HUD Fair Market Rent · FY 2026 · effective Oct 1, 2025 to Sep 30, 2026
Fair Market Rent in Berks County, Pennsylvania (FY 2026)
$1,575 a month. That's HUD's FY 2026 Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom in Berks County, and it's the baseline every voucher in Berks is measured against.
2 bedroom FMR
$1,575
FY 2026, utilities included
Payment standard range
$1,418 to $1,733
90% to 110% of FMR
Income to afford 2BR
$63,000
per year, at 30% of income
Rank in Pennsylvania
9th of 67
by 2BR FMR
HUD has already published FY 2027. On October 1, 2026 the two-bedroom rate in Berks moves to $1,418. That's down 10%. The full FY 2027 table is in the history section below.
HUD's number is one input. What does a two-bedroom in Berks actually rent for?
Search any address in Berks 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 | $1,086 | $977 to $1,195 | $43,440 | $20.88/hr | +17.0% |
| 1 bedroom | $1,237 | $1,113 to $1,361 | $49,480 | $23.79/hr | +15.1% |
| 2 bedroom | $1,575 | $1,418 to $1,733 | $63,000 | $30.29/hr | +16.4% |
| 3 bedroom | $1,937 | $1,743 to $2,131 | $77,480 | $37.25/hr | +14.7% |
| 4 bedroom | $2,085 | $1,877 to $2,294 | $83,400 | $40.10/hr | +16.2% |
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 | $2,398 | $2,158 to $2,638 |
| 6 bedroom Estimate | $2,711 | $2,440 to $2,982 |
| 7 bedroom Estimate | $3,023 | $2,721 to $3,325 |
| 8 bedroom Estimate | $3,336 | $3,002 to $3,670 |
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 Berks, that runs from $1,086 for a studio up to $2,085 for four bedrooms, all five rates in the table above.
Berks is its own HUD metro area (Reading, PA), so the rate here is set from rents inside the county rather than a wider region.
Among Pennsylvania's 67 counties, Berks ranks 9th for two-bedroom FMR. That's about 38% above the state median of $1,138 and about 55% above the national median county at $1,018. About 428,483 people live here, 9th in the state.
Rates by ZIP code
Zoom in and the picture changes. HUD's Small Area FMRs put a two-bedroom at $1,320 in 19534 (Lenhartsville) and $2,210 in 18056 (Hereford), with the 53 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 18056 | Hereford | $2,210 | +40.3% |
| 19503 | Bally | $1,640 | +4.1% |
| 19504 | Barto | $1,480 | -6.0% |
| 19505 | Bechtelsville | $1,600 | +1.6% |
| 19506 | Bernville | $1,530 | -2.9% |
| 19507 | Bethel | $1,340 | -14.9% |
| 19508 | Birdsboro | $1,440 | -8.6% |
| 19510 | Blandon | $1,700 | +7.9% |
| 19511 | Bowers | $1,520 | -3.5% |
| 19512 | Boyertown | $1,580 | +0.3% |
| 19516 | Centerport | $1,900 | +20.6% |
| 19518 | Douglassville | $1,900 | +20.6% |
| 19519 | Earlville | $1,580 | +0.3% |
| 19522 | Fleetwood | $1,510 | -4.1% |
| 19523 | Geigertown | $1,480 | -6.0% |
| 19526 | Hamburg | $1,510 | -4.1% |
| 19529 | Kempton | $1,620 | +2.9% |
| 19530 | Kutztown | $1,570 | -0.3% |
| 19533 | Leesport | $1,340 | -14.9% |
| 19534 | Lenhartsville | $1,320 | -16.2% |
| 19535 | Limekiln | $1,820 | +15.6% |
| 19536 | Lyon Station | $1,380 | -12.4% |
| 19538 | Maxatawny | $1,570 | -0.3% |
| 19539 | Mertztown | $1,850 | +17.5% |
| 19540 | Mohnton | $1,440 | -8.6% |
| 19541 | Mohrsville | $1,900 | +20.6% |
| 19543 | Morgantown | $1,650 | +4.8% |
| 19544 | Mount Aetna | $1,410 | -10.5% |
| 19545 | New Berlinville | $1,580 | +0.3% |
| 19547 | Oley | $1,720 | +9.2% |
| 19548 | Pine Forge | $1,580 | +0.3% |
| 19550 | Rehrersburg | $1,350 | -14.3% |
| 19551 | Robesonia | $1,380 | -12.4% |
| 19554 | Shartlesville | $1,330 | -15.6% |
| 19555 | Shoemakersville | $1,470 | -6.7% |
| 19559 | Strausstown | $1,430 | -9.2% |
| 19560 | Temple | $1,960 | +24.4% |
| 19562 | Topton | $1,640 | +4.1% |
| 19564 | Virginville | $1,520 | -3.5% |
| 19565 | Wernersville | $1,630 | +3.5% |
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 Berks somewhere between $1,418 and $1,733. 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.
$1,575 a month is affordable, by HUD's 30% rule, on an income of roughly $63,000 a year. Put another way, $30 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% ($1,418) | HAP at 100% ($1,575) | HAP at 110% ($1,733) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $2,500 | $750 | $668 | $825 | $983 |
| $4,000 | $1,200 | $218 | $375 | $533 |
Rate history
The two-bedroom rate went up 16% from FY 2025 ($1,353) to FY 2026 ($1,575). Since FY 2020 it's up 70% in total, about 9.2% a year. The Pennsylvania median moved up 7% over the same year.
| Year | Studio | 1 BR | 2 BR | 3 BR | 4 BR | 2BR change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY 2020 | $599 | $713 | $927 | $1,166 | $1,257 | — |
| FY 2021 | $628 | $741 | $952 | $1,184 | $1,291 | +2.7% |
| FY 2022 | $690 | $811 | $1,038 | $1,286 | $1,408 | +9.0% |
| FY 2023 | $760 | $894 | $1,136 | $1,422 | $1,526 | +9.4% |
| FY 2024 | $895 | $1,041 | $1,320 | $1,649 | $1,758 | +16.2% |
| FY 2025 | $928 | $1,075 | $1,353 | $1,689 | $1,794 | +2.5% |
| FY 2026 | $1,086 | $1,237 | $1,575 | $1,937 | $2,085 | +16.4% |
| FY 2027 | $978 | $1,114 | $1,418 | $1,744 | $1,877 | -10.0% |
Nearby counties
Lehigh County
$1,63423 mi · pop 374,110
Lebanon County
$1,41128 mi · pop 143,258
Schuylkill County
$1,03029 mi · pop 143,201
Lancaster County
$1,52630 mi · pop 553,202
Chester County
$1,81031 mi · pop 536,474
Carbon County
$1,63433 mi · pop 65,018
Montgomery County
$1,81033 mi · pop 856,399
Northampton County
$1,63437 mi · pop 314,299
Questions people ask
$1,575 a month for FY 2026, which runs October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026. The other rates are $1,086 for a studio, $1,237 for one bedroom, $1,937 for three and $2,085 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 Berks actually go for?
HUD's number is one input. Search any address in Berks for a rent estimate built from nearby comps. 3 free searches, no card.
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