HUD Fair Market Rent · FY 2026 · effective Oct 1, 2025 to Sep 30, 2026
Fair Market Rent in Dona Ana County, New Mexico (FY 2026)
HUD's FY 2026 Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom in Dona Ana County is $1,042 a month. That's the number the housing authority starts from when it sets Section 8 payment standards here.
2 bedroom FMR
$1,042
FY 2026, utilities included
Payment standard range
$938 to $1,146
90% to 110% of FMR
Income to afford 2BR
$41,680
per year, at 30% of income
Rank in New Mexico
15th of 33
by 2BR FMR
HUD has already published FY 2027. On October 1, 2026 the two-bedroom rate in Dona Ana moves to $1,073. 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 Dona Ana actually rent for?
Search any address in Dona Ana 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 | $744 | $670 to $818 | $29,760 | $14.31/hr | +0.4% |
| 1 bedroom | $951 | $856 to $1,046 | $38,040 | $18.29/hr | +1.2% |
| 2 bedroom | $1,042 | $938 to $1,146 | $41,680 | $20.04/hr | +0.1% |
| 3 bedroom | $1,449 | $1,304 to $1,594 | $57,960 | $27.87/hr | +0.1% |
| 4 bedroom | $1,580 | $1,422 to $1,738 | $63,200 | $30.38/hr | -1.6% |
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 | $1,817 | $1,635 to $1,999 |
| 6 bedroom Estimate | $2,054 | $1,849 to $2,259 |
| 7 bedroom Estimate | $2,291 | $2,062 to $2,520 |
| 8 bedroom Estimate | $2,528 | $2,275 to $2,781 |
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 Dona Ana, that runs from $744 for a studio up to $1,580 for four bedrooms, all five rates in the table above.
Dona Ana is its own HUD metro area (Las Cruces, NM), so the rate here is set from rents inside the county rather than a wider region.
Among New Mexico's 33 counties, Dona Ana ranks 15th for two-bedroom FMR. That's within a couple percent of the state median of $1,040 and about 2% above the national median county at $1,018. About 219,870 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 $970 in 87937 (Hatch) and $1,480 in 88002 (White Sands Missile Range), with the 26 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 87936 | Garfield | $1,040 | -0.2% |
| 87937 | Hatch | $970 | -6.9% |
| 87940 | Rincon | $1,060 | +1.7% |
| 87941 | Salem | $1,040 | -0.2% |
| 88001 | Las Cruces | $1,090 | +4.6% |
| 88002 | White Sands Missile Range | $1,480 | +42.0% |
| 88003 | Las Cruces | $1,090 | +4.6% |
| 88004 | Las Cruces | $1,040 | -0.2% |
| 88005 | Las Cruces | $1,040 | -0.2% |
| 88006 | Las Cruces | $1,042County rate | — |
| 88007 | Las Cruces | $970 | -6.9% |
| 88008 | Santa Teresa | $1,190 | +14.2% |
| 88011 | Las Cruces | $1,170 | +12.3% |
| 88012 | Las Cruces | $1,380 | +32.4% |
| 88013 | Las Cruces | $1,040 | -0.2% |
| 88021 | Anthony | $970 | -6.9% |
| 88024 | Berino | $970 | -6.9% |
| 88027 | Chamberino | $970 | -6.9% |
| 88032 | Dona Ana | $1,040 | -0.2% |
| 88033 | Fairacres | $1,040 | -0.2% |
| 88044 | La Mesa | $1,000 | -4.0% |
| 88046 | Mesilla | $1,120 | +7.5% |
| 88047 | Mesilla Park | $1,070 | +2.7% |
| 88048 | Mesquite | $970 | -6.9% |
| 88052 | Organ | $1,240 | +19.0% |
| 88054 | Radium Springs | $1,042County rate | — |
| 88058 | San Miguel | $1,042County rate | — |
| 88063 | Sunland Park | $970 | -6.9% |
| 88072 | Vado | $970 | -6.9% |
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 Dona Ana somewhere between $938 and $1,146. 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.
$1,042 a month is affordable, by HUD's 30% rule, on an income of roughly $41,680 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% ($938) | HAP at 100% ($1,042) | HAP at 110% ($1,146) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $2,500 | $750 | $188 | $292 | $396 |
| $4,000 | $1,200 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
Rate history
The two-bedroom rate went up 0% from FY 2025 ($1,041) to FY 2026 ($1,042). Since FY 2020 it's up 40% in total, about 5.8% a year. The New Mexico median moved up 11% over the same year.
| Year | Studio | 1 BR | 2 BR | 3 BR | 4 BR | 2BR change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY 2020 | $544 | $602 | $742 | $1,070 | $1,278 | — |
| FY 2021 | $571 | $603 | $734 | $1,050 | $1,262 | -1.1% |
| FY 2022 | $635 | $649 | $787 | $1,118 | $1,315 | +7.2% |
| FY 2023 | $715 | $772 | $893 | $1,269 | $1,459 | +13.5% |
| FY 2024 | $739 | $881 | $989 | $1,383 | $1,562 | +10.8% |
| FY 2025 | $741 | $940 | $1,041 | $1,447 | $1,605 | +5.3% |
| FY 2026 | $744 | $951 | $1,042 | $1,449 | $1,580 | +0.1% |
| FY 2027 | $790 | $975 | $1,073 | $1,461 | $1,692 | +3.0% |
Nearby counties
Questions people ask
$1,042 a month for FY 2026, which runs October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026. The other rates are $744 for a studio, $951 for one bedroom, $1,449 for three and $1,580 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 Dona Ana actually go for?
HUD's number is one input. Search any address in Dona Ana for a rent estimate built from nearby comps. 3 free searches, no card.
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