HUD Fair Market Rent · FY 2026 · effective Oct 1, 2025 to Sep 30, 2026
Fair Market Rent in Boulder County, Colorado (FY 2026)
HUD's FY 2026 Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom in Boulder County is $2,124 a month. That's the number the housing authority starts from when it sets Section 8 payment standards here.
2 bedroom FMR
$2,124
FY 2026, utilities included
Payment standard range
$1,912 to $2,336
90% to 110% of FMR
Income to afford 2BR
$84,960
per year, at 30% of income
Rank in Colorado
4th of 64
by 2BR FMR
HUD has already published FY 2027. On October 1, 2026 the two-bedroom rate in Boulder moves to $2,033. That's down 4%. The full FY 2027 table is in the history section below.
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.
FY 2026 Fair Market Rents
| Bedrooms | FMR | Payment standard | Income needed | Hourly wage | vs FY 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Studio | $1,553 | $1,398 to $1,708 | $62,120 | $29.87/hr | +5.9% |
| 1 bedroom | $1,795 | $1,616 to $1,975 | $71,800 | $34.52/hr | +5.5% |
| 2 bedroom | $2,124 | $1,912 to $2,336 | $84,960 | $40.85/hr | +3.2% |
| 3 bedroom | $2,820 | $2,538 to $3,102 | $112,800 | $54.23/hr | +4.3% |
| 4 bedroom | $3,239 | $2,915 to $3,563 | $129,560 | $62.29/hr | +4.8% |
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 | $3,725 | $3,353 to $4,098 |
| 6 bedroom Estimate | $4,211 | $3,790 to $4,632 |
| 7 bedroom Estimate | $4,697 | $4,227 to $5,167 |
| 8 bedroom Estimate | $5,182 | $4,664 to $5,700 |
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 Boulder, that runs from $1,553 for a studio up to $3,239 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 4th for two-bedroom FMR. That's about 70% above the state median of $1,247 and about 109% above the national median county at $1,018. About 328,658 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 $1,860 in 80501 (Longmont) and $2,510 in 80305 (Boulder), 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 | $2,360 | +11.1% |
| 80025 | Eldorado Springs | $2,260 | +6.4% |
| 80026 | Lafayette | $2,220 | +4.5% |
| 80027 | Louisville | $2,450 | +15.3% |
| 80038 | Broomfield | $2,350 | +10.6% |
| 80301 | Boulder | $2,280 | +7.3% |
| 80302 | Boulder | $2,260 | +6.4% |
| 80303 | Boulder | $2,300 | +8.3% |
| 80304 | Boulder | $2,320 | +9.2% |
| 80305 | Boulder | $2,510 | +18.2% |
| 80306 | Boulder | $2,120 | -0.2% |
| 80307 | Boulder | $2,120 | -0.2% |
| 80308 | Boulder | $2,120 | -0.2% |
| 80309 | Boulder | $2,120 | -0.2% |
| 80310 | Boulder | $2,290 | +7.8% |
| 80314 | Boulder | $2,124County rate | — |
| 80455 | Jamestown | $2,240 | +5.5% |
| 80466 | Nederland | $1,930 | -9.1% |
| 80471 | Pinecliffe | $2,120 | -0.2% |
| 80481 | Ward | $1,990 | -6.3% |
| 80501 | Longmont | $1,860 | -12.4% |
| 80502 | Longmont | $2,120 | -0.2% |
| 80503 | Longmont | $2,080 | -2.1% |
| 80510 | Allenspark | $2,010 | -5.4% |
| 80533 | Hygiene | $2,120 | -0.2% |
| 80540 | Lyons | $2,290 | +7.8% |
| 80544 | Niwot | $2,120 | -0.2% |
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 $1,912 and $2,336. 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.
$2,124 a month is affordable, by HUD's 30% rule, on an income of roughly $84,960 a year. Put another way, $41 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% ($1,912) | HAP at 100% ($2,124) | HAP at 110% ($2,336) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $2,500 | $750 | $1,162 | $1,374 | $1,586 |
| $4,000 | $1,200 | $712 | $924 | $1,136 |
Rate history
The two-bedroom rate went up 3% from FY 2025 ($2,059) to FY 2026 ($2,124). Since FY 2020 it's up 24% in total, about 3.6% a year. The Colorado median held flat over the same year.
| 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 2027 | $1,520 | $1,735 | $2,033 | $2,703 | $3,146 | -4.3% |
Nearby counties
Broomfield County
$2,08915 mi · pop 73,946
Gilpin County
$2,08919 mi · pop 5,856
Jefferson County
$2,08926 mi · pop 580,519
Adams County
$2,08927 mi · pop 520,149
Denver County
$2,08928 mi · pop 710,800
Clear Creek County
$2,08930 mi · pop 9,403
Larimer County
$1,73235 mi · pop 359,363
Grand County
$1,47537 mi · pop 15,724
Questions people ask
$2,124 a month for FY 2026, which runs October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026. The other rates are $1,553 for a studio, $1,795 for one bedroom, $2,820 for three and $3,239 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 Boulder actually go for?
HUD's number is one input. Search any address in Boulder for a rent estimate built from nearby comps. 3 free searches, no card.
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