HUD Fair Market Rent · FY 2026 · effective Oct 1, 2025 to Sep 30, 2026
Fair Market Rent in Lake County, California (FY 2026)
HUD's FY 2026 Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom in Lake County is $1,549 a month. That's the number the housing authority starts from when it sets Section 8 payment standards here.
2 bedroom FMR
$1,549
FY 2026, utilities included
Payment standard range
$1,394 to $1,704
90% to 110% of FMR
Income to afford 2BR
$61,960
per year, at 30% of income
Rank in California
38th of 58
by 2BR FMR
HUD has already published FY 2027. On October 1, 2026 the two-bedroom rate in Lake moves to $1,616. 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 Lake actually rent for?
Search any address in Lake 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 | $1,173 | $1,056 to $1,290 | $46,920 | $22.56/hr | +11.4% |
| 1 bedroom | $1,181 | $1,063 to $1,299 | $47,240 | $22.71/hr | +11.4% |
| 2 bedroom | $1,549 | $1,394 to $1,704 | $61,960 | $29.79/hr | +11.4% |
| 3 bedroom | $2,154 | $1,939 to $2,369 | $86,160 | $41.42/hr | +10.6% |
| 4 bedroom | $2,599 | $2,339 to $2,859 | $103,960 | $49.98/hr | +11.4% |
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 | $2,989 | $2,690 to $3,288 |
| 6 bedroom Estimate | $3,379 | $3,041 to $3,717 |
| 7 bedroom Estimate | $3,769 | $3,392 to $4,146 |
| 8 bedroom Estimate | $4,158 | $3,742 to $4,574 |
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 Lake, that runs from $1,173 for a studio up to $2,599 for four bedrooms, all five rates in the table above.
Because Lake 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, Clearlake included.
Among California's 58 counties, Lake ranks 38th for two-bedroom FMR. That's about 8% below the state median of $1,687 and about 52% above the national median county at $1,018. About 68,024 people live here, 40th in the state.
Rates by ZIP code
Zoom in and the picture changes. HUD's Small Area FMRs put a two-bedroom at $1,270 in 95435 (Finley) and $2,520 in 95461 (Middletown), with the 15 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 95422 | Clearlake | $1,460 | -5.7% |
| 95423 | Clearlake Oaks | $1,420 | -8.3% |
| 95424 | Clearlake Park | $1,550 | +0.1% |
| 95426 | Cobb | $2,010 | +29.8% |
| 95435 | Finley | $1,270 | -18.0% |
| 95443 | Glenhaven | $1,360 | -12.2% |
| 95451 | Kelseyville | $1,610 | +3.9% |
| 95453 | Lakeport | $1,270 | -18.0% |
| 95457 | Lower Lake | $2,080 | +34.3% |
| 95458 | Lucerne | $1,330 | -14.1% |
| 95461 | Middletown | $2,520 | +62.7% |
| 95464 | Nice | $1,520 | -1.9% |
| 95467 | Hidden Valley Lake | $2,320 | +49.8% |
| 95485 | Upper Lake | $1,420 | -8.3% |
| 95493 | Witter Springs | $1,460 | -5.7% |
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 Lake somewhere between $1,394 and $1,704. 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.
$1,549 a month is affordable, by HUD's 30% rule, on an income of roughly $61,960 a year. Put another way, $30 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% ($1,394) | HAP at 100% ($1,549) | HAP at 110% ($1,704) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $2,500 | $750 | $644 | $799 | $954 |
| $4,000 | $1,200 | $194 | $349 | $504 |
Rate history
The two-bedroom rate went up 11% from FY 2025 ($1,390) to FY 2026 ($1,549). Since FY 2020 it's up 52% in total, about 7.3% 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 | $662 | $773 | $1,016 | $1,466 | $1,567 | — |
| FY 2021 | $707 | $813 | $1,072 | $1,534 | $1,603 | +5.5% |
| FY 2022 | $678 | $776 | $1,021 | $1,450 | $1,544 | -4.8% |
| FY 2023 | $747 | $849 | $1,117 | $1,587 | $1,872 | +9.4% |
| FY 2024 | $928 | $964 | $1,267 | $1,785 | $2,150 | +13.4% |
| FY 2025 | $1,053 | $1,060 | $1,390 | $1,948 | $2,334 | +9.7% |
| FY 2026 | $1,173 | $1,181 | $1,549 | $2,154 | $2,599 | +11.4% |
| FY 2027 | $1,233 | $1,235 | $1,616 | $2,238 | $2,701 | +4.3% |
Nearby counties
Questions people ask
$1,549 a month for FY 2026, which runs October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026. The other rates are $1,173 for a studio, $1,181 for one bedroom, $2,154 for three and $2,599 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 Lake actually go for?
HUD's number is one input. Search any address in Lake for a rent estimate built from nearby comps. 3 free searches, no card.
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