HUD Fair Market Rent · FY 2026 · effective Oct 1, 2025 to Sep 30, 2026
Fair Market Rent in Sandoval County, New Mexico (FY 2026)
HUD's FY 2026 Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom in Sandoval County is $1,464 a month. That's the number the housing authority starts from when it sets Section 8 payment standards here.
2 bedroom FMR
$1,464
FY 2026, utilities included
Payment standard range
$1,318 to $1,610
90% to 110% of FMR
Income to afford 2BR
$58,560
per year, at 30% of income
Rank in New Mexico
4th of 33
by 2BR FMR
HUD has already published FY 2027. On October 1, 2026 the two-bedroom rate in Sandoval moves to $1,384. That's down 5%. The full FY 2027 table is in the history section below.
HUD's number is one input. What does a two-bedroom in Sandoval actually rent for?
Search any address in Sandoval 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 | $1,009 | $908 to $1,110 | $40,360 | $19.40/hr | +10.5% |
| 1 bedroom | $1,185 | $1,067 to $1,304 | $47,400 | $22.79/hr | +9.3% |
| 2 bedroom | $1,464 | $1,318 to $1,610 | $58,560 | $28.15/hr | +10.0% |
| 3 bedroom | $2,036 | $1,832 to $2,240 | $81,440 | $39.15/hr | +9.2% |
| 4 bedroom | $2,399 | $2,159 to $2,639 | $95,960 | $46.13/hr | +8.6% |
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 | $2,759 | $2,483 to $3,035 |
| 6 bedroom Estimate | $3,119 | $2,807 to $3,431 |
| 7 bedroom Estimate | $3,479 | $3,131 to $3,827 |
| 8 bedroom Estimate | $3,838 | $3,454 to $4,222 |
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 Sandoval, that runs from $1,009 for a studio up to $2,399 for four bedrooms, all five rates in the table above.
This is a metro rate. The county doesn't get one of its own. HUD lumps Sandoval in with 3 other counties in the Albuquerque metro, Bernalillo County, Valencia County, Torrance County among them, and every one of them gets $1,464 for a two-bedroom. Where you are inside the metro doesn't change the county number. It does change the ZIP number, covered below.
Among New Mexico's 33 counties, Sandoval ranks 4th for two-bedroom FMR. That's about 41% above the state median of $1,040 and about 44% above the national median county at $1,018. About 149,460 people live here, 4th in the state.
Counties sharing the Albuquerque metro rate
Rates by ZIP code
Zoom in and the picture changes. HUD's Small Area FMRs put a two-bedroom at $1,200 in 87001 (Algodones) and $2,050 in 87144 (Rio Rancho), with the 18 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 87001 | Algodones | $1,200 | -18.0% |
| 87004 | Bernalillo | $1,370 | -6.4% |
| 87013 | Cuba | $1,430 | -2.3% |
| 87018 | Counselor | $1,320 | -9.8% |
| 87024 | Jemez Pueblo | $1,350 | -7.8% |
| 87025 | Jemez Springs | $1,660 | +13.4% |
| 87027 | La Jara | $1,430 | -2.3% |
| 87041 | Pena Blanca | $1,210 | -17.3% |
| 87043 | Placitas | $2,020 | +38.0% |
| 87044 | Ponderosa | $1,590 | +8.6% |
| 87046 | Regina | $1,260 | -13.9% |
| 87048 | Corrales | $1,680 | +14.8% |
| 87052 | Santo Domingo Pueblo | $1,200 | -18.0% |
| 87053 | San Ysidro | $1,350 | -7.8% |
| 87072 | Cochiti Pueblo | $1,460 | -0.3% |
| 87083 | Cochiti Lake | $1,910 | +30.5% |
| 87124 | Rio Rancho | $1,750 | +19.5% |
| 87144 | Rio Rancho | $2,050 | +40.0% |
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 Sandoval somewhere between $1,318 and $1,610. 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.
$1,464 a month is affordable, by HUD's 30% rule, on an income of roughly $58,560 a year. Put another way, $28 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% ($1,318) | HAP at 100% ($1,464) | HAP at 110% ($1,610) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $2,500 | $750 | $568 | $714 | $860 |
| $4,000 | $1,200 | $118 | $264 | $410 |
Rate history
The two-bedroom rate went up 10% from FY 2025 ($1,331) to FY 2026 ($1,464). Since FY 2020 it's up 67% in total, about 8.9% 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 | $571 | $713 | $877 | $1,265 | $1,506 | — |
| FY 2021 | $621 | $770 | $940 | $1,345 | $1,617 | +7.2% |
| FY 2022 | $666 | $821 | $996 | $1,415 | $1,705 | +6.0% |
| FY 2023 | $765 | $942 | $1,144 | $1,626 | $1,949 | +14.9% |
| FY 2024 | $828 | $1,005 | $1,222 | $1,722 | $2,064 | +6.8% |
| FY 2025 | $913 | $1,084 | $1,331 | $1,865 | $2,209 | +8.9% |
| FY 2026 | $1,009 | $1,185 | $1,464 | $2,036 | $2,399 | +10.0% |
| FY 2027 | $977 | $1,112 | $1,384 | $1,902 | $2,242 | -5.5% |
Nearby counties
Los Alamos County
$1,74028 mi · pop 19,253
Bernalillo County
$1,46439 mi · pop 674,692
Santa Fe County
$1,68540 mi · pop 154,481
Rio Arriba County
$97350 mi · pop 40,285
Valencia County
$1,46463 mi · pop 76,613
Cibola County
$99373 mi · pop 27,211
Torrance County
$1,46476 mi · pop 15,203
San Miguel County
$1,00882 mi · pop 27,215
Questions people ask
$1,464 a month for FY 2026, which runs October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026. The other rates are $1,009 for a studio, $1,185 for one bedroom, $2,036 for three and $2,399 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 Sandoval actually go for?
HUD's number is one input. Search any address in Sandoval for a rent estimate built from nearby comps. 3 free searches, no card.
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