HUD Fair Market Rent · FY 2026 · effective Oct 1, 2025 to Sep 30, 2026
Fair Market Rent in Lincoln County, Colorado (FY 2026)
HUD's FY 2026 Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom in Lincoln County is $1,016 a month. That's the number the housing authority starts from when it sets Section 8 payment standards here.
2 bedroom FMR
$1,016
FY 2026, utilities included
Payment standard range
$914 to $1,118
90% to 110% of FMR
Income to afford 2BR
$40,640
per year, at 30% of income
Rank in Colorado
53rd of 64
by 2BR FMR
HUD has already published FY 2027. On October 1, 2026 the two-bedroom rate in Lincoln moves to $1,070. That's up 5%. The full FY 2027 table is in the history section below.
HUD's number is one input. What does a two-bedroom in Lincoln actually rent for?
Search any address in Lincoln 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 | $769 | $692 to $846 | $30,760 | $14.79/hr | -3.8% |
| 1 bedroom | $774 | $697 to $851 | $30,960 | $14.88/hr | -3.1% |
| 2 bedroom | $1,016 | $914 to $1,118 | $40,640 | $19.54/hr | -0.9% |
| 3 bedroom | $1,413 | $1,272 to $1,554 | $56,520 | $27.17/hr | +5.4% |
| 4 bedroom | $1,593 | $1,434 to $1,752 | $63,720 | $30.63/hr | -2.8% |
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 | $1,832 | $1,649 to $2,015 |
| 6 bedroom Estimate | $2,071 | $1,864 to $2,278 |
| 7 bedroom Estimate | $2,310 | $2,079 to $2,541 |
| 8 bedroom Estimate | $2,549 | $2,294 to $2,804 |
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 Lincoln, that runs from $769 for a studio up to $1,593 for four bedrooms, all five rates in the table above.
Because Lincoln 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, Limon included.
Among Colorado's 64 counties, Lincoln ranks 53rd for two-bedroom FMR. That's about 19% below the state median of $1,247 and within a couple percent of the national median county at $1,018. About 5,583 people live here, 49th in the state.
Rates by ZIP code
Zoom in and the picture changes. HUD's Small Area FMRs put a two-bedroom at $970 in 80804 (Arriba) and $1,930 in 80828 (Limon), with the 6 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.
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 Lincoln somewhere between $914 and $1,118. 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.
$1,016 a month is affordable, by HUD's 30% rule, on an income of roughly $40,640 a year. Put another way, $20 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% ($914) | HAP at 100% ($1,016) | HAP at 110% ($1,118) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $2,500 | $750 | $164 | $266 | $368 |
| $4,000 | $1,200 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
Rate history
The two-bedroom rate went down 1% from FY 2025 ($1,025) to FY 2026 ($1,016). Since FY 2020 it's up 34% in total, about 5.0% 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 | $572 | $576 | $758 | $981 | $1,331 | — |
| FY 2021 | $650 | $654 | $862 | $1,121 | $1,492 | +13.7% |
| FY 2022 | $786 | $791 | $989 | $1,242 | $1,693 | +14.7% |
| FY 2023 | $775 | $780 | $995 | $1,245 | $1,695 | +0.6% |
| FY 2024 | $871 | $876 | $1,124 | $1,404 | $1,810 | +13.0% |
| FY 2025 | $799 | $799 | $1,025 | $1,340 | $1,639 | -8.8% |
| FY 2026 | $769 | $774 | $1,016 | $1,413 | $1,593 | -0.9% |
| FY 2027 | $795 | $818 | $1,070 | $1,482 | $1,662 | +5.3% |
Nearby counties
Elbert County
$2,08940 mi · pop 26,457
Kit Carson County
$1,09347 mi · pop 7,039
Washington County
$1,11453 mi · pop 4,817
Cheyenne County
$1,04454 mi · pop 1,726
Kiowa County
$1,14662 mi · pop 1,347
El Paso County
$1,73567 mi · pop 730,323
Crowley County
$1,28968 mi · pop 5,782
Yuma County
$1,06175 mi · pop 9,938
Questions people ask
$1,016 a month for FY 2026, which runs October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026. The other rates are $769 for a studio, $774 for one bedroom, $1,413 for three and $1,593 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 Lincoln actually go for?
HUD's number is one input. Search any address in Lincoln for a rent estimate built from nearby comps. 3 free searches, no card.
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