HUD Fair Market Rent · FY 2026 · Effective Oct 1, 2025 to Sep 30, 2026
Fair Market Rent in Santa Cruz County, California (FY 2026)
HUD's FY 2026 Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom in Santa Cruz County is $4,214 a month. That's the number the housing authority starts from when it sets Section 8 payment standards here.
Two-bedroom FMR
$4,214
-0.2% from FY 2025
Payment standard
$3,793–$4,635
90% to 110% of the FMR, two-bedroom
Income to afford
$168,560
a year, with rent at 30% of income
Rank in California
1st of 58
by two-bedroom FMR, highest first
HUD has already published FY 2027. On October 1, 2026 the two-bedroom rate in Santa Cruz moves to $4,254. That's up 1%. 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 | $3,179 | $2,861–$3,497 | $127,160 | $61.13/hr | +4.0% |
| 1 bedroom | $3,298 | $2,968–$3,628 | $131,920 | $63.42/hr | +2.4% |
| 2 bedroom | $4,214 | $3,793–$4,635 | $168,560 | $81.04/hr | -0.2% |
| 3 bedroom | $5,377 | $4,839–$5,915 | $215,080 | $103.40/hr | +2.3% |
| 4 bedroom | $5,659 | $5,093–$6,225 | $226,360 | $108.83/hr | +1.0% |
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 | $6,508 | $5,857–$7,159 |
| 6 bedroom Estimate | $7,357 | $6,621–$8,093 |
| 7 bedroom Estimate | $8,206 | $7,385–$9,027 |
| 8 bedroom Estimate | $9,054 | $8,149–$9,959 |
Source: HUD Office of Policy Development and Research, FY 2026 Fair Market Rents. Rents include utilities. huduser.gov
Market check
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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 Santa Cruz somewhere between $3,793 and $4,635. 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.
$4,214 a month is affordable, by HUD's 30% rule, on an income of roughly $168,560 a year. Put another way, $81 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%$3,793 | Voucher pays at 100%$4,214 | Voucher pays at 110%$4,635 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $2,500 | $750 | $3,043 | $3,464 | $3,885 |
| $4,000 | $1,200 | $2,593 | $3,014 | $3,435 |
Rate history
The two-bedroom rate went down 0% from FY 2025 ($4,223) to FY 2026 ($4,214). Since FY 2020 it's up 67% in total, about 9.0% 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 | $1,641 | $1,913 | $2,519 | $3,342 | $3,746 | — |
| FY 2021 | $1,993 | $2,292 | $3,021 | $3,947 | $4,419 | +19.9% |
| FY 2022 | $2,085 | $2,385 | $3,138 | $4,000 | $4,458 | +3.9% |
| FY 2023 | $2,212 | $2,502 | $3,293 | $4,077 | $4,568 | +4.9% |
| FY 2024 | $2,849 | $3,085 | $4,054 | $5,000 | $5,504 | +23.1% |
| FY 2025 | $3,056 | $3,221 | $4,223 | $5,256 | $5,605 | +4.2% |
| FY 2026In effect | $3,179 | $3,298 | $4,214 | $5,377 | $5,659 | -0.2% |
| FY 2027From Oct 1, 2026 | $3,230 | $3,390 | $4,254 | $5,531 | $5,748 | +0.9% |
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 Santa Cruz, that runs from $3,179 for a studio up to $5,659 for four bedrooms, all five rates in the table above.
Santa Cruz is its own HUD metro area (Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA), so the rate here is set from rents inside the county rather than a wider region.
Among California's 58 counties, Santa Cruz ranks 1st for two-bedroom FMR. That's about 150% above the state median of $1,687 and about 314% above the national median county at $1,018. About 268,571 people live here, 25th in the state.
Rates by ZIP code
Zoom in and the picture changes. HUD's Small Area FMRs put a two-bedroom at $3,440 in 95076 (Watsonville) and $5,230 in 95060 (Santa Cruz), with the 21 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 95001 | Aptos | $4,210 | -0.1% |
| 95003 | Aptos | $4,810 | +14.1% |
| 95005 | Ben Lomond | $4,430 | +5.1% |
| 95006 | Boulder Creek | $4,240 | +0.6% |
| 95007 | Brookdale | $4,370 | +3.7% |
| 95010 | Capitola | $4,360 | +3.5% |
| 95017 | Davenport | $4,800 | +13.9% |
| 95018 | Felton | $4,520 | +7.3% |
| 95019 | Freedom | $3,810 | -9.6% |
| 95041 | Mount Hermon | $4,520 | +7.3% |
| 95060 | Santa Cruz | $5,230 | +24.1% |
| 95061 | Santa Cruz | $4,210 | -0.1% |
| 95062 | Santa Cruz | $4,940 | +17.2% |
| 95063 | Santa Cruz | $4,210 | -0.1% |
| 95064 | Santa Cruz | $3,810 | -9.6% |
| 95065 | Santa Cruz | $4,800 | +13.9% |
| 95066 | Scotts Valley | $4,550 | +8.0% |
| 95067 | Scotts Valley | $4,210 | -0.1% |
| 95073 | Soquel | $4,300 | +2.0% |
| 95076 | Watsonville | $3,440 | -18.4% |
| 95077 | Watsonville | $4,210 | -0.1% |
Nearby counties
Two-bedroom FMR, with how each compares to Santa Cruz.
Santa Clara County
21 mi · 1,916,831 people
$3,483
-17%
San Mateo County
40 mi · 754,250 people
$3,604
-14%
Monterey County
41 mi · 437,609 people
$2,684
-36%
San Benito County
42 mi · 64,753 people
$2,902
-31%
Alameda County
52 mi · 1,663,823 people
$2,912
-31%
San Francisco County
57 mi · 851,036 people
$3,604
-14%
Contra Costa County
63 mi · 1,162,648 people
$2,912
-31%
Stanislaus County
71 mi · 552,063 people
$1,758
-58%
Questions people ask
$4,214 a month for FY 2026, which runs October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026. The other rates are $3,179 for a studio, $3,298 for one bedroom, $5,377 for three and $5,659 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 Santa Cruz actually go for?
HUD's number is one input. Search any address in Santa Cruz for a rent estimate built from nearby comps. 3 free searches, no card.
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