HUD Fair Market Rent · FY 2027 · Effective Oct 1, 2026 to Sep 30, 2027
Fair Market Rent in Santa Cruz County, Arizona (FY 2027)
HUD's FY 2027 Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom in Santa Cruz County is $1,041 a month. That's the number the housing authority starts from when it sets Section 8 payment standards here.
Two-bedroom FMR
$1,041
-7.8% from FY 2026
Payment standard
$937–$1,145
90% to 110% of the FMR, two-bedroom
Income to afford
$41,640
a year, with rent at 30% of income
Rank in Arizona
14th of 15
by two-bedroom FMR, highest first
FY 2027 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 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Studio | $725 | $653–$798 | $29,000 | $13.94/hr | -6.8% |
| 1 bedroom | $796 | $716–$876 | $31,840 | $15.31/hr | -7.4% |
| 2 bedroom | $1,041 | $937–$1,145 | $41,640 | $20.02/hr | -7.8% |
| 3 bedroom | $1,441 | $1,297–$1,585 | $57,640 | $27.71/hr | -8.2% |
| 4 bedroom | $1,485 | $1,337–$1,634 | $59,400 | $28.56/hr | -8.0% |
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 | $1,708 | $1,537–$1,879 |
| 6 bedroom Estimate | $1,931 | $1,738–$2,124 |
| 7 bedroom Estimate | $2,153 | $1,938–$2,368 |
| 8 bedroom Estimate | $2,376 | $2,138–$2,614 |
Source: HUD Office of Policy Development and Research, FY 2027 Fair Market Rents. Rents include utilities. huduser.gov
Market check
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.
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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 $937 and $1,145. 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.
$1,041 a month is affordable, by HUD's 30% rule, on an income of roughly $41,640 a year. Put another way, $20 an hour full time.
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%$937 | Voucher pays at 100%$1,041 | Voucher pays at 110%$1,145 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $2,500 | $750 | $187 | $291 | $395 |
| $4,000 | $1,200 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
Rate history
The two-bedroom rate went down 8% from FY 2026 ($1,129) to FY 2027 ($1,041). Since FY 2020 it's up 38% in total, about 4.8% a year. The Arizona median moved down 9% over the same year.
| Fiscal 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 2027In effect | $725 | $796 | $1,041 | $1,441 | $1,485 | -7.8% |
About this rate
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 2027 that's October 1, 2026 through September 30, 2027. In Santa Cruz, that runs from $725 for a studio up to $1,485 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 14th for two-bedroom FMR. That's about 16% below the state median of $1,244 and about 2% below the national median county at $1,063. About 48,926 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 $1,020 in 85621 (Nogales) and $1,560 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.
Nearby counties
Two-bedroom FMR, with how each compares to Santa Cruz.
Pima County
44 mi · 1,060,490 people
$1,405
+35%
Cochise County
58 mi · 125,566 people
$1,153
+11%
Pinal County
103 mi · 469,006 people
$1,734
+67%
Graham County
112 mi · 39,232 people
$1,159
+11%
Gila County
142 mi · 53,795 people
$1,380
+33%
Greenlee County
148 mi · 9,409 people
$1,043
same rate
Maricopa County
150 mi · 4,559,748 people
$1,734
+67%
Yuma County
218 mi · 211,741 people
$1,244
+20%
Questions people ask
$1,041 a month for FY 2027, which runs October 1, 2026 through September 30, 2027. The other rates are $725 for a studio, $796 for one bedroom, $1,441 for three and $1,485 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 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. Free to start, no card.
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