HUD Fair Market Rent · FY 2026 · effective Oct 1, 2025 to Sep 30, 2026
Fair Market Rent in Ulster County, New York (FY 2026)
HUD's FY 2026 Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom in Ulster County is $1,818 a month. That's the number the housing authority starts from when it sets Section 8 payment standards here.
2 bedroom FMR
$1,818
FY 2026, utilities included
Payment standard range
$1,636 to $2,000
90% to 110% of FMR
Income to afford 2BR
$72,720
per year, at 30% of income
Rank in New York
13th of 62
by 2BR FMR
HUD has already published FY 2027. On October 1, 2026 the two-bedroom rate in Ulster moves to $1,878. 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 Ulster actually rent for?
Search any address in Ulster 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 | $1,303 | $1,173 to $1,433 | $52,120 | $25.06/hr | -4.9% |
| 1 bedroom | $1,386 | $1,247 to $1,525 | $55,440 | $26.65/hr | +1.1% |
| 2 bedroom | $1,818 | $1,636 to $2,000 | $72,720 | $34.96/hr | +1.1% |
| 3 bedroom | $2,245 | $2,021 to $2,470 | $89,800 | $43.17/hr | -1.4% |
| 4 bedroom | $2,407 | $2,166 to $2,648 | $96,280 | $46.29/hr | -2.4% |
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 | $2,768 | $2,491 to $3,045 |
| 6 bedroom Estimate | $3,129 | $2,816 to $3,442 |
| 7 bedroom Estimate | $3,490 | $3,141 to $3,839 |
| 8 bedroom Estimate | $3,851 | $3,466 to $4,236 |
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 Ulster, that runs from $1,303 for a studio up to $2,407 for four bedrooms, all five rates in the table above.
Ulster is its own HUD metro area (Kingston, NY), so the rate here is set from rents inside the county rather than a wider region.
Among New York's 62 counties, Ulster ranks 13th for two-bedroom FMR. That's about 34% above the state median of $1,361 and about 79% above the national median county at $1,018. About 182,153 people live here, 20th in the state.
Rates by ZIP code
Zoom in and the picture changes. HUD's Small Area FMRs put a two-bedroom at $1,620 in 12404 (Accord) and $2,590 in 12547 (Milton), with the 57 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 12401 | Kingston | $1,870 | +2.9% |
| 12402 | Kingston | $1,820 | +0.1% |
| 12404 | Accord | $1,620 | -10.9% |
| 12409 | Bearsville | $2,030 | +11.7% |
| 12410 | Big Indian | $1,820 | +0.1% |
| 12411 | Bloomington | $1,770 | -2.6% |
| 12412 | Boiceville | $1,870 | +2.9% |
| 12416 | Chichester | $1,820 | +0.1% |
| 12417 | Connelly | $1,990 | +9.5% |
| 12419 | Cottekill | $1,950 | +7.3% |
| 12420 | Cragsmoor | $1,720 | -5.4% |
| 12428 | Ellenville | $1,620 | -10.9% |
| 12429 | Esopus | $2,010 | +10.6% |
| 12432 | Glasco | $1,680 | -7.6% |
| 12433 | Glenford | $2,140 | +17.7% |
| 12435 | Greenfield Park | $1,620 | -10.9% |
| 12440 | High Falls | $1,890 | +4.0% |
| 12441 | Highmount | $1,620 | -10.9% |
| 12443 | Hurley | $1,720 | -5.4% |
| 12446 | Kerhonkson | $1,620 | -10.9% |
| 12448 | Lake Hill | $1,820 | +0.1% |
| 12449 | Lake Katrine | $2,120 | +16.6% |
| 12453 | Malden On Hudson | $1,680 | -7.6% |
| 12456 | Mount Marion | $1,680 | -7.6% |
| 12457 | Mount Tremper | $1,960 | +7.8% |
| 12458 | Napanoch | $1,620 | -10.9% |
| 12461 | Olivebridge | $1,620 | -10.9% |
| 12464 | Phoenicia | $1,680 | -7.6% |
| 12465 | Pine Hill | $1,620 | -10.9% |
| 12466 | Port Ewen | $2,100 | +15.5% |
| 12471 | Rifton | $2,150 | +18.3% |
| 12472 | Rosendale | $1,620 | -10.9% |
| 12475 | Ruby | $2,080 | +14.4% |
| 12477 | Saugerties | $1,680 | -7.6% |
| 12480 | Shandaken | $1,640 | -9.8% |
| 12481 | Shokan | $1,820 | +0.1% |
| 12483 | Spring Glen | $1,620 | -10.9% |
| 12484 | Stone Ridge | $1,750 | -3.7% |
| 12486 | Tillson | $2,380 | +30.9% |
| 12487 | Ulster Park | $2,010 | +10.6% |
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 Ulster somewhere between $1,636 and $2,000. 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.
$1,818 a month is affordable, by HUD's 30% rule, on an income of roughly $72,720 a year. Put another way, $35 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% ($1,636) | HAP at 100% ($1,818) | HAP at 110% ($2,000) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $2,500 | $750 | $886 | $1,068 | $1,250 |
| $4,000 | $1,200 | $436 | $618 | $800 |
Rate history
The two-bedroom rate went up 1% from FY 2025 ($1,799) to FY 2026 ($1,818). Since FY 2020 it's up 50% in total, about 6.9% 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 | $792 | $967 | $1,215 | $1,563 | $1,768 | — |
| FY 2021 | $860 | $1,020 | $1,296 | $1,685 | $1,906 | +6.7% |
| FY 2022 | $938 | $1,060 | $1,364 | $1,794 | $2,018 | +5.2% |
| FY 2023 | $1,089 | $1,155 | $1,498 | $1,961 | $2,185 | +9.8% |
| FY 2024 | $1,284 | $1,308 | $1,702 | $2,198 | $2,459 | +13.6% |
| FY 2025 | $1,370 | $1,371 | $1,799 | $2,278 | $2,466 | +5.7% |
| FY 2026 | $1,303 | $1,386 | $1,818 | $2,245 | $2,407 | +1.1% |
| FY 2027 | $1,308 | $1,436 | $1,878 | $2,282 | $2,468 | +3.3% |
Nearby counties
Dutchess County
$1,97922 mi · pop 296,467
Greene County
$1,37329 mi · pop 48,067
Orange County
$1,97934 mi · pop 401,237
Sullivan County
$1,30234 mi · pop 78,725
Columbia County
$1,43439 mi · pop 61,469
Putnam County
$2,91039 mi · pop 97,942
Delaware County
$1,03346 mi · pop 44,637
Rockland County
$2,91053 mi · pop 337,326
Questions people ask
$1,818 a month for FY 2026, which runs October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026. The other rates are $1,303 for a studio, $1,386 for one bedroom, $2,245 for three and $2,407 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 Ulster actually go for?
HUD's number is one input. Search any address in Ulster for a rent estimate built from nearby comps. 3 free searches, no card.
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