HUD Fair Market Rent · FY 2026 · effective Oct 1, 2025 to Sep 30, 2026
Fair Market Rent in Bethel Census Area, Alaska (FY 2026)
A two-bedroom in Bethel Census Area carries a FY 2026 Fair Market Rent of $1,938 a month, effective October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026. Everything Section 8 pays in Bethel keys off that figure.
2 bedroom FMR
$1,938
FY 2026, utilities included
Payment standard range
$1,744 to $2,132
90% to 110% of FMR
Income to afford 2BR
$77,520
per year, at 30% of income
Rank in Alaska
3rd of 30
by 2BR FMR
HUD has already published FY 2027. On October 1, 2026 the two-bedroom rate in Bethel moves to $1,971. That's up 2%. The full FY 2027 table is in the history section below.
HUD's number is one input. What does a two-bedroom in Bethel actually rent for?
Search any address in Bethel for a rent estimate built from nearby comps, with the HUD figure right next to it.
FY 2026 Fair Market Rents
| Bedrooms | FMR | Payment standard | Income needed | Hourly wage | vs FY 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Studio | $1,688 | $1,519 to $1,857 | $67,520 | $32.46/hr | +2.9% |
| 1 bedroom | $1,719 | $1,547 to $1,891 | $68,760 | $33.06/hr | +4.2% |
| 2 bedroom | $1,938 | $1,744 to $2,132 | $77,520 | $37.27/hr | +2.0% |
| 3 bedroom | $2,324 | $2,092 to $2,556 | $92,960 | $44.69/hr | +1.5% |
| 4 bedroom | $2,566 | $2,309 to $2,823 | $102,640 | $49.35/hr | +1.9% |
5 to 8 bedrooms (PropMetrics estimates)
HUD stops at four bedrooms. These add 15% of the four-bedroom rent per extra bedroom. It's our estimate, not a HUD number.
| Bedrooms | Estimated FMR | Payment standard |
|---|---|---|
| 5 bedroom Estimate | $2,951 | $2,656 to $3,246 |
| 6 bedroom Estimate | $3,336 | $3,002 to $3,670 |
| 7 bedroom Estimate | $3,721 | $3,349 to $4,093 |
| 8 bedroom Estimate | $4,106 | $3,695 to $4,517 |
Source: HUD Office of Policy Development and Research, FY 2026 Fair Market Rents. Rents include utilities. huduser.gov
HUD sets Fair Market Rent once a year, based on what typical units in the area actually rent for, with utilities folded in. FY 2026 runs October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026, and in Bethel Census Area the five published rates run from $1,688 to $2,566, studio through four bedrooms.
Bethel is a nonmetro census area, so HUD sets its FMR from rents in the census area itself rather than a wider metro. The number applies census area-wide, from Kongiganak on out.
The state median two-bedroom FMR is $1,424. Bethel comes in at $1,938, about 36% above that, and ranks 3rd of 30 in Alaska. Against the national median county ($1,018) it's about 90% above. Population is around 18,538.
Rates by ZIP code
HUD also publishes Small Area FMRs for the 27 ZIP codes it covers in Bethel. Two-bedroom rates run from $1,710 in 99551 (Akiachak) to $2,000 in 99559 (Bethel), a $290 spread inside one census area. Whether your housing authority uses the ZIP rate or the census area rate depends on whether HUD has designated this area for Small Area FMRs. Ask the PHA which one it's on before you price a unit.
