HUD Fair Market Rent · FY 2026 · effective Oct 1, 2025 to Sep 30, 2026
Fair Market Rent in Chester County, Pennsylvania (FY 2026)
$1,810 a month. That's HUD's FY 2026 Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom in Chester County, and it's the baseline every voucher in Chester is measured against.
2 bedroom FMR
$1,810
FY 2026, utilities included
Payment standard range
$1,629 to $1,991
90% to 110% of FMR
Income to afford 2BR
$72,400
per year, at 30% of income
Rank in Pennsylvania
2nd of 67
by 2BR FMR
HUD has already published FY 2027. On October 1, 2026 the two-bedroom rate in Chester moves to $1,860. 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 Chester actually rent for?
Search any address in Chester 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 | $1,397 | $1,257 to $1,537 | $55,880 | $26.87/hr | +1.8% |
| 1 bedroom | $1,520 | $1,368 to $1,672 | $60,800 | $29.23/hr | +0.5% |
| 2 bedroom | $1,810 | $1,629 to $1,991 | $72,400 | $34.81/hr | +0.4% |
| 3 bedroom | $2,170 | $1,953 to $2,387 | $86,800 | $41.73/hr | -0.0% |
| 4 bedroom | $2,423 | $2,181 to $2,665 | $96,920 | $46.60/hr | -1.8% |
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 | $2,786 | $2,507 to $3,065 |
| 6 bedroom Estimate | $3,150 | $2,835 to $3,465 |
| 7 bedroom Estimate | $3,513 | $3,162 to $3,864 |
| 8 bedroom Estimate | $3,877 | $3,489 to $4,265 |
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 Chester, that runs from $1,397 for a studio up to $2,423 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 Chester in with 10 other counties in the Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington metro, Philadelphia County, Montgomery County, Bucks County among them, and every one of them gets $1,810 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, Chester ranks 2nd for two-bedroom FMR. That's about 59% above the state median of $1,138 and about 78% above the national median county at $1,018. About 536,474 people live here, 7th in the state.
Counties sharing the Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington metro rate
Philadelphia County
$1,810PA · pop 1,593,208
Montgomery County
$1,810PA · pop 856,399
Bucks County
$1,810PA · pop 645,163
Delaware County
$1,810PA · pop 575,312
New Castle County
$1,810DE · pop 570,567
Camden County
$1,810NJ · pop 522,581
Burlington County
$1,810NJ · pop 461,853
Gloucester County
$1,810NJ · pop 302,621
Cecil County
$1,810MD · pop 103,876
Salem County
$1,810NJ · pop 64,840
Rates by ZIP code
Zoom in and the picture changes. HUD's Small Area FMRs put a two-bedroom at $1,250 in 19475 (Spring City) and $2,720 in 19425 (Chester Springs), 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 19301 | Paoli | $2,350 | +29.8% |
| 19310 | Atglen | $1,800 | -0.6% |
| 19311 | Avondale | $1,820 | +0.6% |
| 19312 | Berwyn | $2,230 | +23.2% |
| 19316 | Brandamore | $1,690 | -6.6% |
| 19318 | Chatham | $2,110 | +16.6% |
| 19320 | Coatesville | $1,860 | +2.8% |
| 19330 | Cochranville | $1,480 | -18.2% |
| 19333 | Devon | $2,320 | +28.2% |
| 19335 | Downingtown | $2,020 | +11.6% |
| 19341 | Exton | $2,550 | +40.9% |
| 19343 | Glenmoore | $2,280 | +26.0% |
| 19344 | Honey Brook | $1,500 | -17.1% |
| 19345 | Immaculata | $2,450 | +35.4% |
| 19346 | Kelton | $2,110 | +16.6% |
| 19347 | Kemblesville | $2,110 | +16.6% |
| 19348 | Kennett Square | $1,710 | -5.5% |
| 19350 | Landenberg | $1,850 | +2.2% |
| 19351 | Lewisville | $1,810County rate | — |
| 19352 | Lincoln University | $1,880 | +3.9% |
| 19353 | Lionville | $1,810County rate | — |
| 19354 | Lyndell | $2,110 | +16.6% |
| 19355 | Malvern | $2,450 | +35.4% |
| 19357 | Mendenhall | $2,110 | +16.6% |
| 19358 | Modena | $1,660 | -8.3% |
| 19360 | New London | $2,110 | +16.6% |
| 19362 | Nottingham | $1,490 | -17.7% |
| 19363 | Oxford | $1,530 | -15.5% |
| 19365 | Parkesburg | $1,640 | -9.4% |
| 19366 | Pocopson | $2,110 | +16.6% |
| 19367 | Pomeroy | $1,780 | -1.7% |
| 19369 | Sadsburyville | $1,780 | -1.7% |
| 19371 | Suplee | $1,810County rate | — |
| 19372 | Thorndale | $2,650 | +46.4% |
| 19374 | Toughkenamon | $1,360 | -24.9% |
| 19375 | Unionville | $1,730 | -4.4% |
| 19376 | Wagontown | $1,810County rate | — |
| 19380 | West Chester | $2,510 | +38.7% |
| 19381 | West Chester | $2,110 | +16.6% |
| 19382 | West Chester | $2,160 | +19.3% |
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 Chester somewhere between $1,629 and $1,991. 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.
$1,810 a month is affordable, by HUD's 30% rule, on an income of roughly $72,400 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% ($1,629) | HAP at 100% ($1,810) | HAP at 110% ($1,991) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $2,500 | $750 | $879 | $1,060 | $1,241 |
| $4,000 | $1,200 | $429 | $610 | $791 |
Rate history
The two-bedroom rate went up 0% from FY 2025 ($1,802) to FY 2026 ($1,810). Since FY 2020 it's up 48% in total, about 6.7% 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 | $864 | $1,013 | $1,226 | $1,528 | $1,754 | — |
| FY 2021 | $900 | $1,040 | $1,260 | $1,567 | $1,796 | +2.8% |
| FY 2022 | $940 | $1,071 | $1,298 | $1,605 | $1,837 | +3.0% |
| FY 2023 | $1,081 | $1,218 | $1,470 | $1,789 | $2,079 | +13.3% |
| FY 2024 | $1,303 | $1,451 | $1,737 | $2,100 | $2,422 | +18.2% |
| FY 2025 | $1,372 | $1,512 | $1,802 | $2,171 | $2,468 | +3.7% |
| FY 2026 | $1,397 | $1,520 | $1,810 | $2,170 | $2,423 | +0.4% |
| FY 2027 | $1,438 | $1,558 | $1,860 | $2,216 | $2,445 | +2.8% |
Nearby counties
Delaware County
$1,81018 mi · pop 575,312
Montgomery County
$1,81025 mi · pop 856,399
Lancaster County
$1,52629 mi · pop 553,202
Philadelphia County
$1,81030 mi · pop 1,593,208
Berks County
$1,57531 mi · pop 428,483
Bucks County
$1,81040 mi · pop 645,163
Lehigh County
$1,63444 mi · pop 374,110
Lebanon County
$1,41145 mi · pop 143,258
Questions people ask
$1,810 a month for FY 2026, which runs October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026. The other rates are $1,397 for a studio, $1,520 for one bedroom, $2,170 for three and $2,423 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 Chester actually go for?
HUD's number is one input. Search any address in Chester for a rent estimate built from nearby comps. 3 free searches, no card.
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