HUD Fair Market Rent · FY 2026 · Effective Oct 1, 2025 to Sep 30, 2026
Fair Market Rent in Columbia County, New York (FY 2026)
HUD's FY 2026 Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom in Columbia County is $1,434 a month. That's the number the housing authority starts from when it sets Section 8 payment standards here.
Two-bedroom FMR
$1,434
+6.5% from FY 2025
Payment standard
$1,291–$1,577
90% to 110% of the FMR, two-bedroom
Income to afford
$57,360
a year, with rent at 30% of income
Rank in New York
25th of 62
by two-bedroom FMR, highest first
HUD has already published FY 2027. On October 1, 2026 the two-bedroom rate in Columbia moves to $1,503. That's up 5%. The full FY 2027 table is in the history section below.
FY 2026 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 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Studio | $1,249 | $1,124–$1,374 | $49,960 | $24.02/hr | +6.7% |
| 1 bedroom | $1,263 | $1,137–$1,389 | $50,520 | $24.29/hr | +7.0% |
| 2 bedroom | $1,434 | $1,291–$1,577 | $57,360 | $27.58/hr | +6.5% |
| 3 bedroom | $1,730 | $1,557–$1,903 | $69,200 | $33.27/hr | +6.6% |
| 4 bedroom | $1,899 | $1,709–$2,089 | $75,960 | $36.52/hr | +6.3% |
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 | $2,184 | $1,966–$2,402 |
| 6 bedroom Estimate | $2,469 | $2,222–$2,716 |
| 7 bedroom Estimate | $2,754 | $2,479–$3,029 |
| 8 bedroom Estimate | $3,038 | $2,734–$3,342 |
Source: HUD Office of Policy Development and Research, FY 2026 Fair Market Rents. Rents include utilities. huduser.gov
Market check
HUD's number is one input. What does a two-bedroom in Columbia actually rent for?
Search any address in Columbia for a rent estimate built from nearby comps, with the HUD figure right next to it.
No card needed
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 Columbia somewhere between $1,291 and $1,577. 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.
$1,434 a month is affordable, by HUD's 30% rule, on an income of roughly $57,360 a year. Put another way, $28 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%$1,291 | Voucher pays at 100%$1,434 | Voucher pays at 110%$1,577 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $2,500 | $750 | $541 | $684 | $827 |
| $4,000 | $1,200 | $91 | $234 | $377 |
Rate history
The two-bedroom rate went up 6% from FY 2025 ($1,347) to FY 2026 ($1,434). Since FY 2020 it's up 49% in total, about 6.8% a year. The New York median moved up 5% over the same year.
| Fiscal year | Studio | 1 BR | 2 BR | 3 BR | 4 BR | 2BR change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY 2020 | $704 | $786 | $965 | $1,299 | $1,333 | — |
| FY 2021 | $761 | $855 | $1,028 | $1,360 | $1,394 | +6.5% |
| FY 2022 | $790 | $860 | $1,012 | $1,302 | $1,372 | -1.6% |
| FY 2023 | $913 | $952 | $1,107 | $1,392 | $1,487 | +9.4% |
| FY 2024 | $1,032 | $1,042 | $1,190 | $1,439 | $1,585 | +7.5% |
| FY 2025 | $1,171 | $1,180 | $1,347 | $1,623 | $1,786 | +13.2% |
| FY 2026In effect | $1,249 | $1,263 | $1,434 | $1,730 | $1,899 | +6.5% |
| FY 2027From Oct 1, 2026 | $1,259 | $1,300 | $1,503 | $1,837 | $1,975 | +4.8% |
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 2026 that's October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026. In Columbia, that runs from $1,249 for a studio up to $1,899 for four bedrooms, all five rates in the table above.
Because Columbia 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, Austerlitz included.
Among New York's 62 counties, Columbia ranks 25th for two-bedroom FMR. That's about 5% above the state median of $1,361 and about 41% above the national median county at $1,018. About 61,469 people live here, 40th in the state.
Rates by ZIP code
Zoom in and the picture changes. HUD's Small Area FMRs put a two-bedroom at $1,220 in 12125 (New Lebanon) and $2,150 in 12060 (East Chatham), with the 32 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 12017 | Austerlitz | $1,590 | +10.9% |
| 12029 | Canaan | $1,680 | +17.2% |
| 12037 | Chatham | $1,260 | -12.1% |
| 12050 | Columbiaville | $1,430 | -0.3% |
| 12060 | East Chatham | $2,150 | +49.9% |
| 12075 | Ghent | $1,570 | +9.5% |
| 12106 | Kinderhook | $1,490 | +3.9% |
| 12115 | Malden Bridge | $1,350 | -5.9% |
| 12125 | New Lebanon | $1,220 | -14.9% |
| 12130 | Niverville | $1,330 | -7.3% |
| 12132 | North Chatham | $1,340 | -6.6% |
| 12136 | Old Chatham | $1,680 | +17.2% |
| 12165 | Spencertown | $1,260 | -12.1% |
| 12172 | Stottville | $1,290 | -10.0% |
| 12173 | Stuyvesant | $1,390 | -3.1% |
| 12174 | Stuyvesant Falls | $1,420 | -1.0% |
| 12184 | Valatie | $1,340 | -6.6% |
| 12195 | West Lebanon | $1,610 | +12.3% |
| 12502 | Ancram | $1,420 | -1.0% |
| 12503 | Ancramdale | $1,620 | +13.0% |
| 12513 | Claverack | $1,560 | +8.8% |
| 12516 | Copake | $1,340 | -6.6% |
| 12517 | Copake Falls | $1,310 | -8.6% |
| 12521 | Craryville | $2,040 | +42.3% |
| 12523 | Elizaville | $1,360 | -5.2% |
| 12526 | Germantown | $1,580 | +10.2% |
| 12529 | Hillsdale | $1,260 | -12.1% |
| 12530 | Hollowville | $1,790 | +24.8% |
| 12534 | Hudson | $1,560 | +8.8% |
| 12541 | Livingston | $1,430 | -0.3% |
| 12544 | Mellenville | $1,560 | +8.8% |
| 12565 | Philmont | $1,290 | -10.0% |
Nearby counties
Two-bedroom FMR, with how each compares to Columbia.
Greene County
23 mi · 48,067 people
$1,373
-4%
Albany County
26 mi · 315,041 people
$1,702
+19%
Rensselaer County
29 mi · 160,943 people
$1,702
+19%
Dutchess County
38 mi · 296,467 people
$1,979
+38%
Ulster County
39 mi · 182,153 people
$1,818
+27%
Schenectady County
40 mi · 159,447 people
$1,702
+19%
Schoharie County
48 mi · 29,970 people
$1,702
+19%
Saratoga County
53 mi · 236,328 people
$1,702
+19%
Questions people ask
$1,434 a month for FY 2026, which runs October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026. The other rates are $1,249 for a studio, $1,263 for one bedroom, $1,730 for three and $1,899 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 Columbia actually go for?
HUD's number is one input. Search any address in Columbia for a rent estimate built from nearby comps. 3 free searches, no card.
Free tier. No credit card.