| ZIP | City | 2BR rate | vs county |
|---|---|---|---|
| 99545 | Kongiganak | $1,940 | +0.1% |
| 99551 | Akiachak | $1,710 | -11.8% |
| 99552 | Akiak | $1,940 | +0.1% |
| 99557 | Aniak | $1,820 | -6.1% |
| 99559 | Bethel | $2,000 | +3.2% |
| 99561 | Chefornak | $1,940 | +0.1% |
| 99575 | Crooked Creek | $1,820 | -6.1% |
| 99578 | Eek | $1,940 | +0.1% |
| 99589 | Goodnews Bay | $1,940 | +0.1% |
| 99607 | Kalskag | $1,940 | +0.1% |
| 99609 | Kasigluk | $1,710 | -11.8% |
| 99614 | Kipnuk | $1,940 | +0.1% |
| 99621 | Kwethluk | $1,710 | -11.8% |
| 99622 | Kwigillingok | $1,940 | +0.1% |
| 99626 | Lower Kalskag | $1,940 | +0.1% |
| 99630 | Mekoryuk | $1,940 | +0.1% |
| 99634 | Napakiak | $1,940 | +0.1% |
| 99637 | Toksook Bay | $1,940 | +0.1% |
| 99641 | Nunapitchuk | $1,710 | -11.8% |
| 99651 | Platinum | $1,940 | +0.1% |
| 99655 | Quinhagak | $1,940 | +0.1% |
| 99656 | Red Devil | $1,820 | -6.1% |
| 99668 | Sleetmute | $1,820 | -6.1% |
| 99679 | Tuluksak | $1,940 | +0.1% |
| 99680 | Tuntutuliak | $1,940 | +0.1% |
| 99681 | Tununak | $1,940 | +0.1% |
| 99690 | Nightmute | $1,940 | +0.1% |
What a voucher pays here
The FMR isn't the check you'd receive. Your local housing authority turns it into a payment standard, set between 90% and 110% of FMR, so a two-bedroom here lands between $1,744 and $2,132. Subtract about 30% of the tenant's income and that's the housing assistance payment. If you ask more than similar unassisted units rent for, the PHA's rent reasonableness check will push back.
At the standard 30% of income, a household needs about $77,520 a year to afford $1,938 a month. On a 40-hour week that's $37 an hour.
Worked example for a two-bedroom, assuming the rent equals the payment standard. Tenant pays 30% of monthly income, HUD's housing assistance payment covers the rest.
| Monthly household income | Tenant pays (30%) | HAP at 90% ($1,744) | HAP at 100% ($1,938) | HAP at 110% ($2,132) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $2,500 | $750 | $994 | $1,188 | $1,382 |
| $4,000 | $1,200 | $544 | $738 | $932 |
Rate history
The two-bedroom rate went up 2% from FY 2025 ($1,900) to FY 2026 ($1,938). Since FY 2020 it's up 15% in total, about 2.3% a year. The Alaska median moved up 1% over the same year.
| Year | Studio | 1 BR | 2 BR | 3 BR | 4 BR | 2BR change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY 2020 | $1,234 | $1,483 | $1,688 | $2,104 | $2,287 | — |
| FY 2021 | $1,146 | $1,407 | $1,614 | $2,008 | $2,189 | -4.4% |
| FY 2022 | $1,242 | $1,362 | $1,698 | $2,099 | $2,547 | +5.2% |
| FY 2023 | $1,417 | $1,426 | $1,819 | $2,214 | $2,444 | +7.1% |
| FY 2024 | $1,587 | $1,597 | $1,957 | $2,366 | $2,710 | +7.6% |
| FY 2025 | $1,640 | $1,650 | $1,900 | $2,289 | $2,519 | -2.9% |
| FY 2026 | $1,688 | $1,719 | $1,938 | $2,324 | $2,566 | +2.0% |
| FY 2027 | $1,738 | $1,811 | $1,971 | $2,348 | $2,590 | +1.7% |
Nearby counties
Kusilvak Census Area
$973125 mi · pop 8,372
Dillingham Census Area
$1,247156 mi · pop 4,854
Bristol Bay Borough
$1,243221 mi · pop 854
Lake and Peninsula Borough
$1,030246 mi · pop 999
Nome Census Area
$1,533286 mi · pop 10,018
Kodiak Island Borough
$2,075372 mi · pop 13,065
Kenai Peninsula Borough
$1,312377 mi · pop 59,235
Anchorage Municipality
$1,631390 mi · pop 290,674
Questions people ask
$1,938 a month for FY 2026, which runs October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026. The other rates are $1,688 for a studio, $1,719 for one bedroom, $2,324 for three and $2,566 for four.
Tools for this county
Fair Market Rent lookup
Look up any ZIP code's Small Area FMR by bedroom count.
Section 8 rent calculator
Work out the payment standard and tenant share for a specific rent.
What is Fair Market Rent?
How HUD calculates FMR and what it means for landlords.
Rent affordability calculator
See what income a household needs for a given rent.
What does a rental in Bethel actually go for?
HUD's number is one input. Search any address in Bethel for a rent estimate built from nearby comps. 3 free searches, no card.
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