HUD Fair Market Rent · FY 2026 · effective Oct 1, 2025 to Sep 30, 2026
Fair Market Rent in Taos County, New Mexico (FY 2026)
HUD's FY 2026 Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom in Taos County is $1,279 a month. That's the number the housing authority starts from when it sets Section 8 payment standards here.
2 bedroom FMR
$1,279
FY 2026, utilities included
Payment standard range
$1,151 to $1,407
90% to 110% of FMR
Income to afford 2BR
$51,160
per year, at 30% of income
Rank in New Mexico
8th of 33
by 2BR FMR
HUD has already published FY 2027. On October 1, 2026 the two-bedroom rate in Taos moves to $1,292. That's up 1%. The full FY 2027 table is in the history section below.
HUD's number is one input. What does a two-bedroom in Taos actually rent for?
Search any address in Taos 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 | $908 | $817 to $999 | $36,320 | $17.46/hr | +12.4% |
| 1 bedroom | $1,072 | $965 to $1,179 | $42,880 | $20.62/hr | +14.8% |
| 2 bedroom | $1,279 | $1,151 to $1,407 | $51,160 | $24.60/hr | +19.5% |
| 3 bedroom | $1,593 | $1,434 to $1,752 | $63,720 | $30.63/hr | +16.4% |
| 4 bedroom | $2,146 | $1,931 to $2,361 | $85,840 | $41.27/hr | +19.4% |
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 | $2,468 | $2,221 to $2,715 |
| 6 bedroom Estimate | $2,790 | $2,511 to $3,069 |
| 7 bedroom Estimate | $3,112 | $2,801 to $3,423 |
| 8 bedroom Estimate | $3,434 | $3,091 to $3,777 |
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 Taos, that runs from $908 for a studio up to $2,146 for four bedrooms, all five rates in the table above.
Because Taos 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, Amalia included.
Among New Mexico's 33 counties, Taos ranks 8th for two-bedroom FMR. That's about 23% above the state median of $1,040 and about 26% above the national median county at $1,018. About 34,475 people live here, 14th in the state.
Rates by ZIP code
Zoom in and the picture changes. HUD's Small Area FMRs put a two-bedroom at $990 in 87549 (Ojo Caliente) and $1,670 in 87529 (El Prado), with the 21 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 87512 | Amalia | $1,050 | -17.9% |
| 87513 | Arroyo Hondo | $1,280 | +0.1% |
| 87514 | Arroyo Seco | $1,280 | +0.1% |
| 87517 | Carson | $1,280 | +0.1% |
| 87519 | Cerro | $1,090 | -14.8% |
| 87521 | Chamisal | $1,090 | -14.8% |
| 87524 | Costilla | $1,060 | -17.1% |
| 87525 | Taos Ski Valley | $1,170 | -8.5% |
| 87529 | El Prado | $1,670 | +30.6% |
| 87543 | Llano | $1,240 | -3.0% |
| 87549 | Ojo Caliente | $990 | -22.6% |
| 87553 | Penasco | $1,200 | -6.2% |
| 87556 | Questa | $1,090 | -14.8% |
| 87557 | Ranchos De Taos | $1,500 | +17.3% |
| 87558 | Red River | $1,130 | -11.6% |
| 87564 | San Cristobal | $1,280 | +0.1% |
| 87571 | Taos | $1,230 | -3.8% |
| 87576 | Trampas | $1,280 | +0.1% |
| 87577 | Tres Piedras | $1,250 | -2.3% |
| 87579 | Vadito | $1,420 | +11.0% |
| 87580 | Valdez | $1,280 | +0.1% |
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 Taos somewhere between $1,151 and $1,407. 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.
$1,279 a month is affordable, by HUD's 30% rule, on an income of roughly $51,160 a year. Put another way, $25 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% ($1,151) | HAP at 100% ($1,279) | HAP at 110% ($1,407) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $2,500 | $750 | $401 | $529 | $657 |
| $4,000 | $1,200 | $0 | $79 | $207 |
Rate history
The two-bedroom rate went up 20% from FY 2025 ($1,070) to FY 2026 ($1,279). Since FY 2020 it's up 46% in total, about 6.5% 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 | $722 | $727 | $875 | $1,090 | $1,536 | — |
| FY 2021 | $756 | $760 | $920 | $1,144 | $1,593 | +5.1% |
| FY 2022 | $700 | $704 | $836 | $1,033 | $1,434 | -9.1% |
| FY 2023 | $769 | $809 | $937 | $1,182 | $1,596 | +12.1% |
| FY 2024 | $845 | $921 | $1,050 | $1,375 | $1,782 | +12.1% |
| FY 2025 | $808 | $934 | $1,070 | $1,368 | $1,797 | +1.9% |
| FY 2026 | $908 | $1,072 | $1,279 | $1,593 | $2,146 | +19.5% |
| FY 2027 | $900 | $1,104 | $1,292 | $1,626 | $1,932 | +1.0% |
Nearby counties
Rio Arriba County
$97338 mi · pop 40,285
Colfax County
$97342 mi · pop 12,370
Mora County
$97343 mi · pop 4,208
Los Alamos County
$1,74055 mi · pop 19,253
Santa Fe County
$1,68565 mi · pop 154,481
San Miguel County
$1,00871 mi · pop 27,215
Sandoval County
$1,46482 mi · pop 149,460
Harding County
$1,04095 mi · pop 671
Questions people ask
$1,279 a month for FY 2026, which runs October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026. The other rates are $908 for a studio, $1,072 for one bedroom, $1,593 for three and $2,146 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 Taos actually go for?
HUD's number is one input. Search any address in Taos for a rent estimate built from nearby comps. 3 free searches, no card.
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