How much will Section 8 pay for rent in Los Angeles County?

Up to the housing authority's payment standard, which it sets between 90% and 110% of FMR. For a two-bedroom that's $2,341 to $2,861. The voucher covers the gap between that standard and about 30% of the tenant's income, and it never pays more than the unit would rent for without a voucher.

Why does my ZIP code show a different Fair Market Rent than Los Angeles County?

HUD publishes a second set of numbers, Small Area FMRs, for individual ZIP codes. In Los Angeles those run from $2,070 to $3,910 for a two-bedroom. Housing authorities in metros HUD has designated for Small Area FMRs use the ZIP rate. The rest use the county rate. Your PHA can tell you which one applies.

When do the next Fair Market Rents for Los Angeles County come out?

HUD usually publishes the new fiscal year's rates in late August or September, and they take effect October 1. This page updates as soon as the new California figures are loaded.

What is the FY 2027 Fair Market Rent for Los Angeles County?

$2,964 for a two-bedroom, effective October 1, 2026. Studio $2,151, one bedroom $2,402, three $3,760, four $4,208.

HUD Fair Market Rent · FY 2026 · Effective Oct 1, 2025 to Sep 30, 2026

Fair Market Rent in Los Angeles County, California (FY 2026)

A two-bedroom in Los Angeles County carries a FY 2026 Fair Market Rent of $2,601 a month, effective October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026. Everything Section 8 pays in Los Angeles keys off that figure.

Two-bedroom FMR

$2,601

-0.9% from FY 2025

Payment standard

$2,341–$2,861

90% to 110% of the FMR, two-bedroom

Income to afford

$104,040

a year, with rent at 30% of income

Rank in California

16th of 58

by two-bedroom FMR, highest first

FY 2027

HUD has already published FY 2027. On October 1, 2026 the two-bedroom rate in Los Angeles moves to $2,964. That's up 14%. The full FY 2027 table is in the history section below.

FY 2026 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 2025
Studio	$1,863	$1,677–$2,049	$74,520	$35.83/hr	+0.4%
1 bedroom	$2,085	$1,877–$2,294	$83,400	$40.10/hr	+0.2%
2 bedroom	$2,601	$2,341–$2,861	$104,040	$50.02/hr	-0.9%
3 bedroom	$3,298	$2,968–$3,628	$131,920	$63.42/hr	-1.1%
4 bedroom	$3,672	$3,305–$4,039	$146,880	$70.62/hr	-0.7%

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	$4,223	$3,801–$4,645
6 bedroom Estimate	$4,774	$4,297–$5,251
7 bedroom Estimate	$5,324	$4,792–$5,856
8 bedroom Estimate	$5,875	$5,288–$6,463

Source: HUD Office of Policy Development and Research, FY 2026 Fair Market Rents. Rents include utilities. huduser.gov

Market check

Two-bedrooms in Los Angeles are asking $3,338. HUD says $2,601.

That's 28% above the county FMR. Median asking rent across 22 Los Angeles ZIP codes with active 2BR listings. FMR includes utilities and asking rents usually don't, so the true gap is a little smaller.

Los Angeles rents by ZIP code Section 8 vs market rent, 65 metros

No card needed

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 Los Angeles somewhere between $2,341 and $2,861. 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.

$2,601 a month is affordable, by HUD's 30% rule, on an income of roughly $104,040 a year. Put another way, $50 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%$2,341	Voucher pays at 100%$2,601	Voucher pays at 110%$2,861
$2,500	$750	$1,591	$1,851	$2,111
$4,000	$1,200	$1,141	$1,401	$1,661

Run your own numbers in the Section 8 rent calculator

Rate history

The two-bedroom rate went down 1% from FY 2025 ($2,625) to FY 2026 ($2,601). Since FY 2020 it's up 33% in total, about 4.9% a year. The California median moved up 9% over the same year.

