HUD Fair Market Rent · FY 2027 · Effective Oct 1, 2026 to Sep 30, 2027
Fair Market Rent in Mercer County, Pennsylvania (FY 2027)
A two-bedroom in Mercer County carries a FY 2027 Fair Market Rent of $1,028 a month, effective October 1, 2026 through September 30, 2027. Everything Section 8 pays in Mercer keys off that figure.
Two-bedroom FMR
$1,028
+3.2% from FY 2026
Payment standard
$925–$1,131
90% to 110% of the FMR, two-bedroom
Income to afford
$41,120
a year, with rent at 30% of income
Rank in Pennsylvania
44th 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 | $716 | $644–$788 | $28,640 | $13.77/hr | +1.7% |
| 1 bedroom | $810 | $729–$891 | $32,400 | $15.58/hr | +2.3% |
| 2 bedroom | $1,028 | $925–$1,131 | $41,120 | $19.77/hr | +3.2% |
| 3 bedroom | $1,423 | $1,281–$1,565 | $56,920 | $27.37/hr | +2.7% |
| 4 bedroom | $1,615 | $1,454–$1,777 | $64,600 | $31.06/hr | +5.0% |
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 | $1,857 | $1,671–$2,043 |
| 6 bedroom Estimate | $2,100 | $1,890–$2,310 |
| 7 bedroom Estimate | $2,342 | $2,108–$2,576 |
| 8 bedroom Estimate | $2,584 | $2,326–$2,842 |
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 Mercer actually rent for?
Search any address in Mercer 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 Mercer somewhere between $925 and $1,131. 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.
$1,028 a month is affordable, by HUD's 30% rule, on an income of roughly $41,120 a year. Put another way, $20 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%$925 | Voucher pays at 100%$1,028 | Voucher pays at 110%$1,131 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $2,500 | $750 | $175 | $278 | $381 |
| $4,000 | $1,200 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
Rate history
The two-bedroom rate went up 3% from FY 2026 ($996) to FY 2027 ($1,028). Since FY 2020 it's up 42% in total, about 5.2% 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 | $551 | $555 | $722 | $930 | $1,034 | — |
| FY 2021 | $553 | $556 | $724 | $949 | $1,017 | +0.3% |
| FY 2022 | $579 | $583 | $757 | $1,009 | $1,058 | +4.6% |
| FY 2023 | $634 | $638 | $821 | $1,105 | $1,165 | +8.5% |
| FY 2024 | $656 | $661 | $845 | $1,148 | $1,233 | +2.9% |
| FY 2025 | $716 | $721 | $908 | $1,257 | $1,374 | +7.5% |
| FY 2026 | $704 | $792 | $996 | $1,385 | $1,538 | +9.7% |
| FY 2027In effect | $716 | $810 | $1,028 | $1,423 | $1,615 | +3.2% |
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 Mercer, that runs from $716 for a studio up to $1,615 for four bedrooms, all five rates in the table above.
Because Mercer sits outside any HUD metro area, its rate is a county-wide figure built from local rents. One number covers every address in the county, Clark included.
Among Pennsylvania's 67 counties, Mercer ranks 44th for two-bedroom FMR. That's about 10% below the state median of $1,136 and about 3% below the national median county at $1,063. About 109,257 people live here, 30th 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 16113 (Clark) and $1,170 in 16133 (Jackson Center), with the 20 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 16113 | Clark | $1,010 | -1.8% |
| 16114 | Clarks Mills | $1,040 | +1.2% |
| 16121 | Farrell | $1,090 | +6.0% |
| 16124 | Fredonia | $1,020 | -0.8% |
| 16125 | Greenville | $1,010 | -1.8% |
| 16127 | Grove City | $1,050 | +2.1% |
| 16130 | Hadley | $1,050 | +2.1% |
| 16133 | Jackson Center | $1,170 | +13.8% |
| 16134 | Jamestown | $1,070 | +4.1% |
| 16137 | Mercer | $1,010 | -1.8% |
| 16145 | Sandy Lake | $1,010 | -1.8% |
| 16146 | Sharon | $1,050 | +2.1% |
| 16148 | Hermitage | $1,080 | +5.1% |
| 16150 | Sharpsville | $1,010 | -1.8% |
| 16151 | Sheakleyville | $1,050 | +2.1% |
| 16153 | Stoneboro | $1,030 | +0.2% |
| 16154 | Transfer | $1,010 | -1.8% |
| 16159 | West Middlesex | $1,010 | -1.8% |
| 16161 | Wheatland | $1,060 | +3.1% |
| 16311 | Carlton | $1,010 | -1.8% |
Nearby counties
Two-bedroom FMR, with how each compares to Mercer.
Lawrence County
21 mi · 85,024 people
$1,095
+7%
Crawford County
27 mi · 82,716 people
$1,014
-1%
Venango County
29 mi · 49,801 people
$1,014
-1%
Butler County
34 mi · 197,254 people
$1,389
+35%
Beaver County
43 mi · 166,324 people
$1,389
+35%
Clarion County
46 mi · 37,179 people
$1,014
-1%
Erie County
53 mi · 269,052 people
$1,091
+6%
Forest County
54 mi · 6,715 people
$1,014
-1%
Questions people ask
$1,028 a month for FY 2027, which runs October 1, 2026 through September 30, 2027. The other rates are $716 for a studio, $810 for one bedroom, $1,423 for three and $1,615 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 Mercer actually go for?
HUD's number is one input. Search any address in Mercer for a rent estimate built from nearby comps. Free to start, no card.
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