HUD Fair Market Rent · FY 2027 · Effective Oct 1, 2026 to Sep 30, 2027
Fair Market Rent in Buffalo County, Nebraska (FY 2027)
$1,097 a month. That's HUD's FY 2027 Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom in Buffalo County, and it's the baseline every voucher in Buffalo is measured against.
Two-bedroom FMR
$1,097
+6.4% from FY 2026
Payment standard
$987–$1,207
90% to 110% of the FMR, two-bedroom
Income to afford
$43,880
a year, with rent at 30% of income
Rank in Nebraska
17th of 93
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 | $899 | $809–$989 | $35,960 | $17.29/hr | +14.2% |
| 1 bedroom | $904 | $814–$994 | $36,160 | $17.38/hr | +4.8% |
| 2 bedroom | $1,097 | $987–$1,207 | $43,880 | $21.10/hr | +6.4% |
| 3 bedroom | $1,432 | $1,289–$1,575 | $57,280 | $27.54/hr | +5.3% |
| 4 bedroom | $1,834 | $1,651–$2,017 | $73,360 | $35.27/hr | +6.0% |
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 | $2,109 | $1,898–$2,320 |
| 6 bedroom Estimate | $2,384 | $2,146–$2,622 |
| 7 bedroom Estimate | $2,659 | $2,393–$2,925 |
| 8 bedroom Estimate | $2,934 | $2,641–$3,227 |
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 Buffalo actually rent for?
Search any address in Buffalo 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 Buffalo somewhere between $987 and $1,207. 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.
$1,097 a month is affordable, by HUD's 30% rule, on an income of roughly $43,880 a year. Put another way, $21 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%$987 | Voucher pays at 100%$1,097 | Voucher pays at 110%$1,207 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $2,500 | $750 | $237 | $347 | $457 |
| $4,000 | $1,200 | $0 | $0 | $7 |
Rate history
The two-bedroom rate went up 6% from FY 2026 ($1,031) to FY 2027 ($1,097). Since FY 2020 it's up 40% in total, about 5.0% a year. The Nebraska median moved up 6% over the same year.
| Fiscal year | Studio | 1 BR | 2 BR | 3 BR | 4 BR | 2BR change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY 2020 | $509 | $593 | $781 | $1,072 | $1,371 | — |
| FY 2021 | $549 | $631 | $832 | $1,136 | $1,441 | +6.5% |
| FY 2022 | $555 | $635 | $836 | $1,140 | $1,431 | +0.5% |
| FY 2023 | $640 | $712 | $929 | $1,260 | $1,582 | +11.1% |
| FY 2024 | $651 | $758 | $960 | $1,281 | $1,629 | +3.3% |
| FY 2025 | $651 | $778 | $941 | $1,254 | $1,580 | -2.0% |
| FY 2026 | $787 | $863 | $1,031 | $1,360 | $1,730 | +9.6% |
| FY 2027In effect | $899 | $904 | $1,097 | $1,432 | $1,834 | +6.4% |
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 Buffalo, that runs from $899 for a studio up to $1,834 for four bedrooms, all five rates in the table above.
Because Buffalo 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, Kearney included.
Among Nebraska's 93 counties, Buffalo ranks 17th for two-bedroom FMR. That's about 8% above the state median of $1,014 and about 3% above the national median county at $1,063. About 50,579 people live here, 5th in the state.
Rates by ZIP code
Zoom in and the picture changes. HUD's Small Area FMRs put a two-bedroom at $1,010 in 68812 (Amherst) and $1,290 in 68870 (Riverdale), with the 13 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 68812 | Amherst | $1,010 | -7.9% |
| 68836 | Elm Creek | $1,010 | -7.9% |
| 68840 | Gibbon | $1,060 | -3.4% |
| 68845 | Kearney | $1,060 | -3.4% |
| 68847 | Kearney | $1,180 | +7.6% |
| 68848 | Kearney | $1,100 | +0.3% |
| 68849 | Kearney | $1,060 | -3.4% |
| 68858 | Miller | $1,010 | -7.9% |
| 68861 | Odessa | $1,030 | -6.1% |
| 68866 | Pleasanton | $1,010 | -7.9% |
| 68869 | Ravenna | $1,100 | +0.3% |
| 68870 | Riverdale | $1,290 | +17.6% |
| 68876 | Shelton | $1,180 | +7.6% |
Nearby counties
Two-bedroom FMR, with how each compares to Buffalo.
Kearney County
23 mi · 6,713 people
$1,056
-4%
Sherman County
27 mi · 2,967 people
$1,014
-8%
Phelps County
29 mi · 9,009 people
$1,014
-8%
Hall County
34 mi · 62,536 people
$1,210
+10%
Adams County
37 mi · 31,052 people
$1,014
-8%
Howard County
38 mi · 6,534 people
$1,014
-8%
Gosper County
39 mi · 2,040 people
$1,014
-8%
Dawson County
40 mi · 24,202 people
$1,074
-2%
Questions people ask
$1,097 a month for FY 2027, which runs October 1, 2026 through September 30, 2027. The other rates are $899 for a studio, $904 for one bedroom, $1,432 for three and $1,834 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 Buffalo actually go for?
HUD's number is one input. Search any address in Buffalo for a rent estimate built from nearby comps. Free to start, no card.
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