Rent prices by state and metro area (FY2027)
HUD’s FY2027 Fair Market Rent for a 2-bedroom averages $1,761 a month across the U.S. including utilities (+1.5% vs last year), from $1,039 in West Virginia to $2,632 in California. Compare any state or metro and check what you can afford.
U.S. average Fair Market Rent, FY2027 (rent + utilities)
$1,761/mo 2 bedrooms · ▲ 1.5% vs FY2026
Studio$1,379
1 bedroom$1,478
3 bedrooms$2,266
4 bedrooms$2,607
Rent by state (2-bedroom FMR, highest first)
1. California
1BR $2,151 · 3BR $3,457 · 49% above U.S.
2. Massachusetts
1BR $2,087 · 3BR $3,111 · 46% above U.S.
3. Hawaii
1BR $1,895 · 3BR $3,325 · 40% above U.S.
4. District of Columbia
1BR $2,204 · 3BR $3,107 · 38% above U.S.
5. New York
1BR $2,120 · 3BR $3,028 · 36% above U.S.
6. New Jersey
1BR $1,891 · 3BR $2,793 · 29% above U.S.
7. Maryland
1BR $1,801 · 3BR $2,664 · 19% above U.S.
8. Washington
1BR $1,701 · 3BR $2,728 · 16% above U.S.
9. Connecticut
1BR $1,670 · 3BR $2,480 · 15% above U.S.
10. New Hampshire
1BR $1,556 · 3BR $2,534 · 14% above U.S.
11. Florida
1BR $1,665 · 3BR $2,532 · 11% above U.S.
12. Colorado
1BR $1,606 · 3BR $2,538 · 9% above U.S.
13. Rhode Island
1BR $1,528 · 3BR $2,358 · 9% above U.S.
14. Virginia
1BR $1,596 · 3BR $2,326 · 2% above U.S.
15. Vermont
1BR $1,431 · 3BR $2,247 · 1% above U.S.
16. Delaware
1BR $1,407 · 3BR $2,128 · 2% below U.S.
17. Illinois
1BR $1,489 · 3BR $2,220 · 2% below U.S.
18. Maine
1BR $1,362 · 3BR $2,215 · 3% below U.S.
19. Oregon
1BR $1,397 · 3BR $2,315 · 4% below U.S.
20. Nevada
1BR $1,397 · 3BR $2,284 · 5% below U.S.
21. Arizona
1BR $1,361 · 3BR $2,149 · 8% below U.S.
22. Montana
1BR $1,223 · 3BR $2,086 · 13% below U.S.
23. Georgia
1BR $1,374 · 3BR $1,865 · 13% below U.S.
24. Pennsylvania
1BR $1,257 · 3BR $1,909 · 13% below U.S.
25. Alaska
1BR $1,187 · 3BR $2,070 · 14% below U.S.
26. Minnesota
1BR $1,231 · 3BR $1,980 · 14% below U.S.
27. Utah
1BR $1,231 · 3BR $2,004 · 15% below U.S.
28. Texas
1BR $1,247 · 3BR $1,939 · 16% below U.S.
29. North Carolina
1BR $1,282 · 3BR $1,823 · 18% below U.S.
30. South Carolina
1BR $1,243 · 3BR $1,715 · 21% below U.S.
31. Tennessee
1BR $1,196 · 3BR $1,771 · 22% below U.S.
32. Idaho
1BR $1,132 · 3BR $1,888 · 22% below U.S.
33. Michigan
1BR $1,101 · 3BR $1,697 · 23% below U.S.
34. Indiana
1BR $1,082 · 3BR $1,642 · 26% below U.S.
35. New Mexico
1BR $1,051 · 3BR $1,716 · 27% below U.S.
36. Ohio
1BR $1,027 · 3BR $1,603 · 28% below U.S.
37. Nebraska
1BR $1,036 · 3BR $1,659 · 28% below U.S.
38. Wisconsin
1BR $1,020 · 3BR $1,602 · 29% below U.S.
39. Missouri
1BR $1,035 · 3BR $1,631 · 29% below U.S.
40. Kansas
1BR $1,004 · 3BR $1,593 · 31% below U.S.
41. South Dakota
1BR $958 · 3BR $1,579 · 33% below U.S.
