HUD Fair Market Rent · FY 2026 · effective Oct 1, 2025 to Sep 30, 2026
Fair Market Rent in San Mateo County, California (FY 2026)
HUD's FY 2026 Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom in San Mateo County is $3,604 a month. That's the number the housing authority starts from when it sets Section 8 payment standards here.
2 bedroom FMR
$3,604
FY 2026, utilities included
Payment standard range
$3,244 to $3,964
90% to 110% of FMR
Income to afford 2BR
$144,160
per year, at 30% of income
Rank in California
4th of 58
by 2BR FMR
HUD has already published FY 2027. On October 1, 2026 the two-bedroom rate in San Mateo moves to $3,697. That's up 3%. The full FY 2027 table is in the history section below.
HUD's number is one input. What does a two-bedroom in San Mateo actually rent for?
Search any address in San Mateo 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 | $2,485 | $2,237 to $2,734 | $99,400 | $47.79/hr | +9.2% |
| 1 bedroom | $2,977 | $2,679 to $3,275 | $119,080 | $57.25/hr | +7.1% |
| 2 bedroom | $3,604 | $3,244 to $3,964 | $144,160 | $69.31/hr | +8.6% |
| 3 bedroom | $4,604 | $4,144 to $5,064 | $184,160 | $88.54/hr | +11.3% |
| 4 bedroom | $4,772 | $4,295 to $5,249 | $190,880 | $91.77/hr | +8.5% |
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 | $5,488 | $4,939 to $6,037 |
| 6 bedroom Estimate | $6,204 | $5,584 to $6,824 |
| 7 bedroom Estimate | $6,919 | $6,227 to $7,611 |
| 8 bedroom Estimate | $7,635 | $6,872 to $8,399 |
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 Mateo, that runs from $2,485 for a studio up to $4,772 for four bedrooms, all five rates in the table above.
This is a metro rate. The county doesn't get one of its own. HUD lumps San Mateo in with 2 other counties in the San Francisco metro, San Francisco County, Marin County among them, and every one of them gets $3,604 for a two-bedroom. Where you are inside the metro doesn't change the county number. It does change the ZIP number, covered below.
Among California's 58 counties, San Mateo ranks 4th for two-bedroom FMR. That's about 114% above the state median of $1,687 and about 254% above the national median county at $1,018. About 754,250 people live here, 15th in the state.
Counties sharing the San Francisco metro rate
Rates by ZIP code
Zoom in and the picture changes. HUD's Small Area FMRs put a two-bedroom at $2,990 in 94014 (Daly City) and $5,010 in 94404 (San Mateo), with the 36 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 94002 | Belmont | $3,950 | +9.6% |
| 94005 | Brisbane | $3,470 | -3.7% |
| 94010 | Burlingame | $3,660 | +1.6% |
| 94011 | Burlingame | $3,870 | +7.4% |
| 94014 | Daly City | $2,990 | -17.0% |
| 94015 | Daly City | $3,750 | +4.1% |
| 94016 | Daly City | $3,604County rate | — |
| 94017 | Daly City | $3,870 | +7.4% |
| 94018 | El Granada | $3,270 | -9.3% |
| 94019 | Half Moon Bay | $3,170 | -12.0% |
| 94020 | La Honda | $4,030 | +11.8% |
| 94021 | Loma Mar | $3,870 | +7.4% |
| 94025 | Menlo Park | $4,210 | +16.8% |
| 94026 | Menlo Park | $3,870 | +7.4% |
| 94027 | Atherton | $4,080 | +13.2% |
| 94028 | Portola Valley | $3,820 | +6.0% |
| 94030 | Millbrae | $4,380 | +21.5% |
| 94037 | Montara | $4,090 | +13.5% |
| 94038 | Moss Beach | $3,170 | -12.0% |
| 94044 | Pacifica | $4,090 | +13.5% |
| 94060 | Pescadero | $3,870 | +7.4% |
| 94061 | Redwood City | $3,800 | +5.4% |
| 94062 | Redwood City | $3,770 | +4.6% |
| 94063 | Redwood City | $3,700 | +2.7% |
| 94064 | Redwood City | $3,870 | +7.4% |
| 94065 | Redwood City | $4,380 | +21.5% |
| 94066 | San Bruno | $3,520 | -2.3% |
| 94070 | San Carlos | $3,950 | +9.6% |
| 94074 | San Gregorio | $3,480 | -3.4% |
| 94080 | South San Francisco | $3,530 | -2.1% |
| 94083 | South San Francisco | $3,870 | +7.4% |
| 94128 | San Francisco | $3,870 | +7.4% |
| 94303 | Palo Alto | $3,300 | -8.4% |
| 94401 | San Mateo | $3,420 | -5.1% |
| 94402 | San Mateo | $4,520 | +25.4% |
| 94403 | San Mateo | $4,440 | +23.2% |
| 94404 | San Mateo | $5,010 | +39.0% |
| 94497 | San Mateo | $3,604County rate | — |
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 Mateo somewhere between $3,244 and $3,964. 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.
$3,604 a month is affordable, by HUD's 30% rule, on an income of roughly $144,160 a year. Put another way, $69 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% ($3,244) | HAP at 100% ($3,604) | HAP at 110% ($3,964) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $2,500 | $750 | $2,494 | $2,854 | $3,214 |
| $4,000 | $1,200 | $2,044 | $2,404 | $2,764 |
Rate history
The two-bedroom rate went up 9% from FY 2025 ($3,318) to FY 2026 ($3,604). Since FY 2020 it's up 8% in total, about 1.3% 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 | $2,197 | $2,720 | $3,339 | $4,365 | $4,657 | — |
| FY 2021 | $2,350 | $2,923 | $3,553 | $4,567 | $4,970 | +6.4% |
| FY 2022 | $2,115 | $2,631 | $3,198 | $4,111 | $4,473 | -10.0% |
| FY 2023 | $2,156 | $2,665 | $3,188 | $3,912 | $4,283 | -0.3% |
| FY 2024 | $2,292 | $2,818 | $3,359 | $4,112 | $4,473 | +5.4% |
| FY 2025 | $2,275 | $2,780 | $3,318 | $4,138 | $4,399 | -1.2% |
| FY 2026 | $2,485 | $2,977 | $3,604 | $4,604 | $4,772 | +8.6% |
| FY 2027 | $2,574 | $3,003 | $3,697 | $4,832 | $5,439 | +2.6% |
Nearby counties
San Francisco County
$3,60418 mi · pop 851,036
Alameda County
$2,91219 mi · pop 1,663,823
Santa Clara County
$3,48327 mi · pop 1,916,831
Contra Costa County
$2,91232 mi · pop 1,162,648
Marin County
$3,60437 mi · pop 260,485
Santa Cruz County
$4,21440 mi · pop 268,571
Solano County
$2,17853 mi · pop 450,995
Napa County
$2,77364 mi · pop 137,384
Questions people ask
$3,604 a month for FY 2026, which runs October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026. The other rates are $2,485 for a studio, $2,977 for one bedroom, $4,604 for three and $4,772 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 Mateo actually go for?
HUD's number is one input. Search any address in San Mateo for a rent estimate built from nearby comps. 3 free searches, no card.
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