HUD Fair Market Rent · FY 2027 · Effective Oct 1, 2026 to Sep 30, 2027
Fair Market Rent in Sierra County, California (FY 2027)
A two-bedroom in Sierra County carries a FY 2027 Fair Market Rent of $1,526 a month, effective October 1, 2026 through September 30, 2027. Everything Section 8 pays in Sierra keys off that figure.
Two-bedroom FMR
$1,526
-0.2% from FY 2026
Payment standard
$1,373–$1,679
90% to 110% of the FMR, two-bedroom
Income to afford
$61,040
a year, with rent at 30% of income
Rank in California
41st of 58
by two-bedroom FMR, highest first
FY 2027 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 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Studio | $1,063 | $957–$1,169 | $42,520 | $20.44/hr | -0.5% |
| 1 bedroom | $1,167 | $1,050–$1,284 | $46,680 | $22.44/hr | +0.2% |
| 2 bedroom | $1,526 | $1,373–$1,679 | $61,040 | $29.35/hr | -0.2% |
| 3 bedroom | $2,113 | $1,902–$2,324 | $84,520 | $40.63/hr | -0.6% |
| 4 bedroom | $2,522 | $2,270–$2,774 | $100,880 | $48.50/hr | -0.2% |
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 | $2,900 | $2,610–$3,190 |
| 6 bedroom Estimate | $3,279 | $2,951–$3,607 |
| 7 bedroom Estimate | $3,657 | $3,291–$4,023 |
| 8 bedroom Estimate | $4,035 | $3,632–$4,439 |
Source: HUD Office of Policy Development and Research, FY 2027 Fair Market Rents. Rents include utilities. huduser.gov
Market check
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.
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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 Sierra somewhere between $1,373 and $1,679. 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.
$1,526 a month is affordable, by HUD's 30% rule, on an income of roughly $61,040 a year. Put another way, $29 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%$1,373 | Voucher pays at 100%$1,526 | Voucher pays at 110%$1,679 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $2,500 | $750 | $623 | $776 | $929 |
| $4,000 | $1,200 | $173 | $326 | $479 |
Rate history
The two-bedroom rate went down 0% from FY 2026 ($1,529) to FY 2027 ($1,526). Since FY 2020 it's up 20% in total, about 2.7% a year. The California median moved up 2% over the same year.
| Fiscal 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 2027In effect | $1,063 | $1,167 | $1,526 | $2,113 | $2,522 | -0.2% |
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 2027 that's October 1, 2026 through September 30, 2027. In Sierra, that runs from $1,063 for a studio up to $2,522 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 12% below the state median of $1,725 and about 44% above the national median county at $1,063. About 2,746 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.
Nearby counties
Two-bedroom FMR, with how each compares to Sierra.
Nevada County
22 mi · 102,481 people
$1,885
+24%
Plumas County
28 mi · 19,423 people
$1,422
-7%
Yuba County
41 mi · 84,507 people
$1,600
+5%
Placer County
42 mi · 419,156 people
$2,201
+44%
El Dorado County
54 mi · 192,662 people
$2,201
+44%
Butte County
55 mi · 207,929 people
$1,509
-1%
Lassen County
65 mi · 30,356 people
$1,248
-18%
Sutter County
67 mi · 98,857 people
$1,600
+5%
Questions people ask
$1,526 a month for FY 2027, which runs October 1, 2026 through September 30, 2027. The other rates are $1,063 for a studio, $1,167 for one bedroom, $2,113 for three and $2,522 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 Sierra actually go for?
HUD's number is one input. Search any address in Sierra for a rent estimate built from nearby comps. Free to start, no card.
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