HUD Fair Market Rent · FY 2026 · effective Oct 1, 2025 to Sep 30, 2026
Fair Market Rent in Santa Cruz County, Arizona (FY 2026)
HUD's FY 2026 Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom in Santa Cruz County is $1,129 a month. That's the number the housing authority starts from when it sets Section 8 payment standards here.
2 bedroom FMR
$1,129
FY 2026, utilities included
Payment standard range
$1,016 to $1,242
90% to 110% of FMR
Income to afford 2BR
$45,160
per year, at 30% of income
Rank in Arizona
15th of 15
by 2BR FMR
HUD has already published FY 2027. On October 1, 2026 the two-bedroom rate in Santa Cruz moves to $1,041. That's down 8%. The full FY 2027 table is in the history section below.
HUD's number is one input. What does a two-bedroom in Santa Cruz actually rent for?
Search any address in Santa Cruz 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 | $778 | $700 to $856 | $31,120 | $14.96/hr | +1.8% |
| 1 bedroom | $860 | $774 to $946 | $34,400 | $16.54/hr | +1.3% |
| 2 bedroom | $1,129 | $1,016 to $1,242 | $45,160 | $21.71/hr | +1.3% |
| 3 bedroom | $1,570 | $1,413 to $1,727 | $62,800 | $30.19/hr | +0.6% |
| 4 bedroom | $1,615 | $1,454 to $1,777 | $64,600 | $31.06/hr | +2.9% |
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 | $1,857 | $1,671 to $2,043 |
| 6 bedroom Estimate | $2,100 | $1,890 to $2,310 |
| 7 bedroom Estimate | $2,342 | $2,108 to $2,576 |
| 8 bedroom Estimate | $2,584 | $2,326 to $2,842 |
Source: HUD Office of Policy Development and Research, FY 2026 Fair Market Rents. Rents include utilities. huduser.gov
Fair Market Rent is HUD's estimate of what a modest, decent unit rents for in an area, utilities included. It's set once a year and runs October to September. For FY 2026 that's October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026. In Santa Cruz, that runs from $778 for a studio up to $1,615 for four bedrooms, all five rates in the table above.
Because Santa Cruz sits outside any HUD metro area, its rate is a county-wide figure built from local rents. One number covers every address in the county, Nogales included.
Among Arizona's 15 counties, Santa Cruz ranks 15th for two-bedroom FMR. That's about 17% below the state median of $1,365 and about 11% above the national median county at $1,018. About 47,838 people live here, 12th in the state.
Rates by ZIP code
Zoom in and the picture changes. HUD's Small Area FMRs put a two-bedroom at $1,050 in 85621 (Nogales) and $1,690 in 85646 (Tubac), with the 9 ZIP codes in between. Housing authorities in HUD-designated metros use those ZIP rates instead of the county rate. Everywhere else the ZIP numbers show where rents actually sit, and the county rate stays the official standard.
What a voucher pays here
The voucher doesn't pay the FMR itself. It pays the payment standard. Housing authorities set it anywhere from 90% to 110% of FMR, which puts a two-bedroom standard in Santa Cruz somewhere between $1,016 and $1,242. The tenant pays roughly 30% of their income, the voucher covers the rest up to the standard, and the PHA won't approve a rent above what comparable unassisted units get.
$1,129 a month is affordable, by HUD's 30% rule, on an income of roughly $45,160 a year. Put another way, $22 an hour full time.
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% ($1,016) | HAP at 100% ($1,129) | HAP at 110% ($1,242) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $2,500 | $750 | $266 | $379 | $492 |
| $4,000 | $1,200 | $0 | $0 | $42 |
Rate history
The two-bedroom rate went up 1% from FY 2025 ($1,114) to FY 2026 ($1,129). Since FY 2020 it's up 50% in total, about 7.0% a year. The Arizona median moved down 1% over the same year.
| Year | Studio | 1 BR | 2 BR | 3 BR | 4 BR | 2BR change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY 2020 | $533 | $571 | $752 | $1,015 | $1,019 | — |
| FY 2021 | $557 | $598 | $788 | $1,065 | $1,069 | +4.8% |
| FY 2022 | $574 | $643 | $846 | $1,143 | $1,147 | +7.4% |
| FY 2023 | $605 | $688 | $905 | $1,240 | $1,245 | +7.0% |
| FY 2024 | $693 | $778 | $1,022 | $1,440 | $1,472 | +12.9% |
| FY 2025 | $764 | $849 | $1,114 | $1,561 | $1,570 | +9.0% |
| FY 2026 | $778 | $860 | $1,129 | $1,570 | $1,615 | +1.3% |
| FY 2027 | $725 | $796 | $1,041 | $1,441 | $1,485 | -7.8% |
Nearby counties
Pima County
$1,40244 mi · pop 1,042,393
Cochise County
$1,25758 mi · pop 125,504
Pinal County
$1,839103 mi · pop 433,338
Graham County
$1,244112 mi · pop 38,453
Gila County
$1,479142 mi · pop 53,419
Greenlee County
$1,158148 mi · pop 9,483
Maricopa County
$1,839150 mi · pop 4,430,871
Yuma County
$1,382218 mi · pop 204,374
Questions people ask
$1,129 a month for FY 2026, which runs October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026. The other rates are $778 for a studio, $860 for one bedroom, $1,570 for three and $1,615 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 Santa Cruz actually go for?
HUD's number is one input. Search any address in Santa Cruz for a rent estimate built from nearby comps. 3 free searches, no card.
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