HUD Fair Market Rent · FY 2026 · effective Oct 1, 2025 to Sep 30, 2026
Fair Market Rent in Luzerne County, Pennsylvania (FY 2026)
A two-bedroom in Luzerne County carries a FY 2026 Fair Market Rent of $1,252 a month, effective October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026. Everything Section 8 pays in Luzerne keys off that figure.
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
29th of 67
by 2BR FMR
HUD has already published FY 2027. On October 1, 2026 the two-bedroom rate in Luzerne 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 Luzerne actually rent for?
Search any address in Luzerne 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 Luzerne, 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 Luzerne in with 2 other counties in the Scranton--Wilkes-Barre metro, Lackawanna 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, Luzerne ranks 29th 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 325,396 people live here, 12th 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 $1,030 in 18709 (Luzerne) and $1,880 in 18602 (Bear Creek), with the 45 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 18201 | Hazleton | $1,360 | +8.6% |
| 18202 | Hazleton | $1,300 | +3.8% |
| 18219 | Conyngham | $1,160 | -7.3% |
| 18221 | Drifton | $1,290 | +3.0% |
| 18222 | Drums | $1,660 | +32.6% |
| 18223 | Ebervale | $1,300 | +3.8% |
| 18224 | Freeland | $1,360 | +8.6% |
| 18225 | Harleigh | $1,300 | +3.8% |
| 18234 | Lattimer Mines | $1,300 | +3.8% |
| 18239 | Milnesville | $1,260 | +0.6% |
| 18246 | Rock Glen | $1,290 | +3.0% |
| 18247 | Saint Johns | $1,252County rate | — |
| 18249 | Sugarloaf | $1,460 | +16.6% |
| 18251 | Sybertsville | $1,252County rate | — |
| 18256 | Weston | $1,330 | +6.2% |
| 18601 | Beach Haven | $1,252County rate | — |
| 18602 | Bear Creek | $1,880 | +50.2% |
| 18611 | Cambra | $1,252County rate | — |
| 18612 | Dallas | $1,450 | +15.8% |
| 18617 | Glen Lyon | $1,060 | -15.3% |
| 18618 | Harveys Lake | $1,760 | +40.6% |
| 18621 | Hunlock Creek | $1,420 | +13.4% |
| 18622 | Huntington Mills | $1,080 | -13.7% |
| 18627 | Lehman | $1,260 | +0.6% |
| 18634 | Nanticoke | $1,130 | -9.7% |
| 18635 | Nescopeck | $1,160 | -7.3% |
| 18640 | Pittston | $1,310 | +4.6% |
| 18641 | Pittston | $1,170 | -6.5% |
| 18642 | Duryea | $1,330 | +6.2% |
| 18643 | Pittston | $1,260 | +0.6% |
| 18644 | Wyoming | $1,170 | -6.5% |
| 18651 | Plymouth | $1,170 | -6.5% |
| 18654 | Shawanese | $1,252County rate | — |
| 18655 | Shickshinny | $1,210 | -3.4% |
| 18656 | Sweet Valley | $1,180 | -5.8% |
| 18660 | Wapwallopen | $1,180 | -5.8% |
| 18661 | White Haven | $1,540 | +23.0% |
| 18690 | Dallas | $1,252County rate | — |
| 18701 | Wilkes Barre | $1,080 | -13.7% |
| 18702 | Wilkes Barre | $1,230 | -1.8% |
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 Luzerne 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
Carbon County
$1,63424 mi · pop 65,018
Columbia County
$1,14025 mi · pop 64,924
Lackawanna County
$1,25225 mi · pop 215,672
Wyoming County
$1,25226 mi · pop 26,219
Monroe County
$1,52934 mi · pop 168,128
Schuylkill County
$1,03034 mi · pop 143,201
Sullivan County
$97335 mi · pop 5,880
Montour County
$1,37237 mi · pop 18,165
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 Luzerne actually go for?
HUD's number is one input. Search any address in Luzerne for a rent estimate built from nearby comps. 3 free searches, no card.
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