HUD Fair Market Rent · FY 2026 · effective Oct 1, 2025 to Sep 30, 2026
Fair Market Rent in Buffalo County, Nebraska (FY 2026)
$1,031 a month. That's HUD's FY 2026 Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom in Buffalo County, and it's the baseline every voucher in Buffalo is measured against.
2 bedroom FMR
$1,031
FY 2026, utilities included
Payment standard range
$928 to $1,134
90% to 110% of FMR
Income to afford 2BR
$41,240
per year, at 30% of income
Rank in Nebraska
16th of 93
by 2BR FMR
HUD has already published FY 2027. On October 1, 2026 the two-bedroom rate in Buffalo moves to $1,097. That's up 6%. The full FY 2027 table is in the history section below.
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.
FY 2026 Fair Market Rents
| Bedrooms | FMR | Payment standard | Income needed | Hourly wage | vs FY 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Studio | $787 | $708 to $866 | $31,480 | $15.13/hr | +20.9% |
| 1 bedroom | $863 | $777 to $949 | $34,520 | $16.60/hr | +10.9% |
| 2 bedroom | $1,031 | $928 to $1,134 | $41,240 | $19.83/hr | +9.6% |
| 3 bedroom | $1,360 | $1,224 to $1,496 | $54,400 | $26.15/hr | +8.5% |
| 4 bedroom | $1,730 | $1,557 to $1,903 | $69,200 | $33.27/hr | +9.5% |
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 | $1,990 | $1,791 to $2,189 |
| 6 bedroom Estimate | $2,249 | $2,024 to $2,474 |
| 7 bedroom Estimate | $2,509 | $2,258 to $2,760 |
| 8 bedroom Estimate | $2,768 | $2,491 to $3,045 |
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 Buffalo, that runs from $787 for a studio up to $1,730 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 16th for two-bedroom FMR. That's about 7% above the state median of $961 and within a couple percent of the national median county at $1,018. About 50,103 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 $960 in 68812 (Amherst) and $1,210 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 | $960 | -6.9% |
| 68836 | Elm Creek | $970 | -5.9% |
| 68840 | Gibbon | $1,050 | +1.8% |
| 68845 | Kearney | $1,010 | -2.0% |
| 68847 | Kearney | $1,080 | +4.8% |
| 68848 | Kearney | $1,030 | -0.1% |
| 68849 | Kearney | $1,010 | -2.0% |
| 68858 | Miller | $960 | -6.9% |
| 68861 | Odessa | $990 | -4.0% |
| 68866 | Pleasanton | $960 | -6.9% |
| 68869 | Ravenna | $1,020 | -1.1% |
| 68870 | Riverdale | $1,210 | +17.4% |
| 68876 | Shelton | $1,020 | -1.1% |
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 $928 and $1,134. 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.
$1,031 a month is affordable, by HUD's 30% rule, on an income of roughly $41,240 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% ($928) | HAP at 100% ($1,031) | HAP at 110% ($1,134) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $2,500 | $750 | $178 | $281 | $384 |
| $4,000 | $1,200 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
Rate history
The two-bedroom rate went up 10% from FY 2025 ($941) to FY 2026 ($1,031). Since FY 2020 it's up 32% in total, about 4.7% a year. The Nebraska median moved up 6% over the same year.
| 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 2027 | $899 | $904 | $1,097 | $1,432 | $1,834 | +6.4% |
Nearby counties
Questions people ask
$1,031 a month for FY 2026, which runs October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026. The other rates are $787 for a studio, $863 for one bedroom, $1,360 for three and $1,730 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 Buffalo actually go for?
HUD's number is one input. Search any address in Buffalo for a rent estimate built from nearby comps. 3 free searches, no card.
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