42. Alabama
1BR $1,010 · 3BR $1,500 · 34% below U.S.
43. Louisiana
1BR $973 · 3BR $1,485 · 34% below U.S.
44. Kentucky
1BR $946 · 3BR $1,500 · 34% below U.S.
45. Oklahoma
1BR $914 · 3BR $1,499 · 36% below U.S.
46. Iowa
1BR $902 · 3BR $1,475 · 37% below U.S.
47. North Dakota
1BR $911 · 3BR $1,502 · 37% below U.S.
48. Wyoming
1BR $865 · 3BR $1,478 · 38% below U.S.
49. Mississippi
1BR $928 · 3BR $1,371 · 38% below U.S.
50. Arkansas
1BR $873 · 3BR $1,414 · 40% below U.S.
51. West Virginia
1BR $840 · 3BR $1,346 · 41% below U.S.
Population-weighted average of the FY2027 2-bedroom FMRs of every county in the state. Arrow: change vs FY2026.
Biggest metro areas
1. New York, NY
9.9M people · 1BR $2,729 · 3BR $3,760
2. Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale, CA
9.8M people · 1BR $2,402 · 3BR $3,760
3. Chicago-Joliet-Naperville, IL
8.4M people · 1BR $1,780 · 3BR $2,586
4. Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX
7.0M people · 1BR $1,261 · 3BR $2,017
5. Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD
6.3M people · 1BR $1,558 · 3BR $2,216
6. Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD
6.2M people · 1BR $2,204 · 3BR $3,107
7. Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA
6.1M people · 1BR $1,619 · 3BR $2,099
8. Dallas, TX
5.4M people · 1BR $1,536 · 3BR $2,275
9. Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ
5.0M people · 1BR $1,493 · 3BR $2,287
10. Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA
4.7M people · 1BR $1,705 · 3BR $2,771
11. Detroit-Warren-Livonia, MI
4.2M people · 1BR $1,167 · 3BR $1,777
12. Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI
3.7M people · 1BR $1,427 · 3BR $2,264
13. Boston-Cambridge-Quincy, MA-NH
3.6M people · 1BR $2,518 · 3BR $3,584
14. Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL
3.3M people · 1BR $1,648 · 3BR $2,448
15. San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA
3.3M people · 1BR $2,335 · 3BR $3,743
16. Santa Ana-Anaheim-Irvine, CA
3.2M people · 1BR $2,610 · 3BR $4,153
17. Seattle-Bellevue, WA
3.1M people · 1BR $2,180 · 3BR $3,324
18. Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO
3.0M people · 1BR $1,831 · 3BR $2,846
19. Nassau-Suffolk, NY
2.9M people · 1BR $2,285 · 3BR $3,458
20. Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD
2.8M people · 1BR $1,625 · 3BR $2,509
21. Oakland-Fremont, CA
2.8M people · 1BR $2,290 · 3BR $3,592
22. Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL
2.8M people · 1BR $1,726 · 3BR $2,445
23. St. Louis, MO-IL
2.8M people · 1BR $1,104 · 3BR $1,731
24. Miami-Miami Beach-Kendall, FL
2.7M people · 1BR $2,121 · 3BR $3,277
25. Fort Worth-Arlington, TX
2.5M people · 1BR $1,481 · 3BR $2,284
Ranked by the population of the HUD FMR area. Big metros such as New York or Chicago are split by HUD into several FMR areas; each has its own page.
