HUD Fair Market Rent · FY 2027 · Effective Oct 1, 2026 to Sep 30, 2027
Fair Market Rent in Chester County, Pennsylvania (FY 2027)
$1,860 a month. That's HUD's FY 2027 Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom in Chester County, and it's the baseline every voucher in Chester is measured against.
Two-bedroom FMR
$1,860
+2.8% from FY 2026
Payment standard
$1,674–$2,046
90% to 110% of the FMR, two-bedroom
Income to afford
$74,400
a year, with rent at 30% of income
Rank in Pennsylvania
2nd of 67
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 | $1,438 | $1,294–$1,582 | $57,520 | $27.65/hr | +2.9% |
| 1 bedroom | $1,558 | $1,402–$1,714 | $62,320 | $29.96/hr | +2.5% |
| 2 bedroom | $1,860 | $1,674–$2,046 | $74,400 | $35.77/hr | +2.8% |
| 3 bedroom | $2,216 | $1,994–$2,438 | $88,640 | $42.62/hr | +2.1% |
| 4 bedroom | $2,445 | $2,201–$2,690 | $97,800 | $47.02/hr | +0.9% |
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 | $2,812 | $2,531–$3,093 |
| 6 bedroom Estimate | $3,179 | $2,861–$3,497 |
| 7 bedroom Estimate | $3,545 | $3,191–$3,900 |
| 8 bedroom Estimate | $3,912 | $3,521–$4,303 |
Source: HUD Office of Policy Development and Research, FY 2027 Fair Market Rents. Rents include utilities. huduser.gov
Market check
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.
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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 $1,674 and $2,046. 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.
$1,860 a month is affordable, by HUD's 30% rule, on an income of roughly $74,400 a year. Put another way, $36 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%$1,674 | Voucher pays at 100%$1,860 | Voucher pays at 110%$2,046 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $2,500 | $750 | $924 | $1,110 | $1,296 |
| $4,000 | $1,200 | $474 | $660 | $846 |
Rate history
The two-bedroom rate went up 3% from FY 2026 ($1,810) to FY 2027 ($1,860). Since FY 2020 it's up 52% in total, about 6.1% a year. The Pennsylvania median held flat over the same year.
| Fiscal 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 2027In effect | $1,438 | $1,558 | $1,860 | $2,216 | $2,445 | +2.8% |
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 Chester, that runs from $1,438 for a studio up to $2,445 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 $1,860 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 64% above the state median of $1,136 and about 75% above the national median county at $1,063. About 547,840 people live here, 7th in the state.
Rates by ZIP code
Zoom in and the picture changes. HUD's Small Area FMRs put a two-bedroom at $1,280 in 19475 (Spring City) and $2,790 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 | $2,380 | +28.0% |
| 19310 | Atglen | $1,770 | -4.8% |
| 19311 | Avondale | $1,840 | -1.1% |
| 19312 | Berwyn | $2,330 | +25.3% |
| 19316 | Brandamore | $1,710 | -8.1% |
| 19318 | Chatham | $2,180 | +17.2% |
| 19320 | Coatesville | $1,850 | -0.5% |
| 19330 | Cochranville | $1,470 | -21.0% |
| 19333 | Devon | $2,390 | +28.5% |
| 19335 | Downingtown | $2,130 | +14.5% |
| 19341 | Exton | $2,620 | +40.9% |
| 19343 | Glenmoore | $2,310 | +24.2% |
| 19344 | Honey Brook | $1,560 | -16.1% |
| 19345 | Immaculata | $2,510 | +34.9% |
| 19346 | Kelton | $2,180 | +17.2% |
| 19347 | Kemblesville | $2,180 | +17.2% |
| 19348 | Kennett Square | $1,760 | -5.4% |
| 19350 | Landenberg | $1,900 | +2.2% |
| 19351 | Lewisville | $1,860County rate | — |
| 19352 | Lincoln University | $2,060 | +10.8% |
| 19353 | Lionville | $1,860County rate | — |
| 19354 | Lyndell | $2,180 | +17.2% |
| 19355 | Malvern | $2,510 | +34.9% |
| 19357 | Mendenhall | $2,180 | +17.2% |
| 19358 | Modena | $1,620 | -12.9% |
| 19360 | New London | $2,180 | +17.2% |
| 19362 | Nottingham | $1,550 | -16.7% |
| 19363 | Oxford | $1,530 | -17.7% |
| 19365 | Parkesburg | $1,570 | -15.6% |
| 19366 | Pocopson | $2,180 | +17.2% |
| 19367 | Pomeroy | $1,750 | -5.9% |
| 19369 | Sadsburyville | $1,750 | -5.9% |
| 19371 | Suplee | $1,860County rate | — |
| 19372 | Thorndale | $2,640 | +41.9% |
| 19374 | Toughkenamon | $1,290 | -30.6% |
| 19375 | Unionville | $1,770 | -4.8% |
| 19376 | Wagontown | $1,860County rate | — |
| 19380 | West Chester | $2,620 | +40.9% |
| 19381 | West Chester | $2,180 | +17.2% |
| 19382 | West Chester | $2,210 | +18.8% |
Counties sharing the Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington metro rate
HUD sets one rate for the whole metro, so every county here carries the same $1,860 two-bedroom figure as Chester.
Philadelphia County
1,579,706 people
$1,860
Montgomery County
867,573 people
$1,860
Bucks County
647,461 people
$1,860
Delaware County
579,222 people
$1,860
New Castle County
DE · 577,961 people
$1,860
Camden County
NJ · 527,257 people
$1,860
Burlington County
NJ · 467,805 people
$1,860
Gloucester County
NJ · 306,954 people
$1,860
Cecil County
MD · 104,960 people
$1,860
Salem County
NJ · 65,275 people
$1,860
Nearby counties
Two-bedroom FMR, with how each compares to Chester.
Delaware County
18 mi · 579,222 people
$1,860
same rate
Montgomery County
25 mi · 867,573 people
$1,860
same rate
Lancaster County
29 mi · 557,931 people
$1,553
-17%
Philadelphia County
30 mi · 1,579,706 people
$1,860
same rate
Berks County
31 mi · 433,015 people
$1,418
-24%
Bucks County
40 mi · 647,461 people
$1,860
same rate
Lehigh County
44 mi · 378,792 people
$1,839
-1%
Lebanon County
45 mi · 144,186 people
$1,353
-27%
Questions people ask
$1,860 a month for FY 2027, which runs October 1, 2026 through September 30, 2027. The other rates are $1,438 for a studio, $1,558 for one bedroom, $2,216 for three and $2,445 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 Chester actually go for?
HUD's number is one input. Search any address in Chester for a rent estimate built from nearby comps. Free to start, no card.
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