Fiscal year	Studio	1 BR	2 BR	3 BR	4 BR	2BR change
FY 2020	$1,279	$1,517	$1,956	$2,614	$2,857	—
FY 2021	$1,369	$1,605	$2,058	$2,735	$2,982	+5.2%
FY 2022	$1,384	$1,604	$2,044	$2,693	$2,933	-0.7%
FY 2023	$1,534	$1,747	$2,222	$2,888	$3,170	+8.7%
FY 2024	$1,777	$2,006	$2,544	$3,263	$3,600	+14.5%
FY 2025	$1,856	$2,081	$2,625	$3,335	$3,698	+3.2%
FY 2026In effect	$1,863	$2,085	$2,601	$3,298	$3,672	-0.9%
FY 2027From Oct 1, 2026	$2,151	$2,402	$2,964	$3,760	$4,208	+14.0%

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 2026 that's October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026. In Los Angeles, that runs from $1,863 for a studio up to $3,672 for four bedrooms, all five rates in the table above.

Los Angeles is its own HUD metro area (Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale, CA), so the rate here is set from rents inside the county rather than a wider region.

Among California's 58 counties, Los Angeles ranks 16th for two-bedroom FMR. That's about 54% above the state median of $1,687 and about 156% above the national median county at $1,018. About 9,936,690 people live here, 1st in the state.

Live asking rents in Los Angeles

The county FMR next to what landlords are asking in Los Angeles right now

Rates by ZIP code

Zoom in and the picture changes. HUD's Small Area FMRs put a two-bedroom at $2,070 in 90001 (Los Angeles) and $3,910 in 90263 (Malibu), with the 461 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
90001	Los Angeles	$2,070	-20.4%
90002	Los Angeles	$2,070	-20.4%
90003	Los Angeles	$2,070	-20.4%
90004	Los Angeles	$2,730	+5.0%
90005	Los Angeles	$2,800	+7.7%
90006	Los Angeles	$2,230	-14.3%
90007	Los Angeles	$2,070	-20.4%
90008	Los Angeles	$2,230	-14.3%
90009	Los Angeles	$2,600	-0.0%
90010	Los Angeles	$3,470	+33.4%
90011	Los Angeles	$2,070	-20.4%
90012	Los Angeles	$2,730	+5.0%
90013	Los Angeles	$2,870	+10.3%
90014	Los Angeles	$3,420	+31.5%
90015	Los Angeles	$3,900	+49.9%
90016	Los Angeles	$2,430	-6.6%
90017	Los Angeles	$3,130	+20.3%
90018	Los Angeles	$2,220	-14.6%
90019	Los Angeles	$2,580	-0.8%
90020	Los Angeles	$2,750	+5.7%
90021	Los Angeles	$2,110	-18.9%
90022	Los Angeles	$2,070	-20.4%
90023	Los Angeles	$2,070	-20.4%
90024	Los Angeles	$3,850	+48.0%
90025	Los Angeles	$3,840	+47.6%
90026	Los Angeles	$2,580	-0.8%
90027	Los Angeles	$3,080	+18.4%
90028	Los Angeles	$2,740	+5.3%
90029	Los Angeles	$2,560	-1.6%
90030	Los Angeles	$2,600	-0.0%
90031	Los Angeles	$2,070	-20.4%
90032	Los Angeles	$2,070	-20.4%
90033	Los Angeles	$2,070	-20.4%
90034	Los Angeles	$3,210	+23.4%
90035	Los Angeles	$3,500	+34.6%
90036	Los Angeles	$3,890	+49.6%
90037	Los Angeles	$2,070	-20.4%
90038	Los Angeles	$2,970	+14.2%
90039	Los Angeles	$2,800	+7.7%
90040	Los Angeles	$2,070	-20.4%

Nearby counties

Two-bedroom FMR, with how each compares to Los Angeles.

Orange County

33 mi · 3,175,227 people

$3,236

+24%

Ventura County

46 mi · 842,009 people

$2,693

+4%

San Bernardino County

72 mi · 2,180,563 people

$2,201

-15%

Riverside County

78 mi · 2,429,487 people

$2,201

-15%

Kern County

91 mi · 906,883 people

$1,483

-43%

Santa Barbara County

103 mi · 445,213 people

$3,124

+20%

San Diego County

108 mi · 3,289,701 people

$3,001

+15%

Tulare County

160 mi · 473,446 people

$1,474

-43%

Questions people ask

$2,601 a month for FY 2026, which runs October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026. The other rates are $1,863 for a studio, $2,085 for one bedroom, $3,298 for three and $3,672 for four.

Tools for this county

All California counties All states

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