HUD Fair Market Rent · FY 2027 · Effective Oct 1, 2026 to Sep 30, 2027
Fair Market Rent in Lincoln County, New Mexico (FY 2027)
$1,063 a month. That's HUD's FY 2027 Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom in Lincoln County, and it's the baseline every voucher in Lincoln is measured against.
Two-bedroom FMR
$1,063
+6.4% from FY 2026
Payment standard
$957–$1,169
90% to 110% of the FMR, two-bedroom
Income to afford
$42,520
a year, with rent at 30% of income
Rank in New Mexico
17th of 33
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 | $834 | $751–$917 | $33,360 | $16.04/hr | +2.3% |
| 1 bedroom | $839 | $755–$923 | $33,560 | $16.13/hr | +2.3% |
| 2 bedroom | $1,063 | $957–$1,169 | $42,520 | $20.44/hr | +6.4% |
| 3 bedroom | $1,355 | $1,220–$1,491 | $54,200 | $26.06/hr | +3.8% |
| 4 bedroom | $1,667 | $1,500–$1,834 | $66,680 | $32.06/hr | +3.5% |
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 | $1,917 | $1,725–$2,109 |
| 6 bedroom Estimate | $2,167 | $1,950–$2,384 |
| 7 bedroom Estimate | $2,417 | $2,175–$2,659 |
| 8 bedroom Estimate | $2,667 | $2,400–$2,934 |
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 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.
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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 Lincoln somewhere between $957 and $1,169. 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.
$1,063 a month is affordable, by HUD's 30% rule, on an income of roughly $42,520 a year. Put another way, $20 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%$957 | Voucher pays at 100%$1,063 | Voucher pays at 110%$1,169 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $2,500 | $750 | $207 | $313 | $419 |
| $4,000 | $1,200 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
Rate history
The two-bedroom rate went up 6% from FY 2026 ($999) to FY 2027 ($1,063). Since FY 2020 it's up 22% in total, about 2.9% a year. The New Mexico median moved up 2% over the same year.
| Fiscal year | Studio | 1 BR | 2 BR | 3 BR | 4 BR | 2BR change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY 2020 | $605 | $660 | $869 | $1,128 | $1,437 | — |
| FY 2021 | $677 | $696 | $865 | $1,104 | $1,456 | -0.5% |
| FY 2022 | $610 | $627 | $779 | $994 | $1,311 | -9.9% |
| FY 2023 | $582 | $614 | $795 | $1,048 | $1,354 | +2.1% |
| FY 2024 | $627 | $667 | $877 | $1,156 | $1,488 | +10.3% |
| FY 2025 | $678 | $790 | $933 | $1,271 | $1,549 | +6.4% |
| FY 2026 | $815 | $820 | $999 | $1,305 | $1,611 | +7.1% |
| FY 2027In effect | $834 | $839 | $1,063 | $1,355 | $1,667 | +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 Lincoln, that runs from $834 for a studio up to $1,667 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, Ruidoso included.
Among New Mexico's 33 counties, Lincoln ranks 17th for two-bedroom FMR. That's within a couple percent of the state median of $1,063 and within a couple percent of the national median county at $1,063. About 20,224 people live here, 19th 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 88301 (Carrizozo) and $1,320 in 88318 (Corona), with the 15 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 88301 | Carrizozo | $1,010 | -5.0% |
| 88312 | Alto | $1,060 | -0.3% |
| 88316 | Capitan | $1,120 | +5.4% |
| 88318 | Corona | $1,320 | +24.2% |
| 88323 | Fort Stanton | $1,060 | -0.3% |
| 88324 | Glencoe | $1,060 | -0.3% |
| 88336 | Hondo | $1,060 | -0.3% |
| 88338 | Lincoln | $1,060 | -0.3% |
| 88341 | Nogal | $1,050 | -1.2% |
| 88343 | Picacho | $1,060 | -0.3% |
| 88345 | Ruidoso | $1,070 | +0.7% |
| 88346 | Ruidoso Downs | $1,030 | -3.1% |
| 88348 | San Patricio | $1,060 | -0.3% |
| 88351 | Tinnie | $1,060 | -0.3% |
| 88355 | Ruidoso | $1,070 | +0.7% |
Nearby counties
Two-bedroom FMR, with how each compares to Lincoln.
Otero County
49 mi · 68,816 people
$1,014
-5%
Chaves County
65 mi · 64,217 people
$1,091
+3%
Socorro County
88 mi · 16,200 people
$1,014
-5%
Torrance County
89 mi · 15,490 people
$1,384
+30%
De Baca County
93 mi · 1,576 people
$1,014
-5%
Eddy County
96 mi · 61,105 people
$1,252
+18%
Dona Ana County
110 mi · 224,266 people
$1,073
+1%
Sierra County
110 mi · 11,500 people
$1,014
-5%
Questions people ask
$1,063 a month for FY 2027, which runs October 1, 2026 through September 30, 2027. The other rates are $834 for a studio, $839 for one bedroom, $1,355 for three and $1,667 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 Lincoln actually go for?
HUD's number is one input. Search any address in Lincoln for a rent estimate built from nearby comps. Free to start, no card.
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