HUD Fair Market Rent · FY 2026 · effective Oct 1, 2025 to Sep 30, 2026
Fair Market Rent in Lackawanna County, Pennsylvania (FY 2026)
HUD's FY 2026 Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom in Lackawanna County is $1,252 a month. That's the number the housing authority starts from when it sets Section 8 payment standards here.
2 bedroom FMR
$1,252
FY 2026, utilities included
Payment standard range
$1,127 to $1,377
90% to 110% of FMR
Income to afford 2BR
$50,080
per year, at 30% of income
Rank in Pennsylvania
28th of 67
by 2BR FMR
HUD has already published FY 2027. On October 1, 2026 the two-bedroom rate in Lackawanna moves to $1,363. That's up 9%. The full FY 2027 table is in the history section below.
HUD's number is one input. What does a two-bedroom in Lackawanna actually rent for?
Search any address in Lackawanna 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 | $863 | $777 to $949 | $34,520 | $16.60/hr | +10.8% |
| 1 bedroom | $1,028 | $925 to $1,131 | $41,120 | $19.77/hr | +10.8% |
| 2 bedroom | $1,252 | $1,127 to $1,377 | $50,080 | $24.08/hr | +11.5% |
| 3 bedroom | $1,631 | $1,468 to $1,794 | $65,240 | $31.37/hr | +11.6% |
| 4 bedroom | $1,766 | $1,589 to $1,943 | $70,640 | $33.96/hr | +10.7% |
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 | $2,031 | $1,828 to $2,234 |
| 6 bedroom Estimate | $2,296 | $2,066 to $2,526 |
| 7 bedroom Estimate | $2,561 | $2,305 to $2,817 |
| 8 bedroom Estimate | $2,826 | $2,543 to $3,109 |
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 Lackawanna, that runs from $863 for a studio up to $1,766 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 Lackawanna in with 2 other counties in the Scranton--Wilkes-Barre metro, Luzerne County, Wyoming County among them, and every one of them gets $1,252 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, Lackawanna ranks 28th for two-bedroom FMR. That's about 10% above the state median of $1,138 and about 23% above the national median county at $1,018. About 215,672 people live here, 17th in the state.
Counties sharing the Scranton--Wilkes-Barre metro rate
Rates by ZIP code
Zoom in and the picture changes. HUD's Small Area FMRs put a two-bedroom at $1,140 in 18407 (Carbondale) and $1,510 in 18414 (Dalton), with the 28 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 18403 | Archbald | $1,190 | -5.0% |
| 18407 | Carbondale | $1,140 | -8.9% |
| 18410 | Chinchilla | $1,250 | -0.2% |
| 18411 | Clarks Summit | $1,500 | +19.8% |
| 18414 | Dalton | $1,510 | +20.6% |
| 18416 | Elmhurst | $1,252County rate | — |
| 18420 | Fleetville | $1,310 | +4.6% |
| 18433 | Jermyn | $1,200 | -4.2% |
| 18434 | Jessup | $1,240 | -1.0% |
| 18440 | La Plume | $1,160 | -7.3% |
| 18444 | Moscow | $1,250 | -0.2% |
| 18447 | Olyphant | $1,280 | +2.2% |
| 18448 | Olyphant | $1,252County rate | — |
| 18452 | Peckville | $1,260 | +0.6% |
| 18471 | Waverly | $1,510 | +20.6% |
| 18501 | Scranton | $1,250 | -0.2% |
| 18502 | Scranton | $1,252County rate | — |
| 18503 | Scranton | $1,300 | +3.8% |
| 18504 | Scranton | $1,230 | -1.8% |
| 18505 | Scranton | $1,220 | -2.6% |
| 18507 | Moosic | $1,340 | +7.0% |
| 18508 | Scranton | $1,330 | +6.2% |
| 18509 | Scranton | $1,260 | +0.6% |
| 18510 | Scranton | $1,330 | +6.2% |
| 18512 | Scranton | $1,180 | -5.8% |
| 18515 | Scranton | $1,250 | -0.2% |
| 18517 | Taylor | $1,370 | +9.4% |
| 18518 | Old Forge | $1,170 | -6.5% |
| 18519 | Scranton | $1,210 | -3.4% |
| 18540 | Scranton | $1,250 | -0.2% |
| 18577 | Scranton | $1,250 | -0.2% |
| 18653 | Ransom | $1,252County rate | — |
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 Lackawanna somewhere between $1,127 and $1,377. 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.
$1,252 a month is affordable, by HUD's 30% rule, on an income of roughly $50,080 a year. Put another way, $24 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% ($1,127) | HAP at 100% ($1,252) | HAP at 110% ($1,377) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $2,500 | $750 | $377 | $502 | $627 |
| $4,000 | $1,200 | $0 | $52 | $177 |
Rate history
The two-bedroom rate went up 11% from FY 2025 ($1,123) to FY 2026 ($1,252). Since FY 2020 it's up 56% in total, about 7.7% 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 | $566 | $657 | $803 | $1,040 | $1,109 | — |
| FY 2021 | $590 | $685 | $839 | $1,082 | $1,156 | +4.5% |
| FY 2022 | $614 | $714 | $877 | $1,132 | $1,218 | +4.5% |
| FY 2023 | $706 | $825 | $1,008 | $1,304 | $1,417 | +14.9% |
| FY 2024 | $730 | $854 | $1,039 | $1,343 | $1,464 | +3.1% |
| FY 2025 | $779 | $928 | $1,123 | $1,462 | $1,596 | +8.1% |
| FY 2026 | $863 | $1,028 | $1,252 | $1,631 | $1,766 | +11.5% |
| FY 2027 | $949 | $1,106 | $1,363 | $1,786 | $1,962 | +8.9% |
Nearby counties
Wyoming County
$1,25217 mi · pop 26,219
Wayne County
$1,13221 mi · pop 51,227
Luzerne County
$1,25225 mi · pop 325,396
Susquehanna County
$1,04525 mi · pop 38,540
Monroe County
$1,52932 mi · pop 168,128
Pike County
$1,49634 mi · pop 58,996
Carbon County
$1,63440 mi · pop 65,018
Sullivan County
$97346 mi · pop 5,880
Questions people ask
$1,252 a month for FY 2026, which runs October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026. The other rates are $863 for a studio, $1,028 for one bedroom, $1,631 for three and $1,766 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 Lackawanna actually go for?
HUD's number is one input. Search any address in Lackawanna for a rent estimate built from nearby comps. 3 free searches, no card.
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