HUD Fair Market Rent · FY 2026 · effective Oct 1, 2025 to Sep 30, 2026
Fair Market Rent in Lincoln County, Washington (FY 2026)
HUD's FY 2026 Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom in Lincoln County is $1,021 a month. That's the number the housing authority starts from when it sets Section 8 payment standards here.
2 bedroom FMR
$1,021
FY 2026, utilities included
Payment standard range
$919 to $1,123
90% to 110% of FMR
Income to afford 2BR
$40,840
per year, at 30% of income
Rank in Washington
38th of 39
by 2BR FMR
HUD has already published FY 2027. On October 1, 2026 the two-bedroom rate in Lincoln moves to $1,091. That's up 7%. The full FY 2027 table is in the history section below.
HUD's number is one input. What does a two-bedroom in Lincoln actually rent for?
Search any address in Lincoln 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 | $716 | $644 to $788 | $28,640 | $13.77/hr | +0.3% |
| 1 bedroom | $778 | $700 to $856 | $31,120 | $14.96/hr | 0.0% |
| 2 bedroom | $1,021 | $919 to $1,123 | $40,840 | $19.63/hr | 0.0% |
| 3 bedroom | $1,420 | $1,278 to $1,562 | $56,800 | $27.31/hr | +1.0% |
| 4 bedroom | $1,713 | $1,542 to $1,884 | $68,520 | $32.94/hr | -0.1% |
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 | $1,970 | $1,773 to $2,167 |
| 6 bedroom Estimate | $2,227 | $2,004 to $2,450 |
| 7 bedroom Estimate | $2,484 | $2,236 to $2,732 |
| 8 bedroom Estimate | $2,741 | $2,467 to $3,015 |
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 Lincoln, that runs from $716 for a studio up to $1,713 for four bedrooms, all five rates in the table above.
Because Lincoln 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, Edwall included.
Among Washington's 39 counties, Lincoln ranks 38th for two-bedroom FMR. That's about 26% below the state median of $1,374 and within a couple percent of the national median county at $1,018. About 11,036 people live here, 35th in the state.
Rates by ZIP code
Zoom in and the picture changes. HUD's Small Area FMRs put a two-bedroom at $990 in 99185 (Wilbur) and $1,420 in 99103 (Almira), 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 Lincoln somewhere between $919 and $1,123. 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.
$1,021 a month is affordable, by HUD's 30% rule, on an income of roughly $40,840 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% ($919) | HAP at 100% ($1,021) | HAP at 110% ($1,123) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $2,500 | $750 | $169 | $271 | $373 |
| $4,000 | $1,200 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
Rate history
The two-bedroom rate didn't move from FY 2025 to FY 2026. It was $1,021 then and it's $1,021 now. Since FY 2020 it's up 41% in total, about 5.8% 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 | $473 | $551 | $726 | $1,020 | $1,210 | — |
| FY 2021 | $484 | $557 | $734 | $998 | $1,271 | +1.1% |
| FY 2022 | $589 | $674 | $887 | $1,152 | $1,518 | +20.8% |
| FY 2023 | $676 | $768 | $1,011 | $1,285 | $1,722 | +14.0% |
| FY 2024 | $731 | $821 | $1,079 | $1,405 | $1,831 | +6.7% |
| FY 2025 | $714 | $778 | $1,021 | $1,406 | $1,715 | -5.4% |
| FY 2026 | $716 | $778 | $1,021 | $1,420 | $1,713 | 0.0% |
| FY 2027 | $760 | $950 | $1,091 | $1,511 | $1,824 | +6.9% |
Nearby counties
Questions people ask
$1,021 a month for FY 2026, which runs October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026. The other rates are $716 for a studio, $778 for one bedroom, $1,420 for three and $1,713 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 Lincoln actually go for?
HUD's number is one input. Search any address in Lincoln for a rent estimate built from nearby comps. 3 free searches, no card.
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