HUD Fair Market Rent · FY 2026 · effective Oct 1, 2025 to Sep 30, 2026
Fair Market Rent in Mesa County, Colorado (FY 2026)
A two-bedroom in Mesa County carries a FY 2026 Fair Market Rent of $1,249 a month, effective October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026. Everything Section 8 pays in Mesa keys off that figure.
2 bedroom FMR
$1,249
FY 2026, utilities included
Payment standard range
$1,124 to $1,374
90% to 110% of FMR
Income to afford 2BR
$49,960
per year, at 30% of income
Rank in Colorado
32nd of 64
by 2BR FMR
HUD has already published FY 2027. On October 1, 2026 the two-bedroom rate in Mesa moves to $1,282. That's up 3%. The full FY 2027 table is in the history section below.
HUD's number is one input. What does a two-bedroom in Mesa actually rent for?
Search any address in Mesa 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 | $881 | $793 to $969 | $35,240 | $16.94/hr | +0.9% |
| 1 bedroom | $986 | $887 to $1,085 | $39,440 | $18.96/hr | +2.6% |
| 2 bedroom | $1,249 | $1,124 to $1,374 | $49,960 | $24.02/hr | +0.3% |
| 3 bedroom | $1,737 | $1,563 to $1,911 | $69,480 | $33.40/hr | -0.5% |
| 4 bedroom | $2,095 | $1,886 to $2,305 | $83,800 | $40.29/hr | +0.2% |
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 | $2,409 | $2,168 to $2,650 |
| 6 bedroom Estimate | $2,724 | $2,452 to $2,996 |
| 7 bedroom Estimate | $3,038 | $2,734 to $3,342 |
| 8 bedroom Estimate | $3,352 | $3,017 to $3,687 |
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 Mesa, that runs from $881 for a studio up to $2,095 for four bedrooms, all five rates in the table above.
Mesa is its own HUD metro area (Grand Junction, CO), so the rate here is set from rents inside the county rather than a wider region.
Among Colorado's 64 counties, Mesa ranks 32nd for two-bedroom FMR. That's within a couple percent of the state median of $1,247 and about 23% above the national median county at $1,018. About 156,131 people live here, 11th in the state.
Rates by ZIP code
Zoom in and the picture changes. HUD's Small Area FMRs put a two-bedroom at $1,130 in 81624 (Collbran) and $1,720 in 81507 (Grand Junction), with the 19 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 81501 | Grand Junction | $1,230 | -1.5% |
| 81502 | Grand Junction | $1,250 | +0.1% |
| 81503 | Grand Junction | $1,220 | -2.3% |
| 81504 | Grand Junction | $1,480 | +18.5% |
| 81505 | Grand Junction | $1,570 | +25.7% |
| 81506 | Grand Junction | $1,310 | +4.9% |
| 81507 | Grand Junction | $1,720 | +37.7% |
| 81520 | Clifton | $1,170 | -6.3% |
| 81521 | Fruita | $1,570 | +25.7% |
| 81522 | Gateway | $1,250 | +0.1% |
| 81523 | Glade Park | $1,630 | +30.5% |
| 81524 | Loma | $1,500 | +20.1% |
| 81525 | Mack | $1,250 | +0.1% |
| 81526 | Palisade | $1,160 | -7.1% |
| 81527 | Whitewater | $1,300 | +4.1% |
| 81624 | Collbran | $1,130 | -9.5% |
| 81630 | De Beque | $1,440 | +15.3% |
| 81643 | Mesa | $1,210 | -3.1% |
| 81646 | Molina | $1,130 | -9.5% |
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 Mesa somewhere between $1,124 and $1,374. 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.
$1,249 a month is affordable, by HUD's 30% rule, on an income of roughly $49,960 a year. Put another way, $24 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% ($1,124) | HAP at 100% ($1,249) | HAP at 110% ($1,374) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $2,500 | $750 | $374 | $499 | $624 |
| $4,000 | $1,200 | $0 | $49 | $174 |
Rate history
The two-bedroom rate went up 0% from FY 2025 ($1,245) to FY 2026 ($1,249). Since FY 2020 it's up 21% in total, about 3.2% 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 | $713 | $786 | $1,035 | $1,493 | $1,817 | — |
| FY 2021 | $674 | $772 | $1,018 | $1,457 | $1,763 | -1.6% |
| FY 2022 | $682 | $781 | $1,026 | $1,457 | $1,756 | +0.8% |
| FY 2023 | $713 | $812 | $1,066 | $1,515 | $1,816 | +3.9% |
| FY 2024 | $761 | $865 | $1,123 | $1,583 | $1,906 | +5.3% |
| FY 2025 | $873 | $961 | $1,245 | $1,745 | $2,091 | +10.9% |
| FY 2026 | $881 | $986 | $1,249 | $1,737 | $2,095 | +0.3% |
| FY 2027 | $893 | $1,017 | $1,282 | $1,775 | $2,143 | +2.6% |
Nearby counties
Delta County
$1,11440 mi · pop 31,173
Montrose County
$1,16852 mi · pop 42,823
Garfield County
$1,60554 mi · pop 61,683
Rio Blanco County
$1,00967 mi · pop 6,511
San Miguel County
$1,64579 mi · pop 8,082
Ouray County
$1,52682 mi · pop 4,936
Pitkin County
$2,21488 mi · pop 17,325
Gunnison County
$1,33492 mi · pop 17,018
Questions people ask
$1,249 a month for FY 2026, which runs October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026. The other rates are $881 for a studio, $986 for one bedroom, $1,737 for three and $2,095 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 Mesa actually go for?
HUD's number is one input. Search any address in Mesa for a rent estimate built from nearby comps. 3 free searches, no card.
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