HUD Fair Market Rent · FY 2026 · effective Oct 1, 2025 to Sep 30, 2026
Fair Market Rent in Pierce County, Washington (FY 2026)
A two-bedroom in Pierce County carries a FY 2026 Fair Market Rent of $1,971 a month, effective October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026. Everything Section 8 pays in Pierce keys off that figure.
2 bedroom FMR
$1,971
FY 2026, utilities included
Payment standard range
$1,774 to $2,168
90% to 110% of FMR
Income to afford 2BR
$78,840
per year, at 30% of income
Rank in Washington
4th of 39
by 2BR FMR
HUD has already published FY 2027. On October 1, 2026 the two-bedroom rate in Pierce moves to