HUD Fair Market Rent · FY 2027 · Effective Oct 1, 2026 to Sep 30, 2027
Fair Market Rent in Boulder County, Colorado (FY 2027)
HUD's FY 2027 Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom in Boulder County is $2,033 a month. That's the number the housing authority starts from when it sets Section 8 payment standards here.
Two-bedroom FMR
$2,033
-4.3% from FY 2026
Payment standard
$1,830–$2,236
90% to 110% of the FMR, two-bedroom
Income to afford
$81,320
a year, with rent at 30% of income
Rank in Colorado
15th of 64
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 | $1,520 | $1,368–$1,672 | $60,800 | $29.23/hr | -2.1% |
| 1 bedroom | $1,735 | $1,562–$1,909 | $69,400 | $33.37/hr | -3.3% |
| 2 bedroom | $2,033 | $1,830–$2,236 | $81,320 | $39.10/hr | -4.3% |
| 3 bedroom | $2,703 | $2,433–$2,973 | $108,120 | $51.98/hr | -4.1% |
| 4 bedroom | $3,146 | $2,831–$3,461 | $125,840 | $60.50/hr | -2.9% |
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 | $3,618 | $3,256–$3,980 |
| 6 bedroom Estimate | $4,090 | $3,681–$4,499 |
| 7 bedroom Estimate | $4,562 | $4,106–$5,018 |
| 8 bedroom Estimate | $5,034 | $4,531–$5,537 |
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 Boulder actually rent for?
Search any address in Boulder 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 Boulder somewhere between $1,830 and $2,236. 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.
$2,033 a month is affordable, by HUD's 30% rule, on an income of roughly $81,320 a year. Put another way, $39 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%$1,830 | Voucher pays at 100%$2,033 | Voucher pays at 110%$2,236 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $2,500 | $750 | $1,080 | $1,283 | $1,486 |
| $4,000 | $1,200 | $630 | $833 | $1,036 |
Rate history
The two-bedroom rate went down 4% from FY 2026 ($2,124) to FY 2027 ($2,033). Since FY 2020 it's up 18% in total, about 2.4% a year. The Colorado median moved up 10% over the same year.
| Fiscal year | Studio | 1 BR | 2 BR | 3 BR | 4 BR | 2BR change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY 2020 | $1,273 | $1,412 | $1,717 | $2,381 | $2,686 | — |
| FY 2021 | $1,279 | $1,428 | $1,724 | $2,360 | $2,721 | +0.4% |
| FY 2022 | $1,284 | $1,449 | $1,748 | $2,352 | $2,786 | +1.4% |
| FY 2023 | $1,397 | $1,578 | $1,911 | $2,541 | $3,005 | +9.3% |
| FY 2024 | $1,585 | $1,823 | $2,217 | $2,898 | $3,394 | +16.0% |
| FY 2025 | $1,466 | $1,702 | $2,059 | $2,704 | $3,092 | -7.1% |
| FY 2026 | $1,553 | $1,795 | $2,124 | $2,820 | $3,239 | +3.2% |
| FY 2027In effect | $1,520 | $1,735 | $2,033 | $2,703 | $3,146 | -4.3% |
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 2027 that's October 1, 2026 through September 30, 2027. In Boulder, that runs from $1,520 for a studio up to $3,146 for four bedrooms, all five rates in the table above.
Boulder is its own HUD metro area (Boulder, CO), so the rate here is set from rents inside the county rather than a wider region.
Among Colorado's 64 counties, Boulder ranks 15th for two-bedroom FMR. That's about 48% above the state median of $1,375 and about 91% above the national median county at $1,063. About 328,961 people live here, 9th in the state.
Rates by ZIP code
Zoom in and the picture changes. HUD's Small Area FMRs put a two-bedroom at $1,920 in 80466 (Nederland) and $2,420 in 80038 (Broomfield), with the 26 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 80020 | Broomfield | $2,410 | +18.5% |
| 80025 | Eldorado Springs | $2,270 | +11.7% |
| 80026 | Lafayette | $2,160 | +6.2% |
| 80027 | Louisville | $2,360 | +16.1% |
| 80038 | Broomfield | $2,420 | +19.0% |
| 80301 | Boulder | $2,170 | +6.7% |
| 80302 | Boulder | $2,140 | +5.3% |
| 80303 | Boulder | $2,120 | +4.3% |
| 80304 | Boulder | $2,230 | +9.7% |
| 80305 | Boulder | $2,390 | +17.6% |
| 80306 | Boulder | $2,030 | -0.1% |
| 80307 | Boulder | $2,030 | -0.1% |
| 80308 | Boulder | $2,030 | -0.1% |
| 80309 | Boulder | $2,030 | -0.1% |
| 80310 | Boulder | $2,150 | +5.8% |
| 80314 | Boulder | $2,033County rate | — |
| 80455 | Jamestown | $2,160 | +6.2% |
| 80466 | Nederland | $1,920 | -5.6% |
| 80471 | Pinecliffe | $2,030 | -0.1% |
| 80481 | Ward | $2,050 | +0.8% |
| 80501 | Longmont | $1,920 | -5.6% |
| 80502 | Longmont | $2,030 | -0.1% |
| 80503 | Longmont | $1,960 | -3.6% |
| 80510 | Allenspark | $1,920 | -5.6% |
| 80533 | Hygiene | $2,030 | -0.1% |
| 80540 | Lyons | $2,270 | +11.7% |
| 80544 | Niwot | $2,030 | -0.1% |
Nearby counties
Two-bedroom FMR, with how each compares to Boulder.
Broomfield County
15 mi · 76,304 people
$2,169
+7%
Gilpin County
19 mi · 5,901 people
$2,169
+7%
Jefferson County
26 mi · 579,377 people
$2,169
+7%
Adams County
27 mi · 530,225 people
$2,169
+7%
Denver County
28 mi · 718,877 people
$2,169
+7%
Clear Creek County
30 mi · 9,262 people
$2,169
+7%
Larimer County
35 mi · 367,368 people
$1,759
-13%
Grand County
37 mi · 15,895 people
$1,844
-9%
Questions people ask
$2,033 a month for FY 2027, which runs October 1, 2026 through September 30, 2027. The other rates are $1,520 for a studio, $1,735 for one bedroom, $2,703 for three and $3,146 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 Boulder actually go for?
HUD's number is one input. Search any address in Boulder for a rent estimate built from nearby comps. Free to start, no card.
Free tier. No credit card.