HUD Fair Market Rent · FY 2027 · Effective Oct 1, 2026 to Sep 30, 2027
Fair Market Rent in Dauphin County, Pennsylvania (FY 2027)
A two-bedroom in Dauphin County carries a FY 2027 Fair Market Rent of $1,598 a month, effective October 1, 2026 through September 30, 2027. Everything Section 8 pays in Dauphin keys off that figure.
Two-bedroom FMR
$1,598
+7.0% from FY 2026
Payment standard
$1,438–$1,758
90% to 110% of the FMR, two-bedroom
Income to afford
$63,920
a year, with rent at 30% of income
Rank in Pennsylvania
10th 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 | $1,166 | $1,049–$1,283 | $46,640 | $22.42/hr | +10.2% |
| 1 bedroom | $1,285 | $1,157–$1,414 | $51,400 | $24.71/hr | +6.0% |
| 2 bedroom | $1,598 | $1,438–$1,758 | $63,920 | $30.73/hr | +7.0% |
| 3 bedroom | $2,055 | $1,850–$2,261 | $82,200 | $39.52/hr | +7.0% |
| 4 bedroom | $2,100 | $1,890–$2,310 | $84,000 | $40.38/hr | +6.2% |
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 | $2,415 | $2,174–$2,657 |
| 6 bedroom Estimate | $2,730 | $2,457–$3,003 |
| 7 bedroom Estimate | $3,045 | $2,741–$3,350 |
| 8 bedroom Estimate | $3,360 | $3,024–$3,696 |
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 Dauphin actually rent for?
Search any address in Dauphin 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 Dauphin somewhere between $1,438 and $1,758. 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.
$1,598 a month is affordable, by HUD's 30% rule, on an income of roughly $63,920 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%$1,438 | Voucher pays at 100%$1,598 | Voucher pays at 110%$1,758 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $2,500 | $750 | $688 | $848 | $1,008 |
| $4,000 | $1,200 | $238 | $398 | $558 |
Rate history
The two-bedroom rate went up 7% from FY 2026 ($1,493) to FY 2027 ($1,598). Since FY 2020 it's up 68% in total, about 7.7% 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 | $621 | $760 | $953 | $1,216 | $1,291 | — |
| FY 2021 | $651 | $773 | $977 | $1,242 | $1,325 | +2.5% |
| FY 2022 | $732 | $843 | $1,074 | $1,364 | $1,456 | +9.9% |
| FY 2023 | $847 | $975 | $1,228 | $1,570 | $1,650 | +14.3% |
| FY 2024 | $876 | $1,021 | $1,273 | $1,634 | $1,695 | +3.7% |
| FY 2025 | $953 | $1,114 | $1,371 | $1,763 | $1,818 | +7.7% |
| FY 2026 | $1,058 | $1,212 | $1,493 | $1,920 | $1,977 | +8.9% |
| FY 2027In effect | $1,166 | $1,285 | $1,598 | $2,055 | $2,100 | +7.0% |
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 Dauphin, that runs from $1,166 for a studio up to $2,100 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 Dauphin in with 2 other counties in the Harrisburg-Carlisle metro, Cumberland County, Perry County among them, and every one of them gets $1,598 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, Dauphin ranks 10th for two-bedroom FMR. That's about 41% above the state median of $1,136 and about 50% above the national median county at $1,063. About 289,593 people live here, 14th in the state.
Rates by ZIP code
Zoom in and the picture changes. HUD's Small Area FMRs put a two-bedroom at $1,010 in 17030 (Gratz) and $1,900 in 17036 (Hummelstown), with the 36 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 17005 | Berrysburg | $1,420 | -11.1% |
| 17018 | Dauphin | $1,390 | -13.0% |
| 17023 | Elizabethville | $1,130 | -29.3% |
| 17028 | Grantville | $1,470 | -8.0% |
| 17030 | Gratz | $1,010 | -36.8% |
| 17032 | Halifax | $1,120 | -29.9% |
| 17033 | Hershey | $1,710 | +7.0% |
| 17034 | Highspire | $1,400 | -12.4% |
| 17036 | Hummelstown | $1,900 | +18.9% |
| 17048 | Lykens | $1,170 | -26.8% |
| 17057 | Middletown | $1,550 | -3.0% |
| 17061 | Millersburg | $1,120 | -29.9% |
| 17080 | Pillow | $1,050 | -34.3% |
| 17097 | Wiconisco | $1,720 | +7.6% |
| 17098 | Williamstown | $1,210 | -24.3% |
| 17101 | Harrisburg | $1,400 | -12.4% |
| 17102 | Harrisburg | $1,510 | -5.5% |
| 17103 | Harrisburg | $1,330 | -16.8% |
| 17104 | Harrisburg | $1,370 | -14.3% |
| 17105 | Harrisburg | $1,610 | +0.8% |
| 17106 | Harrisburg | $1,610 | +0.8% |
| 17107 | Harrisburg | $1,598County rate | — |
| 17108 | Harrisburg | $1,610 | +0.8% |
| 17109 | Harrisburg | $1,680 | +5.1% |
| 17110 | Harrisburg | $1,850 | +15.8% |
| 17111 | Harrisburg | $1,780 | +11.4% |
| 17112 | Harrisburg | $1,880 | +17.6% |
| 17113 | Harrisburg | $1,590 | -0.5% |
| 17120 | Harrisburg | $1,610 | +0.8% |
| 17121 | Harrisburg | $1,610 | +0.8% |
| 17122 | Harrisburg | $1,610 | +0.8% |
| 17123 | Harrisburg | $1,610 | +0.8% |
| 17124 | Harrisburg | $1,610 | +0.8% |
| 17125 | Harrisburg | $1,610 | +0.8% |
| 17126 | Harrisburg | $1,610 | +0.8% |
| 17127 | Harrisburg | $1,610 | +0.8% |
| 17128 | Harrisburg | $1,598County rate | — |
| 17129 | Harrisburg | $1,610 | +0.8% |
| 17130 | Harrisburg | $1,598County rate | — |
| 17140 | Harrisburg | $1,598County rate | — |
Counties sharing the Harrisburg-Carlisle metro rate
HUD sets one rate for the whole metro, so every county here carries the same $1,598 two-bedroom figure as Dauphin.
Nearby counties
Two-bedroom FMR, with how each compares to Dauphin.
Cumberland County
18 mi · 268,323 people
$1,598
same rate
Lebanon County
21 mi · 144,186 people
$1,353
-15%
Perry County
22 mi · 46,239 people
$1,598
same rate
York County
30 mi · 462,924 people
$1,327
-17%
Juniata County
31 mi · 23,379 people
$1,014
-37%
Snyder County
32 mi · 39,668 people
$1,084
-32%
Adams County
36 mi · 106,115 people
$1,354
-15%
Lancaster County
36 mi · 557,931 people
$1,553
-3%
Questions people ask
$1,598 a month for FY 2027, which runs October 1, 2026 through September 30, 2027. The other rates are $1,166 for a studio, $1,285 for one bedroom, $2,055 for three and $2,100 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 Dauphin actually go for?
HUD's number is one input. Search any address in Dauphin for a rent estimate built from nearby comps. Free to start, no card.
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