HUD Fair Market Rent · FY 2027 · Effective Oct 1, 2026 to Sep 30, 2027
Fair Market Rent in Franklin County, Ohio (FY 2027)
A two-bedroom in Franklin County carries a FY 2027 Fair Market Rent of $1,602 a month, effective October 1, 2026 through September 30, 2027. Everything Section 8 pays in Franklin keys off that figure.
Two-bedroom FMR
$1,602
+12.0% from FY 2026
Payment standard
$1,442–$1,762
90% to 110% of the FMR, two-bedroom
Income to afford
$64,080
a year, with rent at 30% of income
Rank in Ohio
4th of 88
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 | $1,258 | $1,132–$1,384 | $50,320 | $24.19/hr | +13.2% |
| 1 bedroom | $1,346 | $1,211–$1,481 | $53,840 | $25.88/hr | +12.7% |
| 2 bedroom | $1,602 | $1,442–$1,762 | $64,080 | $30.81/hr | +12.0% |
| 3 bedroom | $1,909 | $1,718–$2,100 | $76,360 | $36.71/hr | +11.3% |
| 4 bedroom | $2,172 | $1,955–$2,389 | $86,880 | $41.77/hr | +12.7% |
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 | $2,498 | $2,248–$2,748 |
| 6 bedroom Estimate | $2,824 | $2,542–$3,106 |
| 7 bedroom Estimate | $3,149 | $2,834–$3,464 |
| 8 bedroom Estimate | $3,475 | $3,128–$3,823 |
Source: HUD Office of Policy Development and Research, FY 2027 Fair Market Rents. Rents include utilities. huduser.gov
Market check
Two-bedrooms in Columbus are asking $1,323. HUD says $1,602.
That's 17% below the county FMR. Median asking rent across 16 Columbus ZIP codes with active 2BR listings. FMR includes utilities and asking rents usually don't, so the true gap is a little smaller.
No card needed
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 Franklin somewhere between $1,442 and $1,762. 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.
$1,602 a month is affordable, by HUD's 30% rule, on an income of roughly $64,080 a year. Put another way, $31 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%$1,442 | Voucher pays at 100%$1,602 | Voucher pays at 110%$1,762 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $2,500 | $750 | $692 | $852 | $1,012 |
| $4,000 | $1,200 | $242 | $402 | $562 |
Rate history
The two-bedroom rate went up 12% from FY 2026 ($1,430) to FY 2027 ($1,602). Since FY 2020 it's up 61% in total, about 7.1% a year. The Ohio median moved up 3% over the same year.
| Fiscal year | Studio | 1 BR | 2 BR | 3 BR | 4 BR | 2BR change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY 2020 | $677 | $794 | $992 | $1,262 | $1,449 | — |
| FY 2021 | $717 | $827 | $1,031 | $1,298 | $1,468 | +3.9% |
| FY 2022 | $730 | $829 | $1,032 | $1,281 | $1,426 | +0.1% |
| FY 2023 | $842 | $941 | $1,163 | $1,426 | $1,577 | +12.7% |
| FY 2024 | $970 | $1,065 | $1,302 | $1,574 | $1,745 | +12.0% |
| FY 2025 | $1,104 | $1,194 | $1,445 | $1,741 | $1,939 | +11.0% |
| FY 2026 | $1,111 | $1,194 | $1,430 | $1,715 | $1,927 | -1.0% |
| FY 2027In effect | $1,258 | $1,346 | $1,602 | $1,909 | $2,172 | +12.0% |
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 Franklin, that runs from $1,258 for a studio up to $2,172 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 Franklin in with 6 other counties in the Columbus metro, Delaware County, Licking County, Fairfield County among them, and every one of them gets $1,602 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 Ohio's 88 counties, Franklin ranks 4th for two-bedroom FMR. That's about 53% above the state median of $1,048 and about 51% above the national median county at $1,063. About 1,333,048 people live here, 1st in the state.
Rates by ZIP code
Zoom in and the picture changes. HUD's Small Area FMRs put a two-bedroom at $1,000 in 43210 (Columbus) and $2,350 in 43215 (Columbus), with the 51 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 43002 | Amlin | $2,120 | +32.3% |
| 43004 | Blacklick | $1,850 | +15.5% |
| 43016 | Dublin | $2,180 | +36.1% |
| 43017 | Dublin | $1,970 | +23.0% |
| 43026 | Hilliard | $1,920 | +19.9% |
| 43054 | New Albany | $2,300 | +43.6% |
| 43068 | Reynoldsburg | $1,680 | +4.9% |
| 43069 | Reynoldsburg | $1,602County rate | — |
| 43081 | Westerville | $1,940 | +21.1% |
| 43085 | Columbus | $1,850 | +15.5% |
| 43086 | Westerville | $1,750 | +9.2% |
| 43109 | Brice | $1,470 | -8.2% |
| 43119 | Galloway | $1,720 | +7.4% |
| 43123 | Grove City | $1,620 | +1.1% |
| 43125 | Groveport | $1,550 | -3.2% |
| 43126 | Harrisburg | $1,210 | -24.5% |
| 43194 | Lockbourne | $1,620 | +1.1% |
| 43195 | Groveport | $1,620 | +1.1% |
| 43199 | Groveport | $1,602County rate | — |
| 43201 | Columbus | $1,690 | +5.5% |
| 43202 | Columbus | $1,510 | -5.7% |
| 43203 | Columbus | $1,300 | -18.9% |
| 43204 | Columbus | $1,480 | -7.6% |
| 43205 | Columbus | $1,380 | -13.9% |
| 43206 | Columbus | $1,670 | +4.2% |
| 43207 | Columbus | $1,420 | -11.4% |
| 43209 | Columbus | $1,510 | -5.7% |
| 43210 | Columbus | $1,000 | -37.6% |
| 43211 | Columbus | $1,340 | -16.4% |
| 43212 | Columbus | $1,760 | +9.9% |
| 43213 | Columbus | $1,450 | -9.5% |
| 43214 | Columbus | $1,650 | +3.0% |
| 43215 | Columbus | $2,350 | +46.7% |
| 43216 | Columbus | $1,620 | +1.1% |
| 43217 | Columbus | $1,520 | -5.1% |
| 43218 | Columbus | $1,620 | +1.1% |
| 43219 | Columbus | $1,630 | +1.7% |
| 43220 | Columbus | $1,650 | +3.0% |
| 43221 | Columbus | $1,970 | +23.0% |
| 43222 | Columbus | $1,260 | -21.3% |
Counties sharing the Columbus metro rate
HUD sets one rate for the whole metro, so every county here carries the same $1,602 two-bedroom figure as Franklin.
Nearby counties
Two-bedroom FMR, with how each compares to Franklin.
Delaware County
20 mi · 226,834 people
$1,602
same rate
Pickaway County
21 mi · 60,131 people
$1,602
same rate
Madison County
23 mi · 44,423 people
$1,602
same rate
Fairfield County
24 mi · 163,453 people
$1,602
same rate
Licking County
26 mi · 181,837 people
$1,602
same rate
Union County
28 mi · 67,324 people
$1,607
same rate
Fayette County
38 mi · 28,876 people
$1,017
-37%
Morrow County
39 mi · 35,404 people
$1,602
same rate
Questions people ask
$1,602 a month for FY 2027, which runs October 1, 2026 through September 30, 2027. The other rates are $1,258 for a studio, $1,346 for one bedroom, $1,909 for three and $2,172 for four.
Tools for this county
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
What does a rental in Franklin actually go for?
HUD's number is one input. Search any address in Franklin for a rent estimate built from nearby comps. Free to start, no card.
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