1,252$1,631$1,766
12 Williamsport, PA MSA $824
$995
$1,195$1,586$1,737
13 Altoona, PA MSA $802
$948
$1,138$1,458$1,705
14 Erie, PA MSA $836
$945
$1,212$1,499$1,683
15 Johnstown, PA MSA $840
$846
$1,035$1,431$1,484
16 Columbia County, PA HUD Metro FMR Area -
-
---
17 East Stroudsburg, PA MSA -
-
---

Counties in Pennsylvania, ranked by rent (67)

All 67 counties with a published FY2026 Fair Market Rent, highest 1-bedroom first.

67 of 67
# County Studio1 BR2 BR3 BR4 BR
1 Bucks County $1,397
$1,520
$1,810$2,170$2,423
2 Chester County $1,397
$1,520
$1,810$2,170$2,423
3 Delaware County $1,397
$1,520
$1,810$2,170$2,423
4 Montgomery County $1,397
$1,520
$1,810$2,170$2,423
5 Philadelphia County $1,397
$1,520
$1,810$2,170$2,423
6 Carbon County $1,130
$1,341
$1,634$2,087$2,195
7 Lehigh County $1,130
$1,341
$1,634$2,087$2,195
8 Northampton County $1,130
$1,341
$1,634$2,087$2,195
9 Berks County $1,086
$1,237
$1,575$1,937$2,085
10 Lancaster County $1,102
$1,220
$1,526$1,980$2,020
11 Cumberland County $1,058
$1,212
$1,493$1,920$1,977
12 Dauphin County $1,058
$1,212
$1,493$1,920$1,977
13 Perry County $1,058
$1,212
$1,493$1,920$1,977
14 Pike County $1,143
$1,205
$1,496$2,063$2,510
15 Centre County $1,187
$1,194
$1,406$1,760$1,862
16 Monroe County $1,085
$1,165
$1,529$1,974$2,203
17 Franklin County $1,014
$1,119
$1,379$1,825$1,991
18 Lebanon County $1,035
$1,112
$1,411$1,797$1,959
19 Adams County $1,006
$1,099
$1,374$1,834$1,939
20 Allegheny County $1,001
$1,077
$1,299$1,661$1,789
21 Beaver County $1,001
$1,077
$1,299$1,661$1,789
22 Butler County $1,001
$1,077
$1,299$1,661$1,789
23 Fayette County $1,001
$1,077
$1,299$1,661$1,789
24 Washington County $1,001
$1,077
$1,299$1,661$1,789
25 Westmoreland County $1,001
$1,077
$1,299$1,661$1,789
26 York County $925
$1,060
$1,335$1,796$1,850
27 Montour County $946
$1,046
$1,372$1,873$2,061
28 Lackawanna County $863
$1,028
$1,252$1,631$1,766
29 Luzerne County $863
$1,028
$1,252$1,631$1,766
30 Wyoming County $863
$1,028
$1,252$1,631$1,766
31 Lycoming County $824
$995
$1,195$1,586$1,737
32 Blair County $802
$948
$1,138$1,458$1,705
33 Erie County $836
$945
$1,212$1,499$1,683
34 Columbia County $786
$941
$1,140$1,367$1,572
35 Wayne County $824
$927
$1,132$1,417$1,899
36 Union County $728
$913
$1,001$1,392$1,679
37 Snyder County $770
$894
$1,059$1,321$1,566
38 Forest County $708
$888
$973$1,236$1,632
39 Indiana County $763
$851
$981$1,329$1,510
40 Cambria County $840
$846
$1,035$1,431$1,484
41 Bradford County $838
$844
$1,066$1,341$1,522
42 Northumberland County $671
$843
$973$1,241$1,288
43 Greene County $830
$835
$1,096$1,314$1,451
44 Somerset County $830
$835
$973$1,307$1,469
45 Huntingdon County $790
$833
$973$1,320$1,632
46 McKean County $708
$832
$973$1,219$1,447
47 Tioga County $725
$826
$1,051$1,362$1,405
48 Elk County $708
$825
$973$1,283$1,288
49 Warren County $809
$814
$973$1,304$1,363
50 Susquehanna County $760
$805
$1,045$1,342$1,409
51 Mercer County $704
$792
$996$1,385$1,538
52 Crawford County $723
$787
$973$1,306$1,476
53 Mifflin County $770
$786
$973$1,283$1,288
54 Schuylkill County $727
$786
$1,030$1,341$1,409
55 Lawrence County $705
$780
$1,023$1,423$1,610
56 Clearfield County $721
$779
$975$1,289$1,293
57 Clinton County $770
$775
$995$1,258$1,669
58 Sullivan County $708
$775
$973$1,353$1,595
59 Jefferson County $671
$768
$973$1,197$1,379
60 Armstrong County $691
$767
$1,002$1,300$1,399
61 Clarion County $757
$762
$973$1,182$1,632
62 Fulton County $708
$751
$973$1,167$1,548
63 Cameron County $714
$748
$981$1,179$1,453
64 Bedford County $677
$742
$973$1,226$1,476
65 Juniata County $680
$742
$973$1,250$1,478
66 Potter County $708
$742
$973$1,223$1,352
67 Venango County $671
$742
$973$1,221$1,393

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the average rent in Pennsylvania? ▼
The average FY 2026 Fair Market Rent for a 1-bedroom in Pennsylvania is $996 per month. A 2-bedroom averages $1,225.
How does Pennsylvania rent compare to the national average? ▼
Pennsylvania rents are 4% above the national average. A 1-bedroom here averages $996 vs $959 nationally.
Where is the cheapest rent in Pennsylvania? ▼
The most affordable county is Bedford County with a 1-bedroom FMR of $742. The most expensive is Philadelphia County at $1,520.
What income do I need to afford rent in Pennsylvania? ▼
Based on the 30% affordability rule, you need at least $39,840/year ($3,320/month) to afford the average 1-bedroom FMR in Pennsylvania.

Explore Pennsylvania rent data

Rent burden → Rent growth → Cheapest counties → Most expensive counties → National rent-burden rankings → Affordability calculator →

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

What this means for renters

Treat Pennsylvania's FY2026 average Fair Market Rent as HUD's affordability benchmark, not a single market quote.

  • Budget to roughly 30% of income: the FY2026 average 1-bedroom FMR of $996 implies about $39,840/yr to rent without being cost-burdened. Run your numbers
  • Pennsylvania's counties vary widely around this average -- compare specific counties before assuming this figure applies to yours. View county rankings
  • See where Pennsylvania 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 state-level average across 67 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.

Related

Browse all counties → | Rankings →
Data sourced from HUD Fair Market Rents and U.S. Census Bureau ACS data. See our methodology for details. Source: U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Fair Market Rent data (huduser.gov). Median household income and homeownership rate: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (census.gov/programs-surveys/acs).

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.