HUD Fair Market Rent · FY 2026 · effective Oct 1, 2025 to Sep 30, 2026
Fair Market Rent in Lehigh County, Pennsylvania (FY 2026)
$1,634 a month. That's HUD's FY 2026 Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom in Lehigh County, and it's the baseline every voucher in Lehigh is measured against.
2 bedroom FMR
$1,634
FY 2026, utilities included
Payment standard range
$1,471 to $1,797
90% to 110% of FMR
Income to afford 2BR
$65,360
per year, at 30% of income
Rank in Pennsylvania
7th of 67
by 2BR FMR
HUD has already published FY 2027. On October 1, 2026 the two-bedroom rate in Lehigh moves to $1,839. That's up 13%. The full FY 2027 table is in the history section below.
HUD's number is one input. What does a two-bedroom in Lehigh actually rent for?
Search any address in Lehigh 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 | $1,130 | $1,017 to $1,243 | $45,200 | $21.73/hr | +9.4% |
| 1 bedroom | $1,341 | $1,207 to $1,475 | $53,640 | $25.79/hr | +10.6% |
| 2 bedroom | $1,634 | $1,471 to $1,797 | $65,360 | $31.42/hr | +8.4% |
| 3 bedroom | $2,087 | $1,878 to $2,296 | $83,480 | $40.13/hr | +8.5% |
| 4 bedroom | $2,195 | $1,976 to $2,415 | $87,800 | $42.21/hr | +9.5% |
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 | $2,524 | $2,272 to $2,776 |
| 6 bedroom Estimate | $2,854 | $2,569 to $3,139 |
| 7 bedroom Estimate | $3,183 | $2,865 to $3,501 |
| 8 bedroom Estimate | $3,512 | $3,161 to $3,863 |
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 Lehigh, that runs from $1,130 for a studio up to $2,195 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 Lehigh in with 2 other counties in the Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton metro, Northampton County, Carbon County among them, and every one of them gets $1,634 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, Lehigh ranks 7th for two-bedroom FMR. That's about 44% above the state median of $1,138 and about 61% above the national median county at $1,018. About 374,110 people live here, 10th in the state.
Counties sharing the Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton metro rate
Rates by ZIP code
Zoom in and the picture changes. HUD's Small Area FMRs put a two-bedroom at $1,360 in 18065 (Neffs) and $2,430 in 18069 (Orefield), with the 29 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 18011 | Alburtis | $2,060 | +26.1% |
| 18025 | Bethlehem | $1,634County rate | — |
| 18031 | Breinigsville | $2,260 | +38.3% |
| 18032 | Catasauqua | $1,400 | -14.3% |
| 18034 | Center Valley | $2,380 | +45.7% |
| 18036 | Coopersburg | $1,440 | -11.9% |
| 18037 | Coplay | $1,570 | -3.9% |
| 18046 | East Texas | $2,210 | +35.3% |
| 18049 | Emmaus | $1,630 | -0.2% |
| 18051 | Fogelsville | $1,420 | -13.1% |
| 18052 | Whitehall | $1,730 | +5.9% |
| 18053 | Germansville | $1,590 | -2.7% |
| 18059 | Laurys Station | $1,480 | -9.4% |
| 18060 | Limeport | $1,634County rate | — |
| 18062 | Macungie | $2,300 | +40.8% |
| 18065 | Neffs | $1,360 | -16.8% |
| 18066 | New Tripoli | $1,360 | -16.8% |
| 18068 | Old Zionsville | $1,634County rate | — |
| 18069 | Orefield | $2,430 | +48.7% |
| 18078 | Schnecksville | $1,480 | -9.4% |
| 18079 | Slatedale | $1,360 | -16.8% |
| 18080 | Slatington | $1,360 | -16.8% |
| 18087 | Trexlertown | $1,530 | -6.4% |
| 18092 | Zionsville | $1,770 | +8.3% |
| 18098 | Emmaus | $1,634County rate | — |
| 18099 | Emmaus | $1,634County rate | — |
| 18101 | Allentown | $1,620 | -0.9% |
| 18102 | Allentown | $1,510 | -7.6% |
| 18103 | Allentown | $1,650 | +1.0% |
| 18104 | Allentown | $2,000 | +22.4% |
| 18105 | Allentown | $1,650 | +1.0% |
| 18106 | Allentown | $2,090 | +27.9% |
| 18109 | Allentown | $1,600 | -2.1% |
| 18195 | Allentown | $1,650 | +1.0% |
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 Lehigh somewhere between $1,471 and $1,797. 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.
$1,634 a month is affordable, by HUD's 30% rule, on an income of roughly $65,360 a year. Put another way, $31 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% ($1,471) | HAP at 100% ($1,634) | HAP at 110% ($1,797) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $2,500 | $750 | $721 | $884 | $1,047 |
| $4,000 | $1,200 | $271 | $434 | $597 |
Rate history
The two-bedroom rate went up 8% from FY 2025 ($1,507) to FY 2026 ($1,634). Since FY 2020 it's up 59% in total, about 8.1% 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 | $694 | $804 | $1,026 | $1,327 | $1,390 | — |
| FY 2021 | $788 | $891 | $1,139 | $1,474 | $1,545 | +11.0% |
| FY 2022 | $834 | $939 | $1,196 | $1,542 | $1,622 | +5.0% |
| FY 2023 | $967 | $1,102 | $1,396 | $1,789 | $1,875 | +16.7% |
| FY 2024 | $972 | $1,137 | $1,426 | $1,821 | $1,900 | +2.1% |
| FY 2025 | $1,033 | $1,213 | $1,507 | $1,924 | $2,005 | +5.7% |
| FY 2026 | $1,130 | $1,341 | $1,634 | $2,087 | $2,195 | +8.4% |
| FY 2027 | $1,302 | $1,519 | $1,839 | $2,306 | $2,482 | +12.5% |
Nearby counties
Northampton County
$1,63414 mi · pop 314,299
Carbon County
$1,63422 mi · pop 65,018
Berks County
$1,57523 mi · pop 428,483
Bucks County
$1,81030 mi · pop 645,163
Montgomery County
$1,81030 mi · pop 856,399
Monroe County
$1,52933 mi · pop 168,128
Schuylkill County
$1,03037 mi · pop 143,201
Chester County
$1,81044 mi · pop 536,474
Questions people ask
$1,634 a month for FY 2026, which runs October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026. The other rates are $1,130 for a studio, $1,341 for one bedroom, $2,087 for three and $2,195 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 Lehigh actually go for?
HUD's number is one input. Search any address in Lehigh for a rent estimate built from nearby comps. 3 free searches, no card.
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