Most expensive metros (2-bedroom)
Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA
265K people · 1BR $3,390 · 3BR $5,531
San Francisco, CA
1.8M people · 1BR $3,003 · 3BR $4,832
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA
1.9M people · 1BR $2,778 · 3BR $4,396
Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA
444K people · 1BR $2,711 · 3BR $3,990
Santa Ana-Anaheim-Irvine, CA
3.2M people · 1BR $2,610 · 3BR $4,153
Boston-Cambridge-Quincy, MA-NH
3.6M people · 1BR $2,518 · 3BR $3,584
New York, NY
9.9M people · 1BR $2,729 · 3BR $3,760
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale, CA
9.8M people · 1BR $2,402 · 3BR $3,760
San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA
3.3M people · 1BR $2,335 · 3BR $3,743
Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA
485K people · 1BR $2,155 · 3BR $3,903
Most affordable metros (2-bedroom)
Youngstown-Warren, OH
427K people · 1BR $801 · 3BR $1,295
Huntington-Ashland, WV-KY-OH
271K people · 1BR $864 · 3BR $1,287
McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, TX
892K people · 1BR $806 · 3BR $1,305
Brownsville-Harlingen, TX
426K people · 1BR $884 · 3BR $1,393
Wichita, KS
630K people · 1BR $823 · 3BR $1,382
Shreveport-Bossier City, LA
387K people · 1BR $926 · 3BR $1,380
Canton-Massillon, OH
400K people · 1BR $827 · 3BR $1,327
Davenport-Moline-Rock Island, IA-IL
382K people · 1BR $852 · 3BR $1,396
Erie, PA
269K people · 1BR $851 · 3BR $1,350
Kingsport-Bristol, TN-VA
311K people · 1BR $845 · 3BR $1,375
Among the 204 metro FMR areas with at least 250,000 people.
Rent affordability check
Enter your income to see which U.S.-average rents fit within 30% of it. Each state and metro page has the same check with local FMRs.
Income needed for the U.S. average rent
Studio
$1,379/mo rent + utilities
$55,160/yr
$26.52/hr full-time
1 bedroom
$1,478/mo rent + utilities
$59,120/yr
$28.42/hr full-time
2 bedrooms
$1,761/mo rent + utilities
$70,440/yr
$33.87/hr full-time
3 bedrooms
$2,266/mo rent + utilities
$90,640/yr
$43.58/hr full-time
4 bedrooms
$2,607/mo rent + utilities
$104,280/yr
$50.13/hr full-time
U.S. territories
What a Fair Market Rent is (and is not)
A Fair Market Rent (FMR) is set every year by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). It is HUD’s estimate of the 40th-percentile gross rent — rent plus utilities (except phone, cable and internet) — paid by recent movers into standard-quality, non-luxury rental homes in an area. In other words, about 40% of recently rented units in the area cost less than the FMR and about 60% cost more.
FMRs are not asking rents and not the price of any specific listing. They are built from Census Bureau American Community Survey rents and updated with inflation and trend factors, so they lag the newest listings and smooth out neighborhood differences. HUD uses them to set Housing Choice Voucher (Section 8) payment standards and other program rents. Treat them as a solid, official benchmark for a typical modest rental — new listings in popular neighborhoods often cost more.
Questions & answers
What is the average rent in the U.S. in 2026?
Using HUD’s FY2027 Fair Market Rents (effective October 1, 2026), the population-weighted U.S. average for a 2-bedroom is $1,761 a month including utilities, +1.5% versus FY2026. A 1-bedroom averages $1,478 and a studio $1,379. These are 40th-percentile rents, so roughly 60% of recently rented units cost more.
Which state has the highest rent?
By FY2027 Fair Market Rents, California has the highest population-weighted 2-bedroom FMR at $2,632 a month; West Virginia has the lowest at $1,039.
How much income do I need to afford rent?
With the common 30% rule, multiply the monthly rent (including utilities) by 40 to get the yearly gross income you need. For the U.S. average 2-bedroom FMR of $1,761, that is $70,440 a year, or about $33.87 an hour full-time.
Are Fair Market Rents the same as asking rents on listing sites?
No. An FMR is HUD’s estimate of the 40th-percentile gross rent (rent plus utilities) paid by recent movers into standard-quality units, based on Census survey data that is trended forward. Listing-site asking rents usually exclude utilities and often skew toward newer, pricier units, so they tend to be higher.
When do Fair Market Rents change?
HUD publishes new FMRs once a year, effective October 1. The FY2027 FMRs were published on September 1, 2026 and took effect on October 1, 2026, unless an area requested a reevaluation.
Why is my county listed as part of a metro area?
HUD sets one FMR for each metropolitan FMR area (a metro area or a HUD-defined part of one) and one for each non-metropolitan county. Every county or town in the same FMR area shares the same FMR.
Source: HUD User, FY2027 Fair Market Rents (effective October 1, 2026; Federal Register notice), compared with FY2026 revised FMRs. HUD data is in the public domain. State and U.S. averages are Tachlis calculations weighted by each county’s population as listed in HUD’s file. HUD may revise FMRs for areas that request a reevaluation.
