HUD Fair Market Rent · FY 2026 · effective Oct 1, 2025 to Sep 30, 2026
Fair Market Rent in Jefferson County, New York (FY 2026)
HUD's FY 2026 Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom in Jefferson County is $1,405 a month. That's the number the housing authority starts from when it sets Section 8 payment standards here.
2 bedroom FMR
$1,405
FY 2026, utilities included
Payment standard range
$1,265 to $1,546
90% to 110% of FMR
Income to afford 2BR
$56,200
per year, at 30% of income
Rank in New York
27th of 62
by 2BR FMR
HUD has already published FY 2027. On October 1, 2026 the two-bedroom rate in Jefferson moves to $1,453. That's up 3%. The full FY 2027 table is in the history section below.
HUD's number is one input. What does a two-bedroom in Jefferson actually rent for?
Search any address in Jefferson 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 | $969 | $872 to $1,066 | $38,760 | $18.63/hr | +9.0% |
| 1 bedroom | $1,071 | $964 to $1,178 | $42,840 | $20.60/hr | +9.6% |
| 2 bedroom | $1,405 | $1,265 to $1,546 | $56,200 | $27.02/hr | +9.6% |
| 3 bedroom | $1,907 | $1,716 to $2,098 | $76,280 | $36.67/hr | +9.6% |
| 4 bedroom | $2,340 | $2,106 to $2,574 | $93,600 | $45.00/hr | +9.7% |
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 | $2,691 | $2,422 to $2,960 |
| 6 bedroom Estimate | $3,042 | $2,738 to $3,346 |
| 7 bedroom Estimate | $3,393 | $3,054 to $3,732 |
| 8 bedroom Estimate | $3,744 | $3,370 to $4,118 |
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 Jefferson, that runs from $969 for a studio up to $2,340 for four bedrooms, all five rates in the table above.
Jefferson is its own HUD metro area (Watertown-Fort Drum, NY), so the rate here is set from rents inside the county rather than a wider region.
Among New York's 62 counties, Jefferson ranks 27th for two-bedroom FMR. That's about 3% above the state median of $1,361 and about 38% above the national median county at $1,018. About 117,445 people live here, 25th in the state.
Rates by ZIP code
Zoom in and the picture changes. HUD's Small Area FMRs put a two-bedroom at $1,160 in 13605 (Adams) and $1,740 in 13603 (Watertown), with the 40 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 13601 | Watertown | $1,290 | -8.2% |
| 13602 | Fort Drum | $1,660 | +18.1% |
| 13603 | Watertown | $1,740 | +23.8% |
| 13605 | Adams | $1,160 | -17.4% |
| 13606 | Adams Center | $1,360 | -3.2% |
| 13607 | Alexandria Bay | $1,160 | -17.4% |
| 13608 | Antwerp | $1,160 | -17.4% |
| 13611 | Belleville | $1,160 | -17.4% |
| 13612 | Black River | $1,160 | -17.4% |
| 13615 | Brownville | $1,160 | -17.4% |
| 13616 | Calcium | $1,420 | +1.1% |
| 13618 | Cape Vincent | $1,160 | -17.4% |
| 13619 | Carthage | $1,260 | -10.3% |
| 13622 | Chaumont | $1,280 | -8.9% |
| 13624 | Clayton | $1,170 | -16.7% |
| 13628 | Deferiet | $1,180 | -16.0% |
| 13632 | Depauville | $1,230 | -12.5% |
| 13634 | Dexter | $1,170 | -16.7% |
| 13636 | Ellisburg | $1,160 | -17.4% |
| 13637 | Evans Mills | $1,500 | +6.8% |
| 13638 | Felts Mills | $1,160 | -17.4% |
| 13640 | Wellesley Island | $1,160 | -17.4% |
| 13641 | Fishers Landing | $1,160 | -17.4% |
| 13643 | Great Bend | $1,260 | -10.3% |
| 13650 | Henderson | $1,160 | -17.4% |
| 13651 | Henderson Harbor | $1,160 | -17.4% |
| 13656 | La Fargeville | $1,160 | -17.4% |
| 13657 | Limerick | $1,405County rate | — |
| 13659 | Lorraine | $1,170 | -16.7% |
| 13661 | Mannsville | $1,190 | -15.3% |
| 13665 | Natural Bridge | $1,160 | -17.4% |
| 13671 | Oxbow | $1,410 | +0.4% |
| 13673 | Philadelphia | $1,190 | -15.3% |
| 13674 | Pierrepont Manor | $1,160 | -17.4% |
| 13675 | Plessis | $1,160 | -17.4% |
| 13679 | Redwood | $1,160 | -17.4% |
| 13682 | Rodman | $1,510 | +7.5% |
| 13685 | Sackets Harbor | $1,570 | +11.7% |
| 13691 | Theresa | $1,160 | -17.4% |
| 13692 | Thousand Island Park | $1,410 | +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 Jefferson somewhere between $1,265 and $1,546. 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.
$1,405 a month is affordable, by HUD's 30% rule, on an income of roughly $56,200 a year. Put another way, $27 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% ($1,265) | HAP at 100% ($1,405) | HAP at 110% ($1,546) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $2,500 | $750 | $515 | $655 | $796 |
| $4,000 | $1,200 | $65 | $205 | $346 |
Rate history
The two-bedroom rate went up 10% from FY 2025 ($1,282) to FY 2026 ($1,405). Since FY 2020 it's up 28% in total, about 4.2% 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 | $716 | $834 | $1,099 | $1,432 | $1,637 | — |
| FY 2021 | $691 | $794 | $1,047 | $1,389 | $1,610 | -4.7% |
| FY 2022 | $786 | $899 | $1,183 | $1,587 | $1,864 | +13.0% |
| FY 2023 | $816 | $928 | $1,221 | $1,650 | $1,951 | +3.2% |
| FY 2024 | $922 | $1,035 | $1,360 | $1,843 | $2,231 | +11.4% |
| FY 2025 | $889 | $977 | $1,282 | $1,740 | $2,133 | -5.7% |
| FY 2026 | $969 | $1,071 | $1,405 | $1,907 | $2,340 | +9.6% |
| FY 2027 | $1,012 | $1,111 | $1,453 | $1,995 | $2,376 | +3.4% |
Nearby counties
Lewis County
$1,00831 mi · pop 26,690
Oswego County
$1,39244 mi · pop 118,037
St. Lawrence County
$1,07155 mi · pop 108,670
Oneida County
$1,17266 mi · pop 231,055
Onondaga County
$1,39270 mi · pop 472,637
Herkimer County
$1,17276 mi · pop 60,293
Hamilton County
$1,42977 mi · pop 5,090
Madison County
$1,39279 mi · pop 68,020
Questions people ask
$1,405 a month for FY 2026, which runs October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026. The other rates are $969 for a studio, $1,071 for one bedroom, $1,907 for three and $2,340 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 Jefferson actually go for?
HUD's number is one input. Search any address in Jefferson for a rent estimate built from nearby comps. 3 free searches, no card.
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