HUD Fair Market Rent · FY 2026 · Effective Oct 1, 2025 to Sep 30, 2026
Fair Market Rent in Denver County, Colorado (FY 2026)
HUD's FY 2026 Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom in Denver County is $2,089 a month. That's the number the housing authority starts from when it sets Section 8 payment standards here.
Two-bedroom FMR
$2,089
-2.4% from FY 2025
Payment standard
$1,880–$2,298
90% to 110% of the FMR, two-bedroom
Income to afford
$83,560
a year, with rent at 30% of income
Rank in Colorado
9th of 64
by two-bedroom FMR, highest first
HUD has already published FY 2027. On October 1, 2026 the two-bedroom rate in Denver moves to $2,169. That's up 4%. 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 | $1,643 | $1,479–$1,807 | $65,720 | $31.60/hr | +0.2% |
| 1 bedroom | $1,754 | $1,579–$1,929 | $70,160 | $33.73/hr | -2.0% |
| 2 bedroom | $2,089 | $1,880–$2,298 | $83,560 | $40.17/hr | -2.4% |
| 3 bedroom | $2,734 | $2,461–$3,007 | $109,360 | $52.58/hr | -2.1% |
| 4 bedroom | $3,049 | $2,744–$3,354 | $121,960 | $58.63/hr | -2.5% |
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 | $3,506 | $3,155–$3,857 |
| 6 bedroom Estimate | $3,964 | $3,568–$4,360 |
| 7 bedroom Estimate | $4,421 | $3,979–$4,863 |
| 8 bedroom Estimate | $4,878 | $4,390–$5,366 |
Source: HUD Office of Policy Development and Research, FY 2026 Fair Market Rents. Rents include utilities. huduser.gov
Market check
Two-bedrooms in Denver are asking $2,059. HUD says $2,089.
The two are within a couple percent of each other. Median asking rent across 17 Denver ZIP codes with active 2BR listings. FMR includes utilities and asking rents usually don't, so the true gap is a little smaller.
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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 Denver somewhere between $1,880 and $2,298. 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.
$2,089 a month is affordable, by HUD's 30% rule, on an income of roughly $83,560 a year. Put another way, $40 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%$1,880 | Voucher pays at 100%$2,089 | Voucher pays at 110%$2,298 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $2,500 | $750 | $1,130 | $1,339 | $1,548 |
| $4,000 | $1,200 | $680 | $889 | $1,098 |
Rate history
The two-bedroom rate went down 2% from FY 2025 ($2,140) to FY 2026 ($2,089). Since FY 2020 it's up 33% in total, about 4.9% a year. The Colorado median held flat over the same year.
| Fiscal year | Studio | 1 BR | 2 BR | 3 BR | 4 BR | 2BR change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY 2020 | $1,114 | $1,260 | $1,566 | $2,163 | $2,488 | — |
| FY 2021 | $1,179 | $1,304 | $1,605 | $2,186 | $2,486 | +2.5% |
| FY 2022 | $1,236 | $1,364 | $1,659 | $2,226 | $2,501 | +3.4% |
| FY 2023 | $1,390 | $1,538 | $1,856 | $2,449 | $2,750 | +11.9% |
| FY 2024 | $1,658 | $1,835 | $2,201 | $2,874 | $3,225 | +18.6% |
| FY 2025 | $1,639 | $1,789 | $2,140 | $2,794 | $3,127 | -2.8% |
| FY 2026In effect | $1,643 | $1,754 | $2,089 | $2,734 | $3,049 | -2.4% |
| FY 2027From Oct 1, 2026 | $1,751 | $1,831 | $2,169 | $2,846 | $3,183 | +3.8% |
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 Denver, that runs from $1,643 for a studio up to $3,049 for four bedrooms, all five rates in the table above.
This is a metro rate. The county doesn't get one of its own. HUD lumps Denver in with 9 other counties in the Denver-Aurora-Centennial metro, Arapahoe County, Jefferson County, Adams County among them, and every one of them gets $2,089 for a two-bedroom. Where you are inside the metro doesn't change the county number. It does change the ZIP number, covered below.
Among Colorado's 64 counties, Denver ranks 9th for two-bedroom FMR. That's about 68% above the state median of $1,247 and about 105% above the national median county at $1,018. About 710,800 people live here, 2nd in the state.
Rates by ZIP code
Zoom in and the picture changes. HUD's Small Area FMRs put a two-bedroom at $1,930 in 80219 (Denver) and $3,030 in 80202 (Denver), with the 39 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 80201 | Denver | $2,070 | -0.9% |
| 80202 | Denver | $3,030 | +45.0% |
| 80203 | Denver | $2,460 | +17.8% |
| 80204 | Denver | $2,230 | +6.7% |
| 80205 | Denver | $2,280 | +9.1% |
| 80206 | Denver | $2,350 | +12.5% |
| 80207 | Denver | $2,150 | +2.9% |
| 80208 | Denver | $2,089County rate | — |
| 80209 | Denver | $2,250 | +7.7% |
| 80210 | Denver | $2,340 | +12.0% |
| 80211 | Denver | $2,540 | +21.6% |
| 80212 | Denver | $2,110 | +1.0% |
| 80216 | Denver | $2,200 | +5.3% |
| 80217 | Denver | $2,070 | -0.9% |
| 80218 | Denver | $2,020 | -3.3% |
| 80219 | Denver | $1,930 | -7.6% |
| 80220 | Denver | $1,930 | -7.6% |
| 80222 | Denver | $2,040 | -2.3% |
| 80223 | Denver | $2,060 | -1.4% |
| 80224 | Denver | $1,930 | -7.6% |
| 80227 | Denver | $2,060 | -1.4% |
| 80230 | Denver | $2,350 | +12.5% |
| 80231 | Denver | $2,170 | +3.9% |
| 80235 | Denver | $1,980 | -5.2% |
| 80236 | Denver | $2,010 | -3.8% |
| 80237 | Denver | $2,330 | +11.5% |
| 80238 | Denver | $2,420 | +15.8% |
| 80239 | Denver | $2,190 | +4.8% |
| 80243 | Denver | $2,089County rate | — |
| 80244 | Denver | $2,089County rate | — |
| 80246 | Denver | $2,200 | +5.3% |
| 80247 | Denver | $2,050 | -1.9% |
| 80248 | Denver | $2,070 | -0.9% |
| 80249 | Denver | $2,480 | +18.7% |
| 80250 | Denver | $2,070 | -0.9% |
| 80251 | Denver | $2,089County rate | — |
| 80252 | Denver | $2,089County rate | — |
| 80256 | Denver | $2,089County rate | — |
| 80257 | Denver | $2,089County rate | — |
| 80259 | Denver | $2,089County rate | — |
Counties sharing the Denver-Aurora-Centennial metro rate
HUD sets one rate for the whole metro, so every county here carries the same $2,089 two-bedroom figure as Denver.
Arapahoe County
654,453 people
$2,089
Jefferson County
580,519 people
$2,089
Adams County
520,149 people
$2,089
Douglas County
360,206 people
$2,089
Broomfield County
73,946 people
$2,089
Elbert County
26,457 people
$2,089
Park County
17,597 people
$2,089
Clear Creek County
9,403 people
$2,089
Gilpin County
5,856 people
$2,089
Nearby counties
Two-bedroom FMR, with how each compares to Denver.
Adams County
9 mi · 520,149 people
$2,089
same rate
Arapahoe County
11 mi · 654,453 people
$2,089
same rate
Jefferson County
11 mi · 580,519 people
$2,089
same rate
Broomfield County
16 mi · 73,946 people
$2,089
same rate
Douglas County
20 mi · 360,206 people
$2,089
same rate
Boulder County
28 mi · 328,658 people
$2,124
+2%
Gilpin County
29 mi · 5,856 people
$2,089
same rate
Clear Creek County
37 mi · 9,403 people
$2,089
same rate
Questions people ask
$2,089 a month for FY 2026, which runs October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026. The other rates are $1,643 for a studio, $1,754 for one bedroom, $2,734 for three and $3,049 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 Denver actually go for?
HUD's number is one input. Search any address in Denver for a rent estimate built from nearby comps. 3 free searches, no card.
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