HUD Fair Market Rent · FY 2026 · effective Oct 1, 2025 to Sep 30, 2026
Fair Market Rent in Columbia County, Washington (FY 2026)
HUD's FY 2026 Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom in Columbia County is $1,052 a month. That's the number the housing authority starts from when it sets Section 8 payment standards here.
2 bedroom FMR
$1,052
FY 2026, utilities included
Payment standard range
$947 to $1,157
90% to 110% of FMR
Income to afford 2BR
$42,080
per year, at 30% of income
Rank in Washington
35th of 39
by 2BR FMR
HUD has already published FY 2027. On October 1, 2026 the two-bedroom rate in Columbia moves to $1,190. That's up 13%. The full FY 2027 table is in the history section below.
HUD's number is one input. What does a two-bedroom in Columbia actually rent for?
Search any address in Columbia 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 | $738 | $664 to $812 | $29,520 | $14.19/hr | +1.9% |
| 1 bedroom | $951 | $856 to $1,046 | $38,040 | $18.29/hr | +18.0% |
| 2 bedroom | $1,052 | $947 to $1,157 | $42,080 | $20.23/hr | +1.6% |
| 3 bedroom | $1,463 | $1,317 to $1,609 | $58,520 | $28.13/hr | +0.9% |
| 4 bedroom | $1,765 | $1,589 to $1,942 | $70,600 | $33.94/hr | +2.5% |
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 | $2,030 | $1,827 to $2,233 |
| 6 bedroom Estimate | $2,295 | $2,066 to $2,525 |
| 7 bedroom Estimate | $2,559 | $2,303 to $2,815 |
| 8 bedroom Estimate | $2,824 | $2,542 to $3,106 |
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 Columbia, that runs from $738 for a studio up to $1,765 for four bedrooms, all five rates in the table above.
Because Columbia 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, Dayton included.
Among Washington's 39 counties, Columbia ranks 35th for two-bedroom FMR. That's about 23% below the state median of $1,374 and about 3% above the national median county at $1,018. About 3,980 people live here, 38th in the state.
Rates by ZIP code
Zoom in and the picture changes. HUD's Small Area FMRs put a two-bedroom at $1,210 in 99359 (Starbuck) and $1,340 in 99328 (Dayton), with the 2 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 Columbia somewhere between $947 and $1,157. 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.
$1,052 a month is affordable, by HUD's 30% rule, on an income of roughly $42,080 a year. Put another way, $20 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% ($947) | HAP at 100% ($1,052) | HAP at 110% ($1,157) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $2,500 | $750 | $197 | $302 | $407 |
| $4,000 | $1,200 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
Rate history
The two-bedroom rate went up 2% from FY 2025 ($1,035) to FY 2026 ($1,052). Since FY 2020 it's up 5% in total, about 0.8% 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 | $652 | $760 | $1,001 | $1,281 | $1,356 | — |
| FY 2021 | $685 | $788 | $1,038 | $1,298 | $1,517 | +3.7% |
| FY 2022 | $650 | $743 | $978 | $1,220 | $1,655 | -5.8% |
| FY 2023 | $707 | $803 | $1,057 | $1,286 | $1,762 | +8.1% |
| FY 2024 | $735 | $847 | $1,085 | $1,395 | $1,799 | +2.6% |
| FY 2025 | $724 | $806 | $1,035 | $1,450 | $1,722 | -4.6% |
| FY 2026 | $738 | $951 | $1,052 | $1,463 | $1,765 | +1.6% |
| FY 2027 | $829 | $1,093 | $1,190 | $1,648 | $1,989 | +13.1% |
Nearby counties
Garfield County
$1,04721 mi · pop 2,310
Walla Walla County
$1,55028 mi · pop 62,150
Adams County
$1,13342 mi · pop 20,557
Franklin County
$1,53845 mi · pop 96,692
Whitman County
$1,16948 mi · pop 47,141
Asotin County
$1,22049 mi · pop 22,370
Benton County
$1,53867 mi · pop 207,560
Lincoln County
$1,02182 mi · pop 11,036
Questions people ask
$1,052 a month for FY 2026, which runs October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026. The other rates are $738 for a studio, $951 for one bedroom, $1,463 for three and $1,765 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 Columbia actually go for?
HUD's number is one input. Search any address in Columbia for a rent estimate built from nearby comps. 3 free searches, no card.
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