HUD Fair Market Rent · FY 2026 · effective Oct 1, 2025 to Sep 30, 2026
Fair Market Rent in King County, Washington (FY 2026)
$2,501 a month. That's HUD's FY 2026 Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom in King County, and it's the baseline every voucher in King is measured against.
2 bedroom FMR
$2,501
FY 2026, utilities included
Payment standard range
$2,251 to $2,751
90% to 110% of FMR
Income to afford 2BR
$100,040
per year, at 30% of income
Rank in Washington
1st of 39
by 2BR FMR
HUD has already published FY 2027. On October 1, 2026 the two-bedroom rate in King moves to $2,549. That's up 2%. The full FY 2027 table is in the history section below.
Market check
Two-bedrooms in Seattle are asking $2,564. HUD says $2,501.
That's 3% above the county FMR. Median asking rent across 20 Seattle ZIP codes with active 2BR listings. FMR includes utilities and asking rents usually don't, so the true gap is a little smaller.
Comps for a specific address
A rent estimate built from nearby listings, next to the HUD number.
FY 2026 Fair Market Rents
| Bedrooms | FMR | Payment standard | Income needed | Hourly wage | vs FY 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Studio | $2,074 | $1,867 to $2,281 | $82,960 | $39.88/hr | -7.3% |
| 1 bedroom | $2,146 | $1,931 to $2,361 | $85,840 | $41.27/hr | -6.4% |
| 2 bedroom | $2,501 | $2,251 to $2,751 | $100,040 | $48.10/hr | -6.4% |
| 3 bedroom | $3,272 | $2,945 to $3,599 | $130,880 | $62.92/hr | -7.1% |
| 4 bedroom | $3,847 | $3,462 to $4,232 | $153,880 | $73.98/hr | -6.3% |
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 | $4,424 | $3,982 to $4,866 |
| 6 bedroom Estimate | $5,001 | $4,501 to $5,501 |
| 7 bedroom Estimate | $5,578 | $5,020 to $6,136 |
| 8 bedroom Estimate | $6,155 | $5,540 to $6,771 |
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 King, that runs from $2,074 for a studio up to $3,847 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 King in with one other county in the Seattle-Bellevue metro, Snohomish County among them, and every one of them gets $2,501 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, King ranks 1st for two-bedroom FMR. That's about 82% above the state median of $1,374 and about 146% above the national median county at $1,018. About 2,254,371 people live here, 1st in the state.
Counties sharing the Seattle-Bellevue metro rate
Rates by ZIP code
Zoom in and the picture changes. HUD's Small Area FMRs put a two-bedroom at $2,160 in 98002 (Auburn) and $3,750 in 98004 (Bellevue), with the 113 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 98001 | Auburn | $2,490 | -0.4% |
| 98002 | Auburn | $2,160 | -13.6% |
| 98003 | Federal Way | $2,190 | -12.4% |
| 98004 | Bellevue | $3,750 | +49.9% |
| 98005 | Bellevue | $2,930 | +17.2% |
| 98006 | Bellevue | $3,560 | +42.3% |
| 98007 | Bellevue | $3,030 | +21.2% |
| 98008 | Bellevue | $3,160 | +26.3% |
| 98009 | Bellevue | $2,550 | +2.0% |
| 98010 | Black Diamond | $2,640 | +5.6% |
| 98011 | Bothell | $2,700 | +8.0% |
| 98013 | Burton | $2,501County rate | — |
| 98014 | Carnation | $2,340 | -6.4% |
| 98015 | Bellevue | $2,550 | +2.0% |
| 98019 | Duvall | $3,420 | +36.7% |
| 98022 | Enumclaw | $2,160 | -13.6% |
| 98023 | Federal Way | $2,320 | -7.2% |
| 98024 | Fall City | $2,470 | -1.2% |
| 98025 | Hobart | $2,870 | +14.8% |
| 98027 | Issaquah | $2,920 | +16.8% |
| 98028 | Kenmore | $2,480 | -0.8% |
| 98029 | Issaquah | $3,310 | +32.3% |
| 98030 | Kent | $2,280 | -8.8% |
| 98031 | Kent | $2,310 | -7.6% |
| 98032 | Kent | $2,350 | -6.0% |
| 98033 | Kirkland | $3,260 | +30.3% |
| 98034 | Kirkland | $2,860 | +14.4% |
| 98035 | Kent | $2,550 | +2.0% |
| 98038 | Maple Valley | $2,850 | +14.0% |
| 98039 | Medina | $3,240 | +29.5% |
| 98040 | Mercer Island | $3,020 | +20.8% |
| 98041 | Bothell | $2,550 | +2.0% |
| 98042 | Kent | $2,580 | +3.2% |
| 98045 | North Bend | $2,660 | +6.4% |
| 98047 | Pacific | $2,170 | -13.2% |
| 98050 | Preston | $2,720 | +8.8% |
| 98051 | Ravensdale | $2,640 | +5.6% |
| 98052 | Redmond | $3,110 | +24.4% |
| 98053 | Redmond | $3,310 | +32.3% |
| 98055 | Renton | $2,580 | +3.2% |
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 King somewhere between $2,251 and $2,751. 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.
$2,501 a month is affordable, by HUD's 30% rule, on an income of roughly $100,040 a year. Put another way, $48 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% ($2,251) | HAP at 100% ($2,501) | HAP at 110% ($2,751) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $2,500 | $750 | $1,501 | $1,751 | $2,001 |
| $4,000 | $1,200 | $1,051 | $1,301 | $1,551 |
Rate history
The two-bedroom rate went down 6% from FY 2025 ($2,671) to FY 2026 ($2,501). Since FY 2020 it's up 19% in total, about 3.0% 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 | $1,627 | $1,741 | $2,099 | $2,993 | $3,524 | — |
| FY 2021 | $1,523 | $1,599 | $1,906 | $2,694 | $3,172 | -9.2% |
| FY 2022 | $1,674 | $1,739 | $2,044 | $2,796 | $3,285 | +7.2% |
| FY 2023 | $2,042 | $2,100 | $2,455 | $3,297 | $3,847 | +20.1% |
| FY 2024 | $2,211 | $2,269 | $2,645 | $3,510 | $4,080 | +7.7% |
| FY 2025 | $2,238 | $2,293 | $2,671 | $3,521 | $4,104 | +1.0% |
| FY 2026 | $2,074 | $2,146 | $2,501 | $3,272 | $3,847 | -6.4% |
| FY 2027 | $2,091 | $2,180 | $2,549 | $3,324 | $3,954 | +1.9% |
Nearby counties
Kitsap County
$2,03119 mi · pop 275,411
Snohomish County
$2,50127 mi · pop 828,337
Pierce County
$1,97128 mi · pop 918,993
Jefferson County
$1,36738 mi · pop 33,006
Mason County
$1,35442 mi · pop 66,053
Island County
$1,67143 mi · pop 86,510
Thurston County
$1,96050 mi · pop 294,272
Skagit County
$1,72063 mi · pop 129,480
Questions people ask
$2,501 a month for FY 2026, which runs October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026. The other rates are $2,074 for a studio, $2,146 for one bedroom, $3,272 for three and $3,847 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 King actually go for?
HUD's number is one input. Search any address in King for a rent estimate built from nearby comps. 3 free searches, no card.
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