HUD Fair Market Rent · FY 2026 · effective Oct 1, 2025 to Sep 30, 2026
Fair Market Rent in Butler County, Pennsylvania (FY 2026)
A two-bedroom in Butler County carries a FY 2026 Fair Market Rent of $1,299 a month, effective October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026. Everything Section 8 pays in Butler keys off that figure.
2 bedroom FMR
$1,299
FY 2026, utilities included
Payment standard range
$1,169 to $1,429
90% to 110% of FMR
Income to afford 2BR
$51,960
per year, at 30% of income
Rank in Pennsylvania
24th of 67
by 2BR FMR
HUD has already published FY 2027. On October 1, 2026 the two-bedroom rate in Butler moves to $1,389. That's up 7%. The full FY 2027 table is in the history section below.
HUD's number is one input. What does a two-bedroom in Butler actually rent for?
Search any address in Butler 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 | $1,001 | $901 to $1,101 | $40,040 | $19.25/hr | +0.3% |
| 1 bedroom | $1,077 | $969 to $1,185 | $43,080 | $20.71/hr | +0.8% |
| 2 bedroom | $1,299 | $1,169 to $1,429 | $51,960 | $24.98/hr | +1.5% |
| 3 bedroom | $1,661 | $1,495 to $1,827 | $66,440 | $31.94/hr | +1.8% |
| 4 bedroom | $1,789 | $1,610 to $1,968 | $71,560 | $34.40/hr | +1.7% |
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 | $2,057 | $1,851 to $2,263 |
| 6 bedroom Estimate | $2,326 | $2,093 to $2,559 |
| 7 bedroom Estimate | $2,594 | $2,335 to $2,853 |
| 8 bedroom Estimate | $2,862 | $2,576 to $3,148 |
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 Butler, that runs from $1,001 for a studio up to $1,789 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 Butler in with 5 other counties in the Pittsburgh metro, Allegheny County, Westmoreland County, Washington County among them, and every one of them gets $1,299 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 Pennsylvania's 67 counties, Butler ranks 24th for two-bedroom FMR. That's about 14% above the state median of $1,138 and about 28% above the national median county at $1,018. About 194,562 people live here, 19th in the state.
Counties sharing the Pittsburgh metro rate
Rates by ZIP code
Zoom in and the picture changes. HUD's Small Area FMRs put a two-bedroom at $970 in 16030 (Eau Claire) and $1,950 in 16046 (Mars), with the 33 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 16001 | Butler | $1,190 | -8.4% |
| 16002 | Butler | $1,060 | -18.4% |
| 16003 | Butler | $1,280 | -1.5% |
| 16016 | Boyers | $1,299County rate | — |
| 16017 | Boyers | $1,299County rate | — |
| 16018 | Boyers | $1,299County rate | — |
| 16020 | Boyers | $1,140 | -12.2% |
| 16021 | Branchton | $1,299County rate | — |
| 16022 | Bruin | $1,090 | -16.1% |
| 16023 | Cabot | $1,420 | +9.3% |
| 16024 | Callery | $1,440 | +10.9% |
| 16025 | Chicora | $1,020 | -21.5% |
| 16027 | Connoquenessing | $1,700 | +30.9% |
| 16029 | East Butler | $1,090 | -16.1% |
| 16030 | Eau Claire | $970 | -25.3% |
| 16033 | Evans City | $1,420 | +9.3% |
| 16034 | Fenelton | $1,240 | -4.5% |
| 16035 | Forestville | $1,160 | -10.7% |
| 16037 | Harmony | $1,340 | +3.2% |
| 16038 | Harrisville | $1,200 | -7.6% |
| 16039 | Herman | $1,280 | -1.5% |
| 16040 | Hilliards | $1,080 | -16.9% |
| 16041 | Karns City | $1,100 | -15.3% |
| 16045 | Lyndora | $1,340 | +3.2% |
| 16046 | Mars | $1,950 | +50.1% |
| 16048 | North Washington | $1,170 | -9.9% |
| 16050 | Petrolia | $1,210 | -6.9% |
| 16051 | Portersville | $970 | -25.3% |
| 16052 | Prospect | $1,250 | -3.8% |
| 16053 | Renfrew | $1,300 | +0.1% |
| 16055 | Sarver | $1,340 | +3.2% |
| 16056 | Saxonburg | $1,200 | -7.6% |
| 16057 | Slippery Rock | $1,130 | -13.0% |
| 16059 | Valencia | $1,950 | +50.1% |
| 16061 | West Sunbury | $1,200 | -7.6% |
| 16063 | Zelienople | $1,280 | -1.5% |
| 16066 | Cranberry Township | $1,890 | +45.5% |
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 Butler somewhere between $1,169 and $1,429. 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.
$1,299 a month is affordable, by HUD's 30% rule, on an income of roughly $51,960 a year. Put another way, $25 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% ($1,169) | HAP at 100% ($1,299) | HAP at 110% ($1,429) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $2,500 | $750 | $419 | $549 | $679 |
| $4,000 | $1,200 | $0 | $99 | $229 |
Rate history
The two-bedroom rate went up 1% from FY 2025 ($1,280) to FY 2026 ($1,299). Since FY 2020 it's up 46% in total, about 6.5% 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 | $661 | $727 | $890 | $1,137 | $1,248 | — |
| FY 2021 | $714 | $772 | $940 | $1,206 | $1,321 | +5.6% |
| FY 2022 | $763 | $807 | $981 | $1,252 | $1,371 | +4.4% |
| FY 2023 | $862 | $904 | $1,090 | $1,386 | $1,515 | +11.1% |
| FY 2024 | $917 | $965 | $1,161 | $1,474 | $1,605 | +6.5% |
| FY 2025 | $998 | $1,068 | $1,280 | $1,632 | $1,759 | +10.2% |
| FY 2026 | $1,001 | $1,077 | $1,299 | $1,661 | $1,789 | +1.5% |
| FY 2027 | $1,075 | $1,146 | $1,389 | $1,773 | $1,925 | +6.9% |
Nearby counties
Armstrong County
$1,00224 mi · pop 65,538
Lawrence County
$1,02325 mi · pop 85,907
Beaver County
$1,29927 mi · pop 167,629
Allegheny County
$1,29932 mi · pop 1,245,310
Clarion County
$97333 mi · pop 37,489
Mercer County
$99634 mi · pop 110,600
Venango County
$97334 mi · pop 50,475
Westmoreland County
$1,29946 mi · pop 354,414
Questions people ask
$1,299 a month for FY 2026, which runs October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026. The other rates are $1,001 for a studio, $1,077 for one bedroom, $1,661 for three and $1,789 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 Butler actually go for?
HUD's number is one input. Search any address in Butler for a rent estimate built from nearby comps. 3 free searches, no card.
Free tier. No credit card.