HUD Fair Market Rent · FY 2026 · effective Oct 1, 2025 to Sep 30, 2026
Fair Market Rent in Merced County, California (FY 2026)
$1,503 a month. That's HUD's FY 2026 Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom in Merced County, and it's the baseline every voucher in Merced is measured against.
2 bedroom FMR
$1,503
FY 2026, utilities included
Payment standard range
$1,353 to $1,653
90% to 110% of FMR
Income to afford 2BR
$60,120
per year, at 30% of income
Rank in California
43rd of 58
by 2BR FMR
HUD has already published FY 2027. On October 1, 2026 the two-bedroom rate in Merced moves to $1,517. That's up 1%. The full FY 2027 table is in the history section below.
HUD's number is one input. What does a two-bedroom in Merced actually rent for?
Search any address in Merced 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 | $1,116 | $1,004 to $1,228 | $44,640 | $21.46/hr | +4.2% |
| 1 bedroom | $1,213 | $1,092 to $1,334 | $48,520 | $23.33/hr | -1.1% |
| 2 bedroom | $1,503 | $1,353 to $1,653 | $60,120 | $28.90/hr | -0.4% |
| 3 bedroom | $2,067 | $1,860 to $2,274 | $82,680 | $39.75/hr | -0.7% |
| 4 bedroom | $2,503 | $2,253 to $2,753 | $100,120 | $48.13/hr | -1.2% |
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 | $2,878 | $2,590 to $3,166 |
| 6 bedroom Estimate | $3,254 | $2,929 to $3,579 |
| 7 bedroom Estimate | $3,629 | $3,266 to $3,992 |
| 8 bedroom Estimate | $4,005 | $3,605 to $4,406 |
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 Merced, that runs from $1,116 for a studio up to $2,503 for four bedrooms, all five rates in the table above.
Merced is its own HUD metro area (Merced, CA), so the rate here is set from rents inside the county rather than a wider region.
Among California's 58 counties, Merced ranks 43rd for two-bedroom FMR. That's about 11% below the state median of $1,687 and about 48% above the national median county at $1,018. About 282,290 people live here, 23rd in the state.
Rates by ZIP code
Zoom in and the picture changes. HUD's Small Area FMRs put a two-bedroom at $1,360 in 93620 (Dos Palos) and $1,840 in 95348 (Merced), with the 23 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 93620 | Dos Palos | $1,360 | -9.5% |
| 93635 | Los Banos | $1,760 | +17.1% |
| 93636 | Madera | $1,740 | +15.8% |
| 93661 | Santa Rita Park | $1,500 | -0.2% |
| 93665 | South Dos Palos | $1,450 | -3.5% |
| 95301 | Atwater | $1,550 | +3.1% |
| 95303 | Ballico | $1,360 | -9.5% |
| 95312 | Cressey | $1,490 | -0.9% |
| 95315 | Delhi | $1,430 | -4.9% |
| 95317 | El Nido | $1,360 | -9.5% |
| 95322 | Gustine | $1,450 | -3.5% |
| 95324 | Hilmar | $1,810 | +20.4% |
| 95333 | Le Grand | $1,360 | -9.5% |
| 95334 | Livingston | $1,610 | +7.1% |
| 95340 | Merced | $1,400 | -6.9% |
| 95341 | Merced | $1,450 | -3.5% |
| 95343 | Merced | $1,500 | -0.2% |
| 95344 | Merced | $1,500 | -0.2% |
| 95348 | Merced | $1,840 | +22.4% |
| 95365 | Planada | $1,360 | -9.5% |
| 95369 | Snelling | $1,360 | -9.5% |
| 95374 | Stevinson | $1,360 | -9.5% |
| 95388 | Winton | $1,360 | -9.5% |
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 Merced somewhere between $1,353 and $1,653. 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.
$1,503 a month is affordable, by HUD's 30% rule, on an income of roughly $60,120 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% ($1,353) | HAP at 100% ($1,503) | HAP at 110% ($1,653) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $2,500 | $750 | $603 | $753 | $903 |
| $4,000 | $1,200 | $153 | $303 | $453 |
Rate history
The two-bedroom rate went down 0% from FY 2025 ($1,509) to FY 2026 ($1,503). Since FY 2020 it's up 59% in total, about 8.0% 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 | $651 | $782 | $947 | $1,366 | $1,652 | — |
| FY 2021 | $724 | $882 | $1,067 | $1,527 | $1,847 | +12.7% |
| FY 2022 | $766 | $914 | $1,120 | $1,591 | $1,917 | +5.0% |
| FY 2023 | $854 | $1,017 | $1,243 | $1,767 | $2,117 | +11.0% |
| FY 2024 | $994 | $1,159 | $1,420 | $1,995 | $2,410 | +14.2% |
| FY 2025 | $1,071 | $1,227 | $1,509 | $2,081 | $2,534 | +6.3% |
| FY 2026 | $1,116 | $1,213 | $1,503 | $2,067 | $2,503 | -0.4% |
| FY 2027 | $1,200 | $1,262 | $1,517 | $2,087 | $2,477 | +0.9% |
Nearby counties
Stanislaus County
$1,75830 mi · pop 552,063
Mariposa County
$1,45441 mi · pop 17,130
Madera County
$1,37643 mi · pop 157,243
San Benito County
$2,90253 mi · pop 64,753
Tuolumne County
$1,58953 mi · pop 54,993
Fresno County
$1,66461 mi · pop 1,008,280
San Joaquin County
$1,74261 mi · pop 779,445
Calaveras County
$1,54265 mi · pop 45,674
Questions people ask
$1,503 a month for FY 2026, which runs October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026. The other rates are $1,116 for a studio, $1,213 for one bedroom, $2,067 for three and $2,503 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 Merced actually go for?
HUD's number is one input. Search any address in Merced for a rent estimate built from nearby comps. 3 free searches, no card.
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