HUD Fair Market Rent · FY 2026 · effective Oct 1, 2025 to Sep 30, 2026
Fair Market Rent in Copper River Census Area, Alaska (FY 2026)
$1,130 a month. That's HUD's FY 2026 Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom in Copper River Census Area, and it's the baseline every voucher in Copper River is measured against.
2 bedroom FMR
$1,130
FY 2026, utilities included
Payment standard range
$1,017 to $1,243
90% to 110% of FMR
Income to afford 2BR
$45,200
per year, at 30% of income
Rank in Alaska
27th of 30
by 2BR FMR
HUD has already published FY 2027. On October 1, 2026 the two-bedroom rate in Copper River moves to $1,157. 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 Copper River actually rent for?
Search any address in Copper River 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 | $810 | $729 to $891 | $32,400 | $15.58/hr | +6.9% |
| 1 bedroom | $930 | $837 to $1,023 | $37,200 | $17.88/hr | +12.2% |
| 2 bedroom | $1,130 | $1,017 to $1,243 | $45,200 | $21.73/hr | +6.3% |
| 3 bedroom | $1,572 | $1,415 to $1,729 | $62,880 | $30.23/hr | +10.6% |
| 4 bedroom | $1,896 | $1,706 to $2,086 | $75,840 | $36.46/hr | +13.1% |
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 | $2,180 | $1,962 to $2,398 |
| 6 bedroom Estimate | $2,465 | $2,219 to $2,712 |
| 7 bedroom Estimate | $2,749 | $2,474 to $3,024 |
| 8 bedroom Estimate | $3,034 | $2,731 to $3,337 |
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 Copper River Census Area the five published rates run from $810 to $1,896, studio through four bedrooms.
Copper River 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 Chitina on out.
The state median two-bedroom FMR is $1,424. Copper River comes in at $1,130, about 21% below that, and ranks 27th of 30 in Alaska. Against the national median county ($1,018) it's about 11% above. Population is around 2,614.
Rates by ZIP code
HUD also publishes Small Area FMRs for the 4 ZIP codes it covers in Copper River. Two-bedroom rates run from $970 in 99566 (Chitina) to $1,250 in 99588 (Glennallen), a $280 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.
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 $1,017 and $1,243. 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 $45,200 a year to afford $1,130 a month. On a 40-hour week that's $22 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% ($1,017) | HAP at 100% ($1,130) | HAP at 110% ($1,243) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $2,500 | $750 | $267 | $380 | $493 |
| $4,000 | $1,200 | $0 | $0 | $43 |
Rate history
The two-bedroom rate went up 6% from FY 2025 ($1,063) to FY 2026 ($1,130). Since FY 2023 it's up 3% in total, about -1.1% 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 2023 | $781 | $889 | $1,168 | $1,518 | $1,990 | — |
| FY 2024 | $832 | $906 | $1,181 | $1,545 | $1,806 | +1.1% |
| FY 2025 | $758 | $829 | $1,063 | $1,421 | $1,676 | -10.0% |
| FY 2026 | $810 | $930 | $1,130 | $1,572 | $1,896 | +6.3% |
| FY 2027 | $838 | $966 | $1,157 | $1,602 | $1,934 | +2.4% |
Nearby counties
Chugach Census Area
$1,50699 mi · pop 7,000
Southeast Fairbanks Census Area
$1,313138 mi · pop 6,888
Matanuska-Susitna Borough
$1,376150 mi · pop 108,661
Anchorage Municipality
$1,631180 mi · pop 290,674
Denali Borough
$1,187184 mi · pop 2,101
Fairbanks North Star Borough
$1,676210 mi · pop 96,299
Kenai Peninsula Borough
$1,312220 mi · pop 59,235
Yakutat City and Borough
$1,388241 mi · pop 564
Questions people ask
$1,130 a month for FY 2026, which runs October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026. The other rates are $810 for a studio, $930 for one bedroom, $1,572 for three and $1,896 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 Copper River actually go for?
HUD's number is one input. Search any address in Copper River for a rent estimate built from nearby comps. 3 free searches, no card.
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