HUD Fair Market Rent · FY 2026 · effective Oct 1, 2025 to Sep 30, 2026
Fair Market Rent in Northwest Arctic Borough, Alaska (FY 2026)
A two-bedroom in Northwest Arctic Borough carries a FY 2026 Fair Market Rent of $1,930 a month, effective October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026. Everything Section 8 pays in Northwest Arctic keys off that figure.
2 bedroom FMR
$1,930
FY 2026, utilities included
Payment standard range
$1,737 to $2,123
90% to 110% of FMR
Income to afford 2BR
$77,200
per year, at 30% of income
Rank in Alaska
4th of 30
by 2BR FMR
HUD has already published FY 2027. On October 1, 2026 the two-bedroom rate in Northwest Arctic moves to $2,005. That's up 4%. The full FY 2027 table is in the history section below.
HUD's number is one input. What does a two-bedroom in Northwest Arctic actually rent for?
Search any address in Northwest Arctic 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 | $1,331 | $1,198 to $1,464 | $53,240 | $25.60/hr | +3.2% |
| 1 bedroom | $1,471 | $1,324 to $1,618 | $58,840 | $28.29/hr | +2.6% |
| 2 bedroom | $1,930 | $1,737 to $2,123 | $77,200 | $37.12/hr | +2.6% |
| 3 bedroom | $2,547 | $2,292 to $2,802 | $101,880 | $48.98/hr | -0.5% |
| 4 bedroom | $2,676 | $2,408 to $2,944 | $107,040 | $51.46/hr | -10.0% |
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 | $3,077 | $2,769 to $3,385 |
| 6 bedroom Estimate | $3,479 | $3,131 to $3,827 |
| 7 bedroom Estimate | $3,880 | $3,492 to $4,268 |
| 8 bedroom Estimate | $4,282 | $3,854 to $4,710 |
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 Northwest Arctic Borough the five published rates run from $1,331 to $2,676, studio through four bedrooms.
Northwest Arctic is a nonmetro borough, so HUD sets its FMR from rents in the borough itself rather than a wider metro. The number applies borough-wide, from Buckland on out.
The state median two-bedroom FMR is $1,424. Northwest Arctic comes in at $1,930, about 36% above that, and ranks 4th of 30 in Alaska. Against the national median county ($1,018) it's about 90% above. Population is around 7,682.
Rates by ZIP code
HUD also publishes Small Area FMRs for the 11 ZIP codes it covers in Northwest Arctic. Two-bedroom rates run from $1,700 in 99727 (Buckland) to $2,010 in 99749 (Kiana), a $310 spread inside one borough. Whether your housing authority uses the ZIP rate or the borough 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 $1,737 and $2,123. 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 $77,200 a year to afford $1,930 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% ($1,737) | HAP at 100% ($1,930) | HAP at 110% ($2,123) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $2,500 | $750 | $987 | $1,180 | $1,373 |
| $4,000 | $1,200 | $537 | $730 | $923 |
Rate history
The two-bedroom rate went up 3% from FY 2025 ($1,881) to FY 2026 ($1,930). Since FY 2020 it's up 37% in total, about 5.3% 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 | $1,205 | $1,213 | $1,412 | $1,906 | $1,913 | — |
| FY 2021 | $1,115 | $1,122 | $1,385 | $1,871 | $1,878 | -1.9% |
| FY 2022 | $1,015 | $1,161 | $1,528 | $2,064 | $2,072 | +10.3% |
| FY 2023 | $1,150 | $1,307 | $1,720 | $2,302 | $2,311 | +12.6% |
| FY 2024 | $1,277 | $1,434 | $1,884 | $2,611 | $2,881 | +9.5% |
| FY 2025 | $1,290 | $1,434 | $1,881 | $2,560 | $2,973 | -0.2% |
| FY 2026 | $1,331 | $1,471 | $1,930 | $2,547 | $2,676 | +2.6% |
| FY 2027 | $1,396 | $1,651 | $2,005 | $2,389 | $2,635 | +3.9% |
Nearby counties
Nome Census Area
$1,533199 mi · pop 10,018
North Slope Borough
$1,625248 mi · pop 10,924
Yukon-Koyukuk Census Area
$1,126265 mi · pop 5,355
Kusilvak Census Area
$973340 mi · pop 8,372
Denali Borough
$1,187387 mi · pop 2,101
Fairbanks North Star Borough
$1,676395 mi · pop 96,299
Bethel Census Area
$1,938432 mi · pop 18,538
Matanuska-Susitna Borough
$1,376480 mi · pop 108,661
Questions people ask
$1,930 a month for FY 2026, which runs October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026. The other rates are $1,331 for a studio, $1,471 for one bedroom, $2,547 for three and $2,676 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 Northwest Arctic actually go for?
HUD's number is one input. Search any address in Northwest Arctic for a rent estimate built from nearby comps. 3 free searches, no card.
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