HUD Fair Market Rent · FY 2026 · effective Oct 1, 2025 to Sep 30, 2026
Fair Market Rent in Cowlitz County, Washington (FY 2026)
$1,451 a month. That's HUD's FY 2026 Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom in Cowlitz County, and it's the baseline every voucher in Cowlitz is measured against.
2 bedroom FMR
$1,451
FY 2026, utilities included
Payment standard range
$1,306 to $1,596
90% to 110% of FMR
Income to afford 2BR
$58,040
per year, at 30% of income
Rank in Washington
19th of 39
by 2BR FMR
HUD has already published FY 2027. On October 1, 2026 the two-bedroom rate in Cowlitz moves to $1,398. That's down 4%. The full FY 2027 table is in the history section below.
HUD's number is one input. What does a two-bedroom in Cowlitz actually rent for?
Search any address in Cowlitz 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 | $1,000 | $900 to $1,100 | $40,000 | $19.23/hr | +3.8% |
| 1 bedroom | $1,199 | $1,079 to $1,319 | $47,960 | $23.06/hr | +1.1% |
| 2 bedroom | $1,451 | $1,306 to $1,596 | $58,040 | $27.90/hr | +3.3% |
| 3 bedroom | $2,018 | $1,816 to $2,220 | $80,720 | $38.81/hr | +2.6% |
| 4 bedroom | $2,434 | $2,191 to $2,677 | $97,360 | $46.81/hr | +3.2% |
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 | $2,799 | $2,519 to $3,079 |
| 6 bedroom Estimate | $3,164 | $2,848 to $3,480 |
| 7 bedroom Estimate | $3,529 | $3,176 to $3,882 |
| 8 bedroom Estimate | $3,894 | $3,505 to $4,283 |
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 Cowlitz, that runs from $1,000 for a studio up to $2,434 for four bedrooms, all five rates in the table above.
Cowlitz is its own HUD metro area (Longview-Kelso, WA), so the rate here is set from rents inside the county rather than a wider region.
Among Washington's 39 counties, Cowlitz ranks 19th for two-bedroom FMR. That's about 6% above the state median of $1,374 and about 43% above the national median county at $1,018. About 110,621 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 $1,280 in 98649 (Toutle) and $2,110 in 98616 (Cougar), with the 11 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 Cowlitz somewhere between $1,306 and $1,596. 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.
$1,451 a month is affordable, by HUD's 30% rule, on an income of roughly $58,040 a year. Put another way, $28 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% ($1,306) | HAP at 100% ($1,451) | HAP at 110% ($1,596) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $2,500 | $750 | $556 | $701 | $846 |
| $4,000 | $1,200 | $106 | $251 | $396 |
Rate history
The two-bedroom rate went up 3% from FY 2025 ($1,404) to FY 2026 ($1,451). Since FY 2020 it's up 48% in total, about 6.7% 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 | $640 | $749 | $983 | $1,418 | $1,699 | — |
| FY 2021 | $676 | $774 | $1,020 | $1,460 | $1,721 | +3.8% |
| FY 2022 | $707 | $808 | $1,055 | $1,499 | $1,806 | +3.4% |
| FY 2023 | $750 | $891 | $1,122 | $1,595 | $1,911 | +6.4% |
| FY 2024 | $909 | $1,109 | $1,341 | $1,890 | $2,276 | +19.5% |
| FY 2025 | $963 | $1,186 | $1,404 | $1,967 | $2,358 | +4.7% |
| FY 2026 | $1,000 | $1,199 | $1,451 | $2,018 | $2,434 | +3.3% |
| FY 2027 | $974 | $1,124 | $1,398 | $1,936 | $2,337 | -3.7% |
Nearby counties
Lewis County
$1,27930 mi · pop 82,663
Clark County
$1,92232 mi · pop 504,091
Wahkiakum County
$1,13737 mi · pop 4,476
Skamania County
$1,92254 mi · pop 12,118
Thurston County
$1,96058 mi · pop 294,272
Pacific County
$1,13460 mi · pop 23,396
Pierce County
$1,97172 mi · pop 918,993
Klickitat County
$1,33683 mi · pop 22,798
Questions people ask
$1,451 a month for FY 2026, which runs October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026. The other rates are $1,000 for a studio, $1,199 for one bedroom, $2,018 for three and $2,434 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 Cowlitz actually go for?
HUD's number is one input. Search any address in Cowlitz for a rent estimate built from nearby comps. 3 free searches, no card.
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