HUD Fair Market Rent · FY 2026 · effective Oct 1, 2025 to Sep 30, 2026
Fair Market Rent in Chelan County, Washington (FY 2026)
HUD's FY 2026 Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom in Chelan County is $1,500 a month. That's the number the housing authority starts from when it sets Section 8 payment standards here.
2 bedroom FMR
$1,500
FY 2026, utilities included
Payment standard range
$1,350 to $1,650
90% to 110% of FMR
Income to afford 2BR
$60,000
per year, at 30% of income
Rank in Washington
16th of 39
by 2BR FMR
HUD has already published FY 2027. On October 1, 2026 the two-bedroom rate in Chelan moves to $1,467. That's down 2%. The full FY 2027 table is in the history section below.
HUD's number is one input. What does a two-bedroom in Chelan actually rent for?
Search any address in Chelan 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 | $1,034 | $931 to $1,137 | $41,360 | $19.88/hr | +1.4% |
| 1 bedroom | $1,143 | $1,029 to $1,257 | $45,720 | $21.98/hr | +0.8% |
| 2 bedroom | $1,500 | $1,350 to $1,650 | $60,000 | $28.85/hr | +0.8% |
| 3 bedroom | $2,063 | $1,857 to $2,269 | $82,520 | $39.67/hr | -0.1% |
| 4 bedroom | $2,516 | $2,264 to $2,768 | $100,640 | $48.38/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 | $2,893 | $2,604 to $3,182 |
| 6 bedroom Estimate | $3,271 | $2,944 to $3,598 |
| 7 bedroom Estimate | $3,648 | $3,283 to $4,013 |
| 8 bedroom Estimate | $4,026 | $3,623 to $4,429 |
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 Chelan, that runs from $1,034 for a studio up to $2,516 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 Chelan in with one other county in the Wenatchee-East Wenatchee metro, Douglas County among them, and every one of them gets $1,500 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, Chelan ranks 16th for two-bedroom FMR. That's about 9% above the state median of $1,374 and about 47% above the national median county at $1,018. About 79,076 people live here, 17th in the state.
Counties sharing the Wenatchee-East Wenatchee metro rate
Rates by ZIP code
Zoom in and the picture changes. HUD's Small Area FMRs put a two-bedroom at $1,340 in 98815 (Cashmere) and $2,160 in 98826 (Leavenworth), with the 14 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 98801 | Wenatchee | $1,510 | +0.7% |
| 98807 | Wenatchee | $1,510 | +0.7% |
| 98811 | Ardenvoir | $1,580 | +5.3% |
| 98815 | Cashmere | $1,340 | -10.7% |
| 98816 | Chelan | $1,720 | +14.7% |
| 98817 | Chelan Falls | $1,510 | +0.7% |
| 98821 | Dryden | $1,340 | -10.7% |
| 98822 | Entiat | $1,580 | +5.3% |
| 98826 | Leavenworth | $2,160 | +44.0% |
| 98828 | Malaga | $1,750 | +16.7% |
| 98831 | Manson | $1,750 | +16.7% |
| 98836 | Monitor | $1,340 | -10.7% |
| 98847 | Peshastin | $1,390 | -7.3% |
| 98852 | Stehekin | $1,340 | -10.7% |
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 Chelan somewhere between $1,350 and $1,650. 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.
$1,500 a month is affordable, by HUD's 30% rule, on an income of roughly $60,000 a year. Put another way, $29 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% ($1,350) | HAP at 100% ($1,500) | HAP at 110% ($1,650) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $2,500 | $750 | $600 | $750 | $900 |
| $4,000 | $1,200 | $150 | $300 | $450 |
Rate history
The two-bedroom rate went up 1% from FY 2025 ($1,488) to FY 2026 ($1,500). Since FY 2020 it's up 42% in total, about 6.1% 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 | $710 | $800 | $1,054 | $1,435 | $1,556 | — |
| FY 2021 | $734 | $866 | $1,107 | $1,511 | $1,735 | +5.0% |
| FY 2022 | $748 | $917 | $1,126 | $1,546 | $1,791 | +1.7% |
| FY 2023 | $844 | $1,038 | $1,262 | $1,725 | $1,988 | +12.1% |
| FY 2024 | $981 | $1,153 | $1,448 | $2,003 | $2,325 | +14.7% |
| FY 2025 | $1,020 | $1,134 | $1,488 | $2,065 | $2,444 | +2.8% |
| FY 2026 | $1,034 | $1,143 | $1,500 | $2,063 | $2,516 | +0.8% |
| FY 2027 | $1,048 | $1,121 | $1,467 | $1,989 | $2,452 | -2.2% |
Nearby counties
Douglas County
$1,50020 mi · pop 43,189
Kittitas County
$1,45442 mi · pop 44,424
Grant County
$1,23252 mi · pop 99,145
Okanogan County
$1,04361 mi · pop 42,336
Yakima County
$1,37480 mi · pop 256,143
Snohomish County
$2,50184 mi · pop 828,337
King County
$2,50187 mi · pop 2,254,371
Lincoln County
$1,02191 mi · pop 11,036
Questions people ask
$1,500 a month for FY 2026, which runs October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026. The other rates are $1,034 for a studio, $1,143 for one bedroom, $2,063 for three and $2,516 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 Chelan actually go for?
HUD's number is one input. Search any address in Chelan for a rent estimate built from nearby comps. 3 free searches, no card.
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