HUD Fair Market Rent · FY 2026 · effective Oct 1, 2025 to Sep 30, 2026
Fair Market Rent in Rensselaer County, New York (FY 2026)
$1,702 a month. That's HUD's FY 2026 Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom in Rensselaer County, and it's the baseline every voucher in Rensselaer is measured against.
2 bedroom FMR
$1,702
FY 2026, utilities included
Payment standard range
$1,532 to $1,872
90% to 110% of FMR
Income to afford 2BR
$68,080
per year, at 30% of income
Rank in New York
16th of 62
by 2BR FMR
HUD has already published FY 2027. On October 1, 2026 the two-bedroom rate in Rensselaer moves to $1,711. That's up 1%. The full FY 2027 table is in the history section below.
HUD's number is one input. What does a two-bedroom in Rensselaer actually rent for?
Search any address in Rensselaer 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 | $1,217 | $1,095 to $1,339 | $48,680 | $23.40/hr | +13.3% |
| 1 bedroom | $1,417 | $1,275 to $1,559 | $56,680 | $27.25/hr | +15.2% |
| 2 bedroom | $1,702 | $1,532 to $1,872 | $68,080 | $32.73/hr | +14.5% |
| 3 bedroom | $2,041 | $1,837 to $2,245 | $81,640 | $39.25/hr | +13.9% |
| 4 bedroom | $2,253 | $2,028 to $2,478 | $90,120 | $43.33/hr | +14.3% |
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 | $2,591 | $2,332 to $2,850 |
| 6 bedroom Estimate | $2,929 | $2,636 to $3,222 |
| 7 bedroom Estimate | $3,267 | $2,940 to $3,594 |
| 8 bedroom Estimate | $3,605 | $3,245 to $3,966 |
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 Rensselaer, that runs from $1,217 for a studio up to $2,253 for four bedrooms, all five rates in the table above.
This is a metro rate. The county doesn't get one of its own. HUD lumps Rensselaer in with 4 other counties in the Albany-Schenectady-Troy metro, Albany County, Saratoga County, Schenectady County among them, and every one of them gets $1,702 for a two-bedroom. Where you are inside the metro doesn't change the county number. It does change the ZIP number, covered below.
Among New York's 62 counties, Rensselaer ranks 16th for two-bedroom FMR. That's about 25% above the state median of $1,361 and about 67% above the national median county at $1,018. About 160,943 people live here, 21st in the state.
Counties sharing the Albany-Schenectady-Troy metro rate
Rates by ZIP code
Zoom in and the picture changes. HUD's Small Area FMRs put a two-bedroom at $1,340 in 12028 (Buskirk) and $2,260 in 12061 (East Greenbush), 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 12018 | Averill Park | $1,930 | +13.4% |
| 12022 | Berlin | $1,710 | +0.5% |
| 12024 | Brainard | $1,560 | -8.3% |
| 12028 | Buskirk | $1,340 | -21.3% |
| 12033 | Castleton On Hudson | $1,830 | +7.5% |
| 12040 | Cherry Plain | $1,690 | -0.7% |
| 12052 | Cropseyville | $1,880 | +10.5% |
| 12061 | East Greenbush | $2,260 | +32.8% |
| 12062 | East Nassau | $1,450 | -14.8% |
| 12063 | East Schodack | $1,800 | +5.8% |
| 12082 | Grafton | $1,880 | +10.5% |
| 12089 | Hoosick | $1,660 | -2.5% |
| 12090 | Hoosick Falls | $1,340 | -21.3% |
| 12094 | Johnsonville | $1,530 | -10.1% |
| 12121 | Melrose | $1,470 | -13.6% |
| 12123 | Nassau | $1,370 | -19.5% |
| 12133 | North Hoosick | $1,660 | -2.5% |
| 12138 | Petersburg | $1,650 | -3.1% |
| 12140 | Poestenkill | $1,340 | -21.3% |
| 12144 | Rensselaer | $1,940 | +14.0% |
| 12153 | Sand Lake | $1,820 | +6.9% |
| 12154 | Schaghticoke | $1,340 | -21.3% |
| 12156 | Schodack Landing | $1,650 | -3.1% |
| 12168 | Stephentown | $1,630 | -4.2% |
| 12169 | Stephentown | $1,710 | +0.5% |
| 12180 | Troy | $1,680 | -1.3% |
| 12181 | Troy | $1,660 | -2.5% |
| 12182 | Troy | $1,450 | -14.8% |
| 12185 | Valley Falls | $1,540 | -9.5% |
| 12196 | West Sand Lake | $1,450 | -14.8% |
| 12198 | Wynantskill | $1,550 | -8.9% |
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 Rensselaer somewhere between $1,532 and $1,872. 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.
$1,702 a month is affordable, by HUD's 30% rule, on an income of roughly $68,080 a year. Put another way, $33 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% ($1,532) | HAP at 100% ($1,702) | HAP at 110% ($1,872) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $2,500 | $750 | $782 | $952 | $1,122 |
| $4,000 | $1,200 | $332 | $502 | $672 |
Rate history
The two-bedroom rate went up 14% from FY 2025 ($1,487) to FY 2026 ($1,702). Since FY 2020 it's up 61% in total, about 8.3% 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 | $747 | $855 | $1,054 | $1,313 | $1,428 | — |
| FY 2021 | $809 | $912 | $1,117 | $1,389 | $1,515 | +6.0% |
| FY 2022 | $890 | $991 | $1,207 | $1,492 | $1,637 | +8.1% |
| FY 2023 | $968 | $1,079 | $1,313 | $1,598 | $1,764 | +8.8% |
| FY 2024 | $1,011 | $1,131 | $1,374 | $1,661 | $1,830 | +4.6% |
| FY 2025 | $1,074 | $1,230 | $1,487 | $1,792 | $1,971 | +8.2% |
| FY 2026 | $1,217 | $1,417 | $1,702 | $2,041 | $2,253 | +14.5% |
| FY 2027 | $1,238 | $1,425 | $1,711 | $2,039 | $2,249 | +0.5% |
Nearby counties
Albany County
$1,70215 mi · pop 315,041
Schenectady County
$1,70225 mi · pop 159,447
Saratoga County
$1,70227 mi · pop 236,328
Columbia County
$1,43429 mi · pop 61,469
Greene County
$1,37339 mi · pop 48,067
Washington County
$1,34844 mi · pop 61,310
Montgomery County
$1,10247 mi · pop 49,624
Schoharie County
$1,70247 mi · pop 29,970
Questions people ask
$1,702 a month for FY 2026, which runs October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026. The other rates are $1,217 for a studio, $1,417 for one bedroom, $2,041 for three and $2,253 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 Rensselaer actually go for?
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