HUD Fair Market Rent · FY 2026 · effective Oct 1, 2025 to Sep 30, 2026
Fair Market Rent in Imperial County, California (FY 2026)
A two-bedroom in Imperial County carries a FY 2026 Fair Market Rent of $1,362 a month, effective October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026. Everything Section 8 pays in Imperial keys off that figure.
2 bedroom FMR
$1,362
FY 2026, utilities included
Payment standard range
$1,226 to $1,498
90% to 110% of FMR
Income to afford 2BR
$54,480
per year, at 30% of income
Rank in California
52nd of 58
by 2BR FMR
HUD has already published FY 2027. On October 1, 2026 the two-bedroom rate in Imperial moves to $1,347. That's down 1%. The full FY 2027 table is in the history section below.
HUD's number is one input. What does a two-bedroom in Imperial actually rent for?
Search any address in Imperial 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 | $939 | $845 to $1,033 | $37,560 | $18.06/hr | -0.1% |
| 1 bedroom | $1,038 | $934 to $1,142 | $41,520 | $19.96/hr | -1.7% |
| 2 bedroom | $1,362 | $1,226 to $1,498 | $54,480 | $26.19/hr | -0.7% |
| 3 bedroom | $1,845 | $1,661 to $2,030 | $73,800 | $35.48/hr | -1.5% |
| 4 bedroom | $2,285 | $2,057 to $2,514 | $91,400 | $43.94/hr | -0.1% |
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 | $2,628 | $2,365 to $2,891 |
| 6 bedroom Estimate | $2,971 | $2,674 to $3,268 |
| 7 bedroom Estimate | $3,313 | $2,982 to $3,644 |
| 8 bedroom Estimate | $3,656 | $3,290 to $4,022 |
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 Imperial, that runs from $939 for a studio up to $2,285 for four bedrooms, all five rates in the table above.
Imperial is its own HUD metro area (El Centro, CA), so the rate here is set from rents inside the county rather than a wider region.
Among California's 58 counties, Imperial ranks 52nd for two-bedroom FMR. That's about 19% below the state median of $1,687 and about 34% above the national median county at $1,018. About 179,578 people live here, 31st in the state.
Rates by ZIP code
Zoom in and the picture changes. HUD's Small Area FMRs put a two-bedroom at $1,240 in 92222 (Bard) and $2,130 in 92331 (Fontana), with the 18 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.
| ZIP | City | 2BR rate | vs county |
|---|---|---|---|
| 92222 | Bard | $1,240 | -9.0% |
| 92227 | Brawley | $1,280 | -6.0% |
| 92231 | Calexico | $1,480 | +8.7% |
| 92232 | Calexico | $1,360 | -0.1% |
| 92233 | Calipatria | $1,240 | -9.0% |
| 92243 | El Centro | $1,350 | -0.9% |
| 92244 | El Centro | $1,360 | -0.1% |
| 92249 | Heber | $1,440 | +5.7% |
| 92250 | Holtville | $1,240 | -9.0% |
| 92251 | Imperial | $1,790 | +31.4% |
| 92257 | Niland | $1,240 | -9.0% |
| 92259 | Ocotillo | $1,620 | +18.9% |
| 92266 | Palo Verde | $1,240 | -9.0% |
| 92273 | Seeley | $1,250 | -8.2% |
| 92275 | Salton City | $1,440 | +5.7% |
| 92281 | Westmorland | $1,240 | -9.0% |
| 92283 | Winterhaven | $1,240 | -9.0% |
| 92331 | Fontana | $2,130 | +56.4% |
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 Imperial somewhere between $1,226 and $1,498. 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.
$1,362 a month is affordable, by HUD's 30% rule, on an income of roughly $54,480 a year. Put another way, $26 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% ($1,226) | HAP at 100% ($1,362) | HAP at 110% ($1,498) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $2,500 | $750 | $476 | $612 | $748 |
| $4,000 | $1,200 | $26 | $162 | $298 |
Rate history
The two-bedroom rate went down 1% from FY 2025 ($1,371) to FY 2026 ($1,362). Since FY 2020 it's up 33% in total, about 4.8% a year. The California median moved up 9% over the same year.
| Year | Studio | 1 BR | 2 BR | 3 BR | 4 BR | 2BR change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY 2020 | $669 | $781 | $1,027 | $1,365 | $1,744 | — |
| FY 2021 | $708 | $810 | $1,060 | $1,444 | $1,793 | +3.2% |
| FY 2022 | $716 | $815 | $1,065 | $1,486 | $1,793 | +0.5% |
| FY 2023 | $772 | $904 | $1,155 | $1,606 | $1,952 | +8.5% |
| FY 2024 | $872 | $1,001 | $1,286 | $1,771 | $2,138 | +11.3% |
| FY 2025 | $940 | $1,056 | $1,371 | $1,873 | $2,287 | +6.6% |
| FY 2026 | $939 | $1,038 | $1,362 | $1,845 | $2,285 | -0.7% |
| FY 2027 | $938 | $1,030 | $1,347 | $1,819 | $2,251 | -1.1% |
Nearby counties
San Diego County
$3,00188 mi · pop 3,289,701
Riverside County
$2,20197 mi · pop 2,429,487
San Bernardino County
$2,201125 mi · pop 2,180,563
Orange County
$3,236142 mi · pop 3,175,227
Los Angeles County
$2,601172 mi · pop 9,936,690
Ventura County
$2,693218 mi · pop 842,009
Kern County
$1,483242 mi · pop 906,883
Inyo County
$1,514273 mi · pop 18,829
Questions people ask
$1,362 a month for FY 2026, which runs October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026. The other rates are $939 for a studio, $1,038 for one bedroom, $1,845 for three and $2,285 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 Imperial actually go for?
HUD's number is one input. Search any address in Imperial for a rent estimate built from nearby comps. 3 free searches, no card.
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