HUD Fair Market Rent · FY 2026 · effective Oct 1, 2025 to Sep 30, 2026
Fair Market Rent in Sierra County, California (FY 2026)
A two-bedroom in Sierra County carries a FY 2026 Fair Market Rent of $1,529 a month, effective October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026. Everything Section 8 pays in Sierra keys off that figure.
2 bedroom FMR
$1,529
FY 2026, utilities included
Payment standard range
$1,376 to $1,682
90% to 110% of FMR
Income to afford 2BR
$61,160
per year, at 30% of income
Rank in California
41st of 58
by 2BR FMR
HUD has already published FY 2027. On October 1, 2026 the two-bedroom rate in Sierra moves to $1,526. That's unchanged. The full FY 2027 table is in the history section below.
HUD's number is one input. What does a two-bedroom in Sierra actually rent for?
Search any address in Sierra 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 | $1,068 | $961 to $1,175 | $42,720 | $20.54/hr | +6.5% |
| 1 bedroom | $1,165 | $1,049 to $1,282 | $46,600 | $22.40/hr | +5.8% |
| 2 bedroom | $1,529 | $1,376 to $1,682 | $61,160 | $29.40/hr | +5.8% |
| 3 bedroom | $2,126 | $1,913 to $2,339 | $85,040 | $40.88/hr | +5.0% |
| 4 bedroom | $2,527 | $2,274 to $2,780 | $101,080 | $48.60/hr | +5.5% |
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 | $2,906 | $2,615 to $3,197 |
| 6 bedroom Estimate | $3,285 | $2,957 to $3,614 |
| 7 bedroom Estimate | $3,664 | $3,298 to $4,030 |
| 8 bedroom Estimate | $4,043 | $3,639 to $4,447 |
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 Sierra, that runs from $1,068 for a studio up to $2,527 for four bedrooms, all five rates in the table above.
Because Sierra sits outside any HUD metro area, its rate is a county-wide figure built from local rents. One number covers every address in the county, Alleghany included.
Among California's 58 counties, Sierra ranks 41st for two-bedroom FMR. That's about 9% below the state median of $1,687 and about 50% above the national median county at $1,018. About 2,916 people live here, 57th in the state.
Rates by ZIP code
HUD also publishes Small Area FMRs by ZIP code. For the 7 ZIP codes it covers in Sierra, the two-bedroom rate is $1,530 across the board, so there's no ZIP-level story here.
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 Sierra somewhere between $1,376 and $1,682. 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.
$1,529 a month is affordable, by HUD's 30% rule, on an income of roughly $61,160 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% ($1,376) | HAP at 100% ($1,529) | HAP at 110% ($1,682) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $2,500 | $750 | $626 | $779 | $932 |
| $4,000 | $1,200 | $176 | $329 | $482 |
Rate history
The two-bedroom rate went up 6% from FY 2025 ($1,445) to FY 2026 ($1,529). Since FY 2020 it's up 20% in total, about 3.1% 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 | $858 | $975 | $1,270 | $1,825 | $2,026 | — |
| FY 2021 | $837 | $949 | $1,237 | $1,770 | $1,963 | -2.6% |
| FY 2022 | $754 | $855 | $1,114 | $1,593 | $1,767 | -9.9% |
| FY 2023 | $774 | $866 | $1,138 | $1,479 | $1,838 | +2.2% |
| FY 2024 | $911 | $1,005 | $1,321 | $1,862 | $2,168 | +16.1% |
| FY 2025 | $1,003 | $1,101 | $1,445 | $2,025 | $2,396 | +9.4% |
| FY 2026 | $1,068 | $1,165 | $1,529 | $2,126 | $2,527 | +5.8% |
| FY 2027 | $1,063 | $1,167 | $1,526 | $2,113 | $2,522 | -0.2% |
Nearby counties
Nevada County
$1,81322 mi · pop 102,322
Plumas County
$1,41128 mi · pop 19,650
Yuba County
$1,55041 mi · pop 81,705
Placer County
$2,25542 mi · pop 406,608
El Dorado County
$2,25554 mi · pop 191,713
Butte County
$1,62555 mi · pop 213,605
Lassen County
$1,27965 mi · pop 31,873
Sutter County
$1,55067 mi · pop 99,101
Questions people ask
$1,529 a month for FY 2026, which runs October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026. The other rates are $1,068 for a studio, $1,165 for one bedroom, $2,126 for three and $2,527 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 Sierra actually go for?
HUD's number is one input. Search any address in Sierra for a rent estimate built from nearby comps. 3 free searches, no card.
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