HUD Fair Market Rent · FY 2027 · Effective Oct 1, 2026 to Sep 30, 2027
Fair Market Rent in Luzerne County, Pennsylvania (FY 2027)
A two-bedroom in Luzerne County carries a FY 2027 Fair Market Rent of $1,363 a month, effective October 1, 2026 through September 30, 2027. Everything Section 8 pays in Luzerne keys off that figure.
Two-bedroom FMR
$1,363
+8.9% from FY 2026
Payment standard
$1,227–$1,499
90% to 110% of the FMR, two-bedroom
Income to afford
$54,520
a year, with rent at 30% of income
Rank in Pennsylvania
25th 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 | $949 | $854–$1,044 | $37,960 | $18.25/hr | +10.0% |
| 1 bedroom | $1,106 | $995–$1,217 | $44,240 | $21.27/hr | +7.6% |
| 2 bedroom | $1,363 | $1,227–$1,499 | $54,520 | $26.21/hr | +8.9% |
| 3 bedroom | $1,786 | $1,607–$1,965 | $71,440 | $34.35/hr | +9.5% |
| 4 bedroom | $1,962 | $1,766–$2,158 | $78,480 | $37.73/hr | +11.1% |
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 | $2,256 | $2,030–$2,482 |
| 6 bedroom Estimate | $2,551 | $2,296–$2,806 |
| 7 bedroom Estimate | $2,845 | $2,561–$3,130 |
| 8 bedroom Estimate | $3,139 | $2,825–$3,453 |
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 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.
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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 Luzerne somewhere between $1,227 and $1,499. 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.
$1,363 a month is affordable, by HUD's 30% rule, on an income of roughly $54,520 a year. Put another way, $26 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%$1,227 | Voucher pays at 100%$1,363 | Voucher pays at 110%$1,499 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $2,500 | $750 | $477 | $613 | $749 |
| $4,000 | $1,200 | $27 | $163 | $299 |
Rate history
The two-bedroom rate went up 9% from FY 2026 ($1,252) to FY 2027 ($1,363). Since FY 2020 it's up 70% in total, about 7.9% 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 | $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 2027In effect | $949 | $1,106 | $1,363 | $1,786 | $1,962 | +8.9% |
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 Luzerne, that runs from $949 for a studio up to $1,962 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 $1,363 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 25th for two-bedroom FMR. That's about 20% above the state median of $1,136 and about 28% above the national median county at $1,063. About 327,675 people live here, 12th in the state.
Rates by ZIP code
Zoom in and the picture changes. HUD's Small Area FMRs put a two-bedroom at $1,130 in 18701 (Wilkes Barre) and $1,890 in 18222 (Drums), 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 | $1,480 | +8.6% |
| 18202 | Hazleton | $1,460 | +7.1% |
| 18219 | Conyngham | $1,230 | -9.8% |
| 18221 | Drifton | $1,410 | +3.4% |
| 18222 | Drums | $1,890 | +38.7% |
| 18223 | Ebervale | $1,370 | +0.5% |
| 18224 | Freeland | $1,480 | +8.6% |
| 18225 | Harleigh | $1,460 | +7.1% |
| 18234 | Lattimer Mines | $1,460 | +7.1% |
| 18239 | Milnesville | $1,370 | +0.5% |
| 18246 | Rock Glen | $1,270 | -6.8% |
| 18247 | Saint Johns | $1,363County rate | — |
| 18249 | Sugarloaf | $1,710 | +25.5% |
| 18251 | Sybertsville | $1,363County rate | — |
| 18256 | Weston | $1,400 | +2.7% |
| 18601 | Beach Haven | $1,363County rate | — |
| 18602 | Bear Creek | $1,700 | +24.7% |
| 18611 | Cambra | $1,363County rate | — |
| 18612 | Dallas | $1,550 | +13.7% |
| 18617 | Glen Lyon | $1,160 | -14.9% |
| 18618 | Harveys Lake | $1,840 | +35.0% |
| 18621 | Hunlock Creek | $1,590 | +16.7% |
| 18622 | Huntington Mills | $1,250 | -8.3% |
| 18627 | Lehman | $1,370 | +0.5% |
| 18634 | Nanticoke | $1,230 | -9.8% |
| 18635 | Nescopeck | $1,190 | -12.7% |
| 18640 | Pittston | $1,410 | +3.4% |
| 18641 | Pittston | $1,260 | -7.6% |
| 18642 | Duryea | $1,480 | +8.6% |
| 18643 | Pittston | $1,340 | -1.7% |
| 18644 | Wyoming | $1,280 | -6.1% |
| 18651 | Plymouth | $1,260 | -7.6% |
| 18654 | Shawanese | $1,363County rate | — |
| 18655 | Shickshinny | $1,280 | -6.1% |
| 18656 | Sweet Valley | $1,240 | -9.0% |
| 18660 | Wapwallopen | $1,330 | -2.4% |
| 18661 | White Haven | $1,700 | +24.7% |
| 18690 | Dallas | $1,363County rate | — |
| 18701 | Wilkes Barre | $1,130 | -17.1% |
| 18702 | Wilkes Barre | $1,360 | -0.2% |
Counties sharing the Scranton--Wilkes-Barre metro rate
HUD sets one rate for the whole metro, so every county here carries the same $1,363 two-bedroom figure as Luzerne.
Nearby counties
Two-bedroom FMR, with how each compares to Luzerne.
Carbon County
24 mi · 65,382 people
$1,839
+35%
Columbia County
25 mi · 65,362 people
$1,136
-17%
Lackawanna County
25 mi · 216,146 people
$1,363
same rate
Wyoming County
26 mi · 25,967 people
$1,363
same rate
Monroe County
34 mi · 167,515 people
$1,550
+14%
Schuylkill County
34 mi · 143,558 people
$1,068
-22%
Sullivan County
35 mi · 5,888 people
$1,014
-26%
Montour County
37 mi · 18,103 people
$1,436
+5%
Questions people ask
$1,363 a month for FY 2027, which runs October 1, 2026 through September 30, 2027. The other rates are $949 for a studio, $1,106 for one bedroom, $1,786 for three and $1,962 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 Luzerne actually go for?
HUD's number is one input. Search any address in Luzerne for a rent estimate built from nearby comps. Free to start, no card.
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