HUD Fair Market Rent · FY 2026 · effective Oct 1, 2025 to Sep 30, 2026
Fair Market Rent in Kern County, California (FY 2026)
$1,483 a month. That's HUD's FY 2026 Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom in Kern County, and it's the baseline every voucher in Kern is measured against.
2 bedroom FMR
$1,483
FY 2026, utilities included
Payment standard range
$1,335 to $1,631
90% to 110% of FMR
Income to afford 2BR
$59,320
per year, at 30% of income
Rank in California
44th of 58
by 2BR FMR
HUD has already published FY 2027. On October 1, 2026 the two-bedroom rate in Kern moves to $1,656. That's up 12%. The full FY 2027 table is in the history section below.
HUD's number is one input. What does a two-bedroom in Kern actually rent for?
Search any address in Kern 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 | $1,132 | $1,019 to $1,245 | $45,280 | $21.77/hr | +7.0% |
| 1 bedroom | $1,140 | $1,026 to $1,254 | $45,600 | $21.92/hr | +7.1% |
| 2 bedroom | $1,483 | $1,335 to $1,631 | $59,320 | $28.52/hr | +7.5% |
| 3 bedroom | $2,062 | $1,856 to $2,268 | $82,480 | $39.65/hr | +6.6% |
| 4 bedroom | $2,488 | $2,239 to $2,737 | $99,520 | $47.85/hr | +7.4% |
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 | $2,861 | $2,575 to $3,147 |
| 6 bedroom Estimate | $3,234 | $2,911 to $3,557 |
| 7 bedroom Estimate | $3,608 | $3,247 to $3,969 |
| 8 bedroom Estimate | $3,981 | $3,583 to $4,379 |
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 Kern, that runs from $1,132 for a studio up to $2,488 for four bedrooms, all five rates in the table above.
Kern is its own HUD metro area (Bakersfield-Delano, CA), so the rate here is set from rents inside the county rather than a wider region.
Among California's 58 counties, Kern ranks 44th for two-bedroom FMR. That's about 12% below the state median of $1,687 and about 46% above the national median county at $1,018. About 906,883 people live here, 11th in the state.
Rates by ZIP code
Zoom in and the picture changes. HUD's Small Area FMRs put a two-bedroom at $1,250 in 93205 (Bodfish) and $2,430 in 93252 (Maricopa), with the 64 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 93203 | Arvin | $1,350 | -9.0% |
| 93205 | Bodfish | $1,250 | -15.7% |
| 93206 | Buttonwillow | $1,280 | -13.7% |
| 93215 | Delano | $1,350 | -9.0% |
| 93216 | Delano | $1,483County rate | — |
| 93220 | Edison | $1,480 | -0.2% |
| 93222 | Pine Mountain Club | $2,050 | +38.2% |
| 93224 | Fellows | $1,540 | +3.8% |
| 93225 | Frazier Park | $1,970 | +32.8% |
| 93226 | Glennville | $1,490 | +0.5% |
| 93238 | Kernville | $1,290 | -13.0% |
| 93240 | Lake Isabella | $1,320 | -11.0% |
| 93241 | Lamont | $1,250 | -15.7% |
| 93243 | Lebec | $2,070 | +39.6% |
| 93249 | Lost Hills | $1,250 | -15.7% |
| 93250 | Mc Farland | $1,340 | -9.6% |
| 93251 | Mc Kittrick | $1,250 | -15.7% |
| 93252 | Maricopa | $2,430 | +63.9% |
| 93255 | Onyx | $1,250 | -15.7% |
| 93263 | Shafter | $1,490 | +0.5% |
| 93268 | Taft | $1,250 | -15.7% |
| 93276 | Tupman | $1,250 | -15.7% |
| 93280 | Wasco | $1,250 | -15.7% |
| 93283 | Weldon | $1,250 | -15.7% |
| 93285 | Wofford Heights | $1,320 | -11.0% |
| 93287 | Woody | $1,480 | -0.2% |
| 93301 | Bakersfield | $1,330 | -10.3% |
| 93302 | Bakersfield | $1,480 | -0.2% |
| 93303 | Bakersfield | $1,480 | -0.2% |
| 93304 | Bakersfield | $1,430 | -3.6% |
| 93305 | Bakersfield | $1,350 | -9.0% |
| 93306 | Bakersfield | $1,520 | +2.5% |
| 93307 | Bakersfield | $1,390 | -6.3% |
| 93308 | Bakersfield | $1,580 | +6.5% |
| 93309 | Bakersfield | $1,620 | +9.2% |
| 93311 | Bakersfield | $2,140 | +44.3% |
| 93312 | Bakersfield | $2,220 | +49.7% |
| 93313 | Bakersfield | $2,220 | +49.7% |
| 93314 | Bakersfield | $2,220 | +49.7% |
| 93380 | Bakersfield | $1,480 | -0.2% |
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 Kern somewhere between $1,335 and $1,631. 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.
$1,483 a month is affordable, by HUD's 30% rule, on an income of roughly $59,320 a year. Put another way, $29 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% ($1,335) | HAP at 100% ($1,483) | HAP at 110% ($1,631) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $2,500 | $750 | $585 | $733 | $881 |
| $4,000 | $1,200 | $135 | $283 | $431 |
Rate history
The two-bedroom rate went up 7% from FY 2025 ($1,380) to FY 2026 ($1,483). Since FY 2020 it's up 57% in total, about 7.8% 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 | $711 | $726 | $946 | $1,365 | $1,624 | — |
| FY 2021 | $734 | $743 | $970 | $1,388 | $1,679 | +2.5% |
| FY 2022 | $763 | $772 | $1,013 | $1,439 | $1,734 | +4.4% |
| FY 2023 | $863 | $869 | $1,137 | $1,616 | $1,937 | +12.2% |
| FY 2024 | $960 | $967 | $1,258 | $1,773 | $2,135 | +10.6% |
| FY 2025 | $1,058 | $1,064 | $1,380 | $1,934 | $2,317 | +9.7% |
| FY 2026 | $1,132 | $1,140 | $1,483 | $2,062 | $2,488 | +7.5% |
| FY 2027 | $1,265 | $1,273 | $1,656 | $2,293 | $2,768 | +11.7% |
Nearby counties
Tulare County
$1,47469 mi · pop 473,446
Ventura County
$2,69377 mi · pop 842,009
Kings County
$1,46984 mi · pop 152,515
Santa Barbara County
$3,12488 mi · pop 445,213
Los Angeles County
$2,60191 mi · pop 9,936,690
Inyo County
$1,514103 mi · pop 18,829
San Luis Obispo County
$2,512110 mi · pop 281,712
Fresno County
$1,664111 mi · pop 1,008,280
Questions people ask
$1,483 a month for FY 2026, which runs October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026. The other rates are $1,132 for a studio, $1,140 for one bedroom, $2,062 for three and $2,488 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 Kern actually go for?
HUD's number is one input. Search any address in Kern for a rent estimate built from nearby comps. 3 free searches, no card.
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