HUD Fair Market Rent · FY 2026 · effective Oct 1, 2025 to Sep 30, 2026
Fair Market Rent in San Benito County, California (FY 2026)
HUD's FY 2026 Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom in San Benito County is $2,902 a month. That's the number the housing authority starts from when it sets Section 8 payment standards here.
2 bedroom FMR
$2,902
FY 2026, utilities included
Payment standard range
$2,612 to $3,192
90% to 110% of FMR
Income to afford 2BR
$116,080
per year, at 30% of income
Rank in California
11th of 58
by 2BR FMR
HUD has already published FY 2027. On October 1, 2026 the two-bedroom rate in San Benito moves to $3,004. 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 San Benito actually rent for?
Search any address in San Benito 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 | $2,205 | $1,985 to $2,426 | $88,200 | $42.40/hr | +22.6% |
| 1 bedroom | $2,212 | $1,991 to $2,433 | $88,480 | $42.54/hr | +10.7% |
| 2 bedroom | $2,902 | $2,612 to $3,192 | $116,080 | $55.81/hr | +10.6% |
| 3 bedroom | $3,944 | $3,550 to $4,338 | $157,760 | $75.85/hr | +7.9% |
| 4 bedroom | $4,190 | $3,771 to $4,609 | $167,600 | $80.58/hr | +3.6% |
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 | $4,819 | $4,337 to $5,301 |
| 6 bedroom Estimate | $5,447 | $4,902 to $5,992 |
| 7 bedroom Estimate | $6,076 | $5,468 to $6,684 |
| 8 bedroom Estimate | $6,704 | $6,034 to $7,374 |
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 San Benito, that runs from $2,205 for a studio up to $4,190 for four bedrooms, all five rates in the table above.
San Benito is its own HUD metro area (San Benito County, CA), so the rate here is set from rents inside the county rather than a wider region.
Among California's 58 counties, San Benito ranks 11th for two-bedroom FMR. That's about 72% above the state median of $1,687 and about 185% above the national median county at $1,018. About 64,753 people live here, 42nd in the state.
Rates by ZIP code
Zoom in and the picture changes. HUD's Small Area FMRs put a two-bedroom at $2,370 in 95043 (Paicines) and $4,350 in 95075 (Tres Pinos), with the 5 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.
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 San Benito somewhere between $2,612 and $3,192. 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.
$2,902 a month is affordable, by HUD's 30% rule, on an income of roughly $116,080 a year. Put another way, $56 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% ($2,612) | HAP at 100% ($2,902) | HAP at 110% ($3,192) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $2,500 | $750 | $1,862 | $2,152 | $2,442 |
| $4,000 | $1,200 | $1,412 | $1,702 | $1,992 |
Rate history
The two-bedroom rate went up 11% from FY 2025 ($2,623) to FY 2026 ($2,902). Since FY 2020 it's up 70% in total, about 9.2% 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 | $1,290 | $1,298 | $1,710 | $2,467 | $3,002 | — |
| FY 2021 | $1,200 | $1,270 | $1,674 | $2,396 | $2,898 | -2.1% |
| FY 2022 | $1,096 | $1,253 | $1,649 | $2,342 | $2,822 | -1.5% |
| FY 2023 | $1,441 | $1,637 | $2,155 | $3,063 | $3,671 | +30.7% |
| FY 2024 | $1,707 | $1,917 | $2,519 | $3,550 | $4,121 | +16.9% |
| FY 2025 | $1,799 | $1,999 | $2,623 | $3,655 | $4,046 | +4.1% |
| FY 2026 | $2,205 | $2,212 | $2,902 | $3,944 | $4,190 | +10.6% |
| FY 2027 | $2,279 | $2,296 | $3,004 | $4,160 | $4,555 | +3.5% |
Nearby counties
Monterey County
$2,68424 mi · pop 437,609
Santa Cruz County
$4,21442 mi · pop 268,571
Santa Clara County
$3,48351 mi · pop 1,916,831
Merced County
$1,50353 mi · pop 282,290
Stanislaus County
$1,75862 mi · pop 552,063
San Mateo County
$3,60477 mi · pop 754,250
San Joaquin County
$1,74282 mi · pop 779,445
Alameda County
$2,91283 mi · pop 1,663,823
Questions people ask
$2,902 a month for FY 2026, which runs October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026. The other rates are $2,205 for a studio, $2,212 for one bedroom, $3,944 for three and $4,190 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 San Benito actually go for?
HUD's number is one input. Search any address in San Benito for a rent estimate built from nearby comps. 3 free searches, no card.
Free tier. No credit card.