HUD Fair Market Rent · FY 2026 · effective Oct 1, 2025 to Sep 30, 2026
Fair Market Rent in Essex County, New York (FY 2026)
A two-bedroom in Essex County carries a FY 2026 Fair Market Rent of $1,185 a month, effective October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026. Everything Section 8 pays in Essex keys off that figure.
2 bedroom FMR
$1,185
FY 2026, utilities included
Payment standard range
$1,067 to $1,304
90% to 110% of FMR
Income to afford 2BR
$47,400
per year, at 30% of income
Rank in New York
41st of 62
by 2BR FMR
HUD has already published FY 2027. On October 1, 2026 the two-bedroom rate in Essex moves to $1,171. That's down 1%. The full FY 2027 table is in the history section below.
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.
FY 2026 Fair Market Rents
| Bedrooms | FMR | Payment standard | Income needed | Hourly wage | vs FY 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Studio | $891 | $802 to $980 | $35,640 | $17.13/hr | +7.6% |
| 1 bedroom | $903 | $813 to $993 | $36,120 | $17.37/hr | +6.5% |
| 2 bedroom | $1,185 | $1,067 to $1,304 | $47,400 | $22.79/hr | +9.2% |
| 3 bedroom | $1,455 | $1,310 to $1,601 | $58,200 | $27.98/hr | +3.4% |
| 4 bedroom | $1,645 | $1,481 to $1,810 | $65,800 | $31.63/hr | +2.7% |
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 | $1,892 | $1,703 to $2,081 |
| 6 bedroom Estimate | $2,139 | $1,925 to $2,353 |
| 7 bedroom Estimate | $2,385 | $2,147 to $2,624 |
| 8 bedroom Estimate | $2,632 | $2,369 to $2,895 |
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 Essex, that runs from $891 for a studio up to $1,645 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 41st for two-bedroom FMR. That's about 13% below the state median of $1,361 and about 16% above the national median county at $1,018. About 37,314 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 $990 in 12932 (Elizabethtown) and $1,780 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 | $1,160 | -2.1% |
| 12852 | Newcomb | $1,190 | +0.4% |
| 12855 | North Hudson | $1,190 | +0.4% |
| 12857 | Olmstedville | $1,220 | +3.0% |
| 12858 | Paradox | $1,220 | +3.0% |
| 12870 | Schroon Lake | $1,260 | +6.3% |
| 12872 | Severance | $1,260 | +6.3% |
| 12879 | Newcomb | $1,190 | +0.4% |
| 12883 | Ticonderoga | $1,220 | +3.0% |
| 12913 | Bloomingdale | $1,160 | -2.1% |
| 12928 | Crown Point | $1,190 | +0.4% |
| 12932 | Elizabethtown | $990 | -16.5% |
| 12936 | Essex | $1,750 | +47.7% |
| 12941 | Jay | $1,490 | +25.7% |
| 12942 | Keene | $1,780 | +50.2% |
| 12943 | Keene Valley | $1,530 | +29.1% |
| 12944 | Keeseville | $1,380 | +16.5% |
| 12946 | Lake Placid | $1,290 | +8.9% |
| 12950 | Lewis | $1,470 | +24.1% |
| 12956 | Mineville | $1,190 | +0.4% |
| 12960 | Moriah | $1,190 | +0.4% |
| 12961 | Moriah Center | $1,190 | +0.4% |
| 12964 | New Russia | $1,190 | +0.4% |
| 12974 | Port Henry | $1,100 | -7.2% |
| 12975 | Port Kent | $1,350 | +13.9% |
| 12977 | Ray Brook | $1,170 | -1.3% |
| 12987 | Upper Jay | $1,550 | +30.8% |
| 12993 | Westport | $1,180 | -0.4% |
| 12996 | Willsboro | $1,040 | -12.2% |
| 12997 | Wilmington | $1,450 | +22.4% |
| 12998 | Witherbee | $1,190 | +0.4% |
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 $1,067 and $1,304. 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.
$1,185 a month is affordable, by HUD's 30% rule, on an income of roughly $47,400 a year. Put another way, $23 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% ($1,067) | HAP at 100% ($1,185) | HAP at 110% ($1,304) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $2,500 | $750 | $317 | $435 | $554 |
| $4,000 | $1,200 | $0 | $0 | $104 |
Rate history
The two-bedroom rate went up 9% from FY 2025 ($1,085) to FY 2026 ($1,185). Since FY 2020 it's up 37% in total, about 5.4% a year. The New York median moved up 5% over the same year.
| 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 2027 | $858 | $895 | $1,171 | $1,425 | $1,631 | -1.2% |
Nearby counties
Warren County
$1,34840 mi · pop 65,684
Clinton County
$1,24643 mi · pop 79,839
Franklin County
$1,04450 mi · pop 47,459
Hamilton County
$1,42951 mi · pop 5,090
Washington County
$1,34857 mi · pop 61,310
St. Lawrence County
$1,07175 mi · pop 108,670
Saratoga County
$1,70275 mi · pop 236,328
Fulton County
$1,08777 mi · pop 53,280
Questions people ask
$1,185 a month for FY 2026, which runs October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026. The other rates are $891 for a studio, $903 for one bedroom, $1,455 for three and $1,645 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 Essex actually go for?
HUD's number is one input. Search any address in Essex for a rent estimate built from nearby comps. 3 free searches, no card.
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