How much will Section 8 pay for rent in Hamilton County?

Up to the housing authority's payment standard, which it sets between 90% and 110% of FMR. For a two-bedroom that's $1,158 to $1,416. The voucher covers the gap between that standard and about 30% of the tenant's income, and it never pays more than the unit would rent for without a voucher.

Why does my ZIP code show a different Fair Market Rent than Hamilton County?

HUD publishes a second set of numbers, Small Area FMRs, for individual ZIP codes. In Hamilton those run from $1,290 to $1,570 for a two-bedroom. Housing authorities in metros HUD has designated for Small Area FMRs use the ZIP rate. The rest use the county rate. Your PHA can tell you which one applies.

When do the next Fair Market Rents for Hamilton County come out?

HUD usually publishes the new fiscal year's rates in late August or September, and they take effect October 1. This page updates as soon as the new New York figures are loaded.

HUD Fair Market Rent · FY 2027 · Effective Oct 1, 2026 to Sep 30, 2027

Fair Market Rent in Hamilton County, New York (FY 2027)

$1,287 a month. That's HUD's FY 2027 Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom in Hamilton County, and it's the baseline every voucher in Hamilton is measured against.

Two-bedroom FMR

$1,287

-9.9% from FY 2026

Payment standard

$1,158–$1,416

90% to 110% of the FMR, two-bedroom

Income to afford

$51,480

a year, with rent at 30% of income

Rank in New York

37th 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	$968	$871–$1,065	$38,720	$18.62/hr	-10.0%
1 bedroom	$982	$884–$1,080	$39,280	$18.88/hr	-9.8%
2 bedroom	$1,287	$1,158–$1,416	$51,480	$24.75/hr	-9.9%
3 bedroom	$1,542	$1,388–$1,696	$61,680	$29.65/hr	-10.0%
4 bedroom	$1,703	$1,533–$1,873	$68,120	$32.75/hr	-10.0%

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	$1,958	$1,762–$2,154
6 bedroom Estimate	$2,214	$1,993–$2,435
7 bedroom Estimate	$2,469	$2,222–$2,716
8 bedroom Estimate	$2,725	$2,453–$2,998

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 Hamilton actually rent for?

Search any address in Hamilton for a rent estimate built from nearby comps, with the HUD figure right next to it.

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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 Hamilton somewhere between $1,158 and $1,416. 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.

$1,287 a month is affordable, by HUD's 30% rule, on an income of roughly $51,480 a year. Put another way, $25 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%$1,158	Voucher pays at 100%$1,287	Voucher pays at 110%$1,416
$2,500	$750	$408	$537	$666
$4,000	$1,200	$0	$87	$216

Run your own numbers in the Section 8 rent calculator

Rate history

The two-bedroom rate went down 10% from FY 2026 ($1,429) to FY 2027 ($1,287). Since FY 2020 it's up 52% in total, about 6.2% 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	$638	$642	$846	$1,098	$1,211	—
FY 2021	$695	$700	$922	$1,147	$1,317	+9.0%
FY 2022	$677	$682	$897	$1,109	$1,275	-2.7%
FY 2023	$765	$770	$1,013	$1,233	$1,434	+12.9%
FY 2024	$862	$868	$1,140	$1,378	$1,594	+12.5%
FY 2025	$1,006	$1,013	$1,329	$1,601	$1,762	+16.6%
FY 2026	$1,075	$1,089	$1,429	$1,713	$1,892	+7.5%
FY 2027In effect	$968	$982	$1,287	$1,542	$1,703	-9.9%

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 Hamilton, that runs from $968 for a studio up to $1,703 for four bedrooms, all five rates in the table above.

Because Hamilton 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, Lake Pleasant included.

Among New York's 62 counties, Hamilton ranks 37th for two-bedroom FMR. That's about 7% below the state median of $1,385 and about 21% above the national median county at $1,063. About 5,089 people live here, 62nd in the state.

Rates by ZIP code

Zoom in and the picture changes. HUD's Small Area FMRs put a two-bedroom at $1,290 in 12108 (Lake Pleasant) and $1,570 in 12164 (Speculator), with the 11 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
12108	Lake Pleasant	$1,290	+0.2%
12139	Piseco	$1,290	+0.2%
12164	Speculator	$1,570	+22.0%
12190	Wells	$1,290	+0.2%
12812	Blue Mountain Lake	$1,290	+0.2%
12842	Indian Lake	$1,290	+0.2%
12847	Long Lake	$1,290	+0.2%
12864	Sabael	$1,290	+0.2%
13353	Hoffmeister	$1,290	+0.2%
13360	Inlet	$1,290	+0.2%
13436	Raquette Lake	$1,290	+0.2%

Nearby counties

Two-bedroom FMR, with how each compares to Hamilton.

Warren County

35 mi · 65,517 people

$1,347

+5%

Fulton County

37 mi · 52,487 people

$1,051

-18%

Herkimer County

40 mi · 59,757 people

$1,210

-6%

Lewis County

48 mi · 26,607 people

$1,014

-21%

Essex County

51 mi · 36,973 people

$1,171

-9%

Montgomery County

51 mi · 49,528 people

$1,111

-14%

Saratoga County

55 mi · 238,284 people

$1,711

+33%

Oneida County

57 mi · 229,124 people

$1,210

-6%

Questions people ask

$1,287 a month for FY 2027, which runs October 1, 2026 through September 30, 2027. The other rates are $968 for a studio, $982 for one bedroom, $1,542 for three and $1,703 for four.

Tools for this county

All New York counties All states

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