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.
Two-bedroom FMR
$1,130
+6.3% from FY 2025
Payment standard
$1,017–$1,243
90% to 110% of the FMR, two-bedroom
Income to afford
$45,200
a year, with rent at 30% of income
Rank in Alaska
27th of 30
by two-bedroom FMR, highest first
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.
FY 2026 Fair Market Rents
Payment standard is the 90% to 110% band a housing authority can set. Income needed puts rent at 30% of gross income, and the hourly wage assumes a 40-hour week.
| Bedrooms | FMR | Payment standard | Income needed | Hourly wage | vs FY 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Studio | $810 | $729–$891 | $32,400 | $15.58/hr | +6.9% |
| 1 bedroom | $930 | $837–$1,023 | $37,200 | $17.88/hr | +12.2% |
| 2 bedroom | $1,130 | $1,017–$1,243 | $45,200 | $21.73/hr | +6.3% |
| 3 bedroom | $1,572 | $1,415–$1,729 | $62,880 | $30.23/hr | +10.6% |
| 4 bedroom | $1,896 | $1,706–$2,086 | $75,840 | $36.46/hr | +13.1% |
Five to eight 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–$2,398 |
| 6 bedroom Estimate | $2,465 | $2,219–$2,712 |
| 7 bedroom Estimate | $2,749 | $2,474–$3,024 |
| 8 bedroom Estimate | $3,034 | $2,731–$3,337 |
Source: HUD Office of Policy Development and Research, FY 2026 Fair Market Rents. Rents include utilities. huduser.gov
Market check
HUD's number is one input. What does a two-bedroom in Copper River actually rent for?
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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 renting at the payment standard. The tenant pays 30% of monthly income and the voucher covers the rest.
| Monthly household income | Tenant pays (30%) | Voucher pays at 90%$1,017 | Voucher pays at 100%$1,130 | Voucher pays 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.
| Fiscal 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 2026In effect | $810 | $930 | $1,130 | $1,572 | $1,896 | +6.3% |
| FY 2027From Oct 1, 2026 | $838 | $966 | $1,157 | $1,602 | $1,934 | +2.4% |
About this rate
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.
Nearby counties
Two-bedroom FMR, with how each compares to Copper River.
Chugach Census Area
99 mi · 7,000 people
$1,506
+33%
Southeast Fairbanks Census Area
138 mi · 6,888 people
$1,313
+16%
Matanuska-Susitna Borough
150 mi · 108,661 people
$1,376
+22%
Anchorage Municipality
180 mi · 290,674 people
$1,631
+44%
Denali Borough
184 mi · 2,101 people
$1,187
+5%
Fairbanks North Star Borough
210 mi · 96,299 people
$1,676
+48%
Kenai Peninsula Borough
220 mi · 59,235 people
$1,312
+16%
Yakutat City and Borough
241 mi · 564 people
$1,388
+23%
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
Any ZIP code's Small Area FMR by bedroom count
Section 8 rent calculator
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
The income a household needs for a given rent
What does a rental in Copper River actually go for?
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