HUD Fair Market Rent · FY 2026 · Effective Oct 1, 2025 to Sep 30, 2026
Fair Market Rent in San Luis Obispo County, California (FY 2026)
A two-bedroom in San Luis Obispo County carries a FY 2026 Fair Market Rent of $2,512 a month, effective October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026. Everything Section 8 pays in San Luis Obispo keys off that figure.
Two-bedroom FMR
$2,512
+3.2% from FY 2025
Payment standard
$2,261–$2,763
90% to 110% of the FMR, two-bedroom
Income to afford
$100,480
a year, with rent at 30% of income
Rank in California
17th of 58
by two-bedroom FMR, highest first
HUD has already published FY 2027. On October 1, 2026 the two-bedroom rate in San Luis Obispo moves to $2,720. That's up 8%. 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 | $1,732 | $1,559–$1,905 | $69,280 | $33.31/hr | +3.8% |
| 1 bedroom | $1,914 | $1,723–$2,105 | $76,560 | $36.81/hr | +3.2% |
| 2 bedroom | $2,512 | $2,261–$2,763 | $100,480 | $48.31/hr | +3.2% |
| 3 bedroom | $3,370 | $3,033–$3,707 | $134,800 | $64.81/hr | +3.7% |
| 4 bedroom | $3,861 | $3,475–$4,247 | $154,440 | $74.25/hr | +4.8% |
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 | $4,440 | $3,996–$4,884 |
| 6 bedroom Estimate | $5,019 | $4,517–$5,521 |
| 7 bedroom Estimate | $5,598 | $5,038–$6,158 |
| 8 bedroom Estimate | $6,178 | $5,560–$6,796 |
Source: HUD Office of Policy Development and Research, FY 2026 Fair Market Rents. Rents include utilities. huduser.gov
Market check
HUD's number is one input. What does a two-bedroom in San Luis Obispo actually rent for?
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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 Luis Obispo somewhere between $2,261 and $2,763. 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.
$2,512 a month is affordable, by HUD's 30% rule, on an income of roughly $100,480 a year. Put another way, $48 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%$2,261 | Voucher pays at 100%$2,512 | Voucher pays at 110%$2,763 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $2,500 | $750 | $1,511 | $1,762 | $2,013 |
| $4,000 | $1,200 | $1,061 | $1,312 | $1,563 |
Rate history
The two-bedroom rate went up 3% from FY 2025 ($2,434) to FY 2026 ($2,512). Since FY 2020 it's up 52% in total, about 7.2% 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 | $1,153 | $1,275 | $1,657 | $2,390 | $2,909 | — |
| FY 2021 | $1,166 | $1,263 | $1,665 | $2,383 | $2,877 | +0.5% |
| FY 2022 | $1,308 | $1,436 | $1,890 | $2,685 | $3,047 | +13.5% |
| FY 2023 | $1,394 | $1,561 | $2,055 | $2,834 | $3,155 | +8.7% |
| FY 2024 | $1,541 | $1,731 | $2,274 | $3,045 | $3,465 | +10.7% |
| FY 2025 | $1,669 | $1,855 | $2,434 | $3,250 | $3,683 | +7.0% |
| FY 2026In effect | $1,732 | $1,914 | $2,512 | $3,370 | $3,861 | +3.2% |
| FY 2027From Oct 1, 2026 | $1,894 | $2,079 | $2,720 | $3,634 | $4,208 | +8.3% |
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 San Luis Obispo, that runs from $1,732 for a studio up to $3,861 for four bedrooms, all five rates in the table above.
San Luis Obispo is its own HUD metro area (San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA), so the rate here is set from rents inside the county rather than a wider region.
Among California's 58 counties, San Luis Obispo ranks 17th for two-bedroom FMR. That's about 49% above the state median of $1,687 and about 147% above the national median county at $1,018. About 281,712 people live here, 24th in the state.
Rates by ZIP code
Zoom in and the picture changes. HUD's Small Area FMRs put a two-bedroom at $2,200 in 93430 (Cayucos) and $3,350 in 93465 (Templeton), with the 35 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 93401 | San Luis Obispo | $2,900 | +15.4% |
| 93402 | Los Osos | $2,550 | +1.5% |
| 93403 | San Luis Obispo | $2,510 | -0.1% |
| 93405 | San Luis Obispo | $2,750 | +9.5% |
| 93406 | San Luis Obispo | $2,510 | -0.1% |
| 93407 | San Luis Obispo | $2,750 | +9.5% |
| 93408 | San Luis Obispo | $2,750 | +9.5% |
| 93409 | San Luis Obispo | $2,750 | +9.5% |
| 93410 | San Luis Obispo | $2,750 | +9.5% |
| 93412 | Los Osos | $2,510 | -0.1% |
| 93420 | Arroyo Grande | $2,700 | +7.5% |
| 93421 | Arroyo Grande | $2,510 | -0.1% |
| 93422 | Atascadero | $2,390 | -4.9% |
| 93423 | Atascadero | $2,510 | -0.1% |
| 93424 | Avila Beach | $2,760 | +9.9% |
| 93428 | Cambria | $2,430 | -3.3% |
| 93430 | Cayucos | $2,200 | -12.4% |
| 93432 | Creston | $2,590 | +3.1% |
| 93433 | Grover Beach | $2,500 | -0.5% |
| 93435 | Harmony | $2,510 | -0.1% |
| 93442 | Morro Bay | $2,420 | -3.7% |
| 93443 | Morro Bay | $2,510 | -0.1% |
| 93444 | Nipomo | $2,630 | +4.7% |
| 93445 | Oceano | $2,200 | -12.4% |
| 93446 | Paso Robles | $2,480 | -1.3% |
| 93447 | Paso Robles | $2,510 | -0.1% |
| 93448 | Pismo Beach | $2,510 | -0.1% |
| 93449 | Pismo Beach | $3,050 | +21.4% |
| 93451 | San Miguel | $2,690 | +7.1% |
| 93452 | San Simeon | $2,200 | -12.4% |
| 93453 | Santa Margarita | $2,440 | -2.9% |
| 93461 | Shandon | $2,380 | -5.3% |
| 93465 | Templeton | $3,350 | +33.4% |
| 93475 | Oceano | $2,510 | -0.1% |
| 93483 | Grover Beach | $2,510 | -0.1% |
Nearby counties
Two-bedroom FMR, with how each compares to San Luis Obispo.
Santa Barbara County
67 mi · 445,213 people
$3,124
+24%
Kings County
76 mi · 152,515 people
$1,469
-42%
Monterey County
95 mi · 437,609 people
$2,684
+7%
San Benito County
103 mi · 64,753 people
$2,902
+16%
Tulare County
106 mi · 473,446 people
$1,474
-41%
Kern County
110 mi · 906,883 people
$1,483
-41%
Fresno County
111 mi · 1,008,280 people
$1,664
-34%
Ventura County
120 mi · 842,009 people
$2,693
+7%
Questions people ask
$2,512 a month for FY 2026, which runs October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026. The other rates are $1,732 for a studio, $1,914 for one bedroom, $3,370 for three and $3,861 for four.
Tools for this county
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
What does a rental in San Luis Obispo actually go for?
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