HUD Fair Market Rent · FY 2026 · effective Oct 1, 2025 to Sep 30, 2026
Fair Market Rent in Benton County, Washington (FY 2026)
A two-bedroom in Benton County carries a FY 2026 Fair Market Rent of $1,538 a month, effective October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026. Everything Section 8 pays in Benton keys off that figure.
2 bedroom FMR
$1,538
FY 2026, utilities included
Payment standard range
$1,384 to $1,692
90% to 110% of FMR
Income to afford 2BR
$61,520
per year, at 30% of income
Rank in Washington
13th of 39
by 2BR FMR
HUD has already published FY 2027. On October 1, 2026 the two-bedroom rate in Benton moves to $1,487. That's down 3%. The full FY 2027 table is in the history section below.
HUD's number is one input. What does a two-bedroom in Benton actually rent for?
Search any address in Benton 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 | $1,122 | $1,010 to $1,234 | $44,880 | $21.58/hr | +1.9% |
| 1 bedroom | $1,268 | $1,141 to $1,395 | $50,720 | $24.38/hr | +2.6% |
| 2 bedroom | $1,538 | $1,384 to $1,692 | $61,520 | $29.58/hr | +2.3% |
| 3 bedroom | $2,071 | $1,864 to $2,278 | $82,840 | $39.83/hr | +3.4% |
| 4 bedroom | $2,385 | $2,147 to $2,624 | $95,400 | $45.87/hr | +2.9% |
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 | $2,743 | $2,469 to $3,017 |
| 6 bedroom Estimate | $3,101 | $2,791 to $3,411 |
| 7 bedroom Estimate | $3,458 | $3,112 to $3,804 |
| 8 bedroom Estimate | $3,816 | $3,434 to $4,198 |
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 Benton, that runs from $1,122 for a studio up to $2,385 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 Benton in with one other county in the Kennewick-Richland metro, Franklin County among them, and every one of them gets $1,538 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 Washington's 39 counties, Benton ranks 13th for two-bedroom FMR. That's about 12% above the state median of $1,374 and about 51% above the national median county at $1,018. About 207,560 people live here, 10th in the state.
Counties sharing the Kennewick-Richland 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 99345 (Paterson) and $1,950 in 99353 (West Richland), with the 10 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.
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 Benton somewhere between $1,384 and $1,692. 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.
$1,538 a month is affordable, by HUD's 30% rule, on an income of roughly $61,520 a year. Put another way, $30 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% ($1,384) | HAP at 100% ($1,538) | HAP at 110% ($1,692) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $2,500 | $750 | $634 | $788 | $942 |
| $4,000 | $1,200 | $184 | $338 | $492 |
Rate history
The two-bedroom rate went up 2% from FY 2025 ($1,503) to FY 2026 ($1,538). Since FY 2020 it's up 41% in total, about 5.9% a year. The Washington median moved up 4% over the same year.
| Year | Studio | 1 BR | 2 BR | 3 BR | 4 BR | 2BR change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY 2020 | $720 | $883 | $1,089 | $1,477 | $1,857 | — |
| FY 2021 | $678 | $824 | $1,019 | $1,378 | $1,721 | -6.4% |
| FY 2022 | $704 | $855 | $1,060 | $1,423 | $1,792 | +4.0% |
| FY 2023 | $811 | $955 | $1,187 | $1,571 | $1,950 | +12.0% |
| FY 2024 | $1,052 | $1,206 | $1,485 | $1,960 | $2,361 | +25.1% |
| FY 2025 | $1,101 | $1,236 | $1,503 | $2,003 | $2,318 | +1.2% |
| FY 2026 | $1,122 | $1,268 | $1,538 | $2,071 | $2,385 | +2.3% |
| FY 2027 | $1,094 | $1,230 | $1,487 | $2,051 | $2,341 | -3.3% |
Nearby counties
Franklin County
$1,53829 mi · pop 96,692
Walla Walla County
$1,55043 mi · pop 62,150
Yakima County
$1,37455 mi · pop 256,143
Adams County
$1,13366 mi · pop 20,557
Columbia County
$1,05267 mi · pop 3,980
Grant County
$1,23277 mi · pop 99,145
Klickitat County
$1,33686 mi · pop 22,798
Garfield County
$1,04788 mi · pop 2,310
Questions people ask
$1,538 a month for FY 2026, which runs October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026. The other rates are $1,122 for a studio, $1,268 for one bedroom, $2,071 for three and $2,385 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 Benton actually go for?
HUD's number is one input. Search any address in Benton for a rent estimate built from nearby comps. 3 free searches, no card.
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