HUD Fair Market Rent · FY 2026 · effective Oct 1, 2025 to Sep 30, 2026
Fair Market Rent in Seneca County, New York (FY 2026)
HUD's FY 2026 Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom in Seneca County is $1,169 a month. That's the number the housing authority starts from when it sets Section 8 payment standards here.
2 bedroom FMR
$1,169
FY 2026, utilities included
Payment standard range
$1,052 to $1,286
90% to 110% of FMR
Income to afford 2BR
$46,760
per year, at 30% of income
Rank in New York
44th of 62
by 2BR FMR
HUD has already published FY 2027. On October 1, 2026 the two-bedroom rate in Seneca moves to $1,145. That's down 2%. The full FY 2027 table is in the history section below.
HUD's number is one input. What does a two-bedroom in Seneca actually rent for?
Search any address in Seneca 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 | $879 | $791 to $967 | $35,160 | $16.90/hr | +7.2% |
| 1 bedroom | $921 | $829 to $1,013 | $36,840 | $17.71/hr | +10.3% |
| 2 bedroom | $1,169 | $1,052 to $1,286 | $46,760 | $22.48/hr | +8.7% |
| 3 bedroom | $1,550 | $1,395 to $1,705 | $62,000 | $29.81/hr | +10.0% |
| 4 bedroom | $1,961 | $1,765 to $2,157 | $78,440 | $37.71/hr | +8.6% |
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 | $2,255 | $2,030 to $2,481 |
| 6 bedroom Estimate | $2,549 | $2,294 to $2,804 |
| 7 bedroom Estimate | $2,843 | $2,559 to $3,127 |
| 8 bedroom Estimate | $3,138 | $2,824 to $3,452 |
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 Seneca, that runs from $879 for a studio up to $1,961 for four bedrooms, all five rates in the table above.
Because Seneca 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, Fayette included.
Among New York's 62 counties, Seneca ranks 44th for two-bedroom FMR. That's about 14% below the state median of $1,361 and about 15% above the national median county at $1,018. About 33,651 people live here, 57th in the state.
Rates by ZIP code
Zoom in and the picture changes. HUD's Small Area FMRs put a two-bedroom at $1,170 in 14588 (Willard) and $1,420 in 14541 (Romulus), with the 8 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.
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 Seneca somewhere between $1,052 and $1,286. 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.
$1,169 a month is affordable, by HUD's 30% rule, on an income of roughly $46,760 a year. Put another way, $22 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% ($1,052) | HAP at 100% ($1,169) | HAP at 110% ($1,286) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $2,500 | $750 | $302 | $419 | $536 |
| $4,000 | $1,200 | $0 | $0 | $86 |
Rate history
The two-bedroom rate went up 9% from FY 2025 ($1,075) to FY 2026 ($1,169). Since FY 2020 it's up 41% in total, about 5.9% 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 | $681 | $685 | $828 | $1,094 | $1,255 | — |
| FY 2021 | $697 | $701 | $865 | $1,118 | $1,264 | +4.5% |
| FY 2022 | $682 | $686 | $851 | $1,095 | $1,284 | -1.6% |
| FY 2023 | $727 | $732 | $926 | $1,198 | $1,513 | +8.8% |
| FY 2024 | $765 | $770 | $991 | $1,297 | $1,682 | +7.0% |
| FY 2025 | $820 | $835 | $1,075 | $1,409 | $1,805 | +8.5% |
| FY 2026 | $879 | $921 | $1,169 | $1,550 | $1,961 | +8.7% |
| FY 2027 | $797 | $927 | $1,145 | $1,539 | $1,914 | -2.1% |
Nearby counties
Yates County
$1,09715 mi · pop 24,713
Cayuga County
$1,12417 mi · pop 76,171
Ontario County
$1,57325 mi · pop 112,288
Schuyler County
$1,14825 mi · pop 17,855
Tompkins County
$1,75326 mi · pop 102,555
Wayne County
$1,57332 mi · pop 91,324
Cortland County
$1,19838 mi · pop 46,755
Onondaga County
$1,39238 mi · pop 472,637
Questions people ask
$1,169 a month for FY 2026, which runs October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026. The other rates are $879 for a studio, $921 for one bedroom, $1,550 for three and $1,961 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 Seneca actually go for?
HUD's number is one input. Search any address in Seneca for a rent estimate built from nearby comps. 3 free searches, no card.
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