HUD Fair Market Rent · FY 2027 · Effective Oct 1, 2026 to Sep 30, 2027
Fair Market Rent in Essex County, New York (FY 2027)
A two-bedroom in Essex County carries a FY 2027 Fair Market Rent of $1,171 a month, effective October 1, 2026 through September 30, 2027. Everything Section 8 pays in Essex keys off that figure.
Two-bedroom FMR
$1,171
-1.2% from FY 2026
Payment standard
$1,054–$1,288
90% to 110% of the FMR, two-bedroom
Income to afford
$46,840
a year, with rent at 30% of income
Rank in New York
46th of 62
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 | $858 | $772–$944 | $34,320 | $16.50/hr | -3.7% |
| 1 bedroom | $895 | $806–$985 | $35,800 | $17.21/hr | -0.9% |
| 2 bedroom | $1,171 | $1,054–$1,288 | $46,840 | $22.52/hr | -1.2% |
| 3 bedroom | $1,425 | $1,283–$1,568 | $57,000 | $27.40/hr | -2.1% |
| 4 bedroom | $1,631 | $1,468–$1,794 | $65,240 | $31.37/hr | -0.9% |
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 | $1,876 | $1,688–$2,064 |
| 6 bedroom Estimate | $2,120 | $1,908–$2,332 |
| 7 bedroom Estimate | $2,365 | $2,129–$2,602 |
| 8 bedroom Estimate | $2,610 | $2,349–$2,871 |
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 Essex actually rent for?
Search any address in Essex 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 Essex somewhere between $1,054 and $1,288. 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.
$1,171 a month is affordable, by HUD's 30% rule, on an income of roughly $46,840 a year. Put another way, $23 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%$1,054 | Voucher pays at 100%$1,171 | Voucher pays at 110%$1,288 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $2,500 | $750 | $304 | $421 | $538 |
| $4,000 | $1,200 | $0 | $0 | $88 |
Rate history
The two-bedroom rate went down 1% from FY 2026 ($1,185) to FY 2027 ($1,171). Since FY 2020 it's up 36% in total, about 4.5% a year. The New York median moved up 2% over the same year.
| Fiscal year | Studio | 1 BR | 2 BR | 3 BR | 4 BR | 2BR change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY 2020 | $663 | $710 | $863 | $1,164 | $1,179 | — |
| FY 2021 | $680 | $719 | $853 | $1,157 | $1,161 | -1.2% |
| FY 2022 | $691 | $739 | $844 | $1,162 | $1,166 | -1.1% |
| FY 2023 | $788 | $822 | $934 | $1,316 | $1,365 | +10.7% |
| FY 2024 | $824 | $828 | $971 | $1,309 | $1,446 | +4.0% |
| FY 2025 | $828 | $848 | $1,085 | $1,407 | $1,602 | +11.7% |
| FY 2026 | $891 | $903 | $1,185 | $1,455 | $1,645 | +9.2% |
| FY 2027In effect | $858 | $895 | $1,171 | $1,425 | $1,631 | -1.2% |
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 Essex, that runs from $858 for a studio up to $1,631 for four bedrooms, all five rates in the table above.
Because Essex 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, Newcomb included.
Among New York's 62 counties, Essex ranks 46th for two-bedroom FMR. That's about 15% below the state median of $1,385 and about 10% above the national median county at $1,063. About 36,973 people live here, 56th in the state.
Rates by ZIP code
Zoom in and the picture changes. HUD's Small Area FMRs put a two-bedroom at $1,070 in 12932 (Elizabethtown) and $1,760 in 12942 (Keene), with the 31 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 12851 | Minerva | $1,110 | -5.2% |
| 12852 | Newcomb | $1,170 | -0.1% |
| 12855 | North Hudson | $1,170 | -0.1% |
| 12857 | Olmstedville | $1,220 | +4.2% |
| 12858 | Paradox | $1,170 | -0.1% |
| 12870 | Schroon Lake | $1,280 | +9.3% |
| 12872 | Severance | $1,280 | +9.3% |
| 12879 | Newcomb | $1,170 | -0.1% |
| 12883 | Ticonderoga | $1,220 | +4.2% |
| 12913 | Bloomingdale | $1,180 | +0.8% |
| 12928 | Crown Point | $1,170 | -0.1% |
| 12932 | Elizabethtown | $1,070 | -8.6% |
| 12936 | Essex | $1,580 | +34.9% |
| 12941 | Jay | $1,480 | +26.4% |
| 12942 | Keene | $1,760 | +50.3% |
| 12943 | Keene Valley | $1,520 | +29.8% |
| 12944 | Keeseville | $1,320 | +12.7% |
| 12946 | Lake Placid | $1,290 | +10.2% |
| 12950 | Lewis | $1,440 | +23.0% |
| 12956 | Mineville | $1,170 | -0.1% |
| 12960 | Moriah | $1,170 | -0.1% |
| 12961 | Moriah Center | $1,170 | -0.1% |
| 12964 | New Russia | $1,170 | -0.1% |
| 12974 | Port Henry | $1,110 | -5.2% |
| 12975 | Port Kent | $1,330 | +13.6% |
| 12977 | Ray Brook | $1,150 | -1.8% |
| 12987 | Upper Jay | $1,550 | +32.4% |
| 12993 | Westport | $1,160 | -0.9% |
| 12996 | Willsboro | $1,070 | -8.6% |
| 12997 | Wilmington | $1,480 | +26.4% |
| 12998 | Witherbee | $1,170 | -0.1% |
Nearby counties
Two-bedroom FMR, with how each compares to Essex.
Warren County
40 mi · 65,517 people
$1,347
+15%
Clinton County
43 mi · 78,493 people
$1,205
+3%
Franklin County
50 mi · 46,696 people
$1,014
-13%
Hamilton County
51 mi · 5,089 people
$1,287
+10%
Washington County
57 mi · 60,522 people
$1,347
+15%
St. Lawrence County
75 mi · 107,226 people
$1,041
-11%
Saratoga County
75 mi · 238,284 people
$1,711
+46%
Fulton County
77 mi · 52,487 people
$1,051
-10%
Questions people ask
$1,171 a month for FY 2027, which runs October 1, 2026 through September 30, 2027. The other rates are $858 for a studio, $895 for one bedroom, $1,425 for three and $1,631 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 Essex actually go for?
HUD's number is one input. Search any address in Essex for a rent estimate built from nearby comps. Free to start, no card.
Free tier. No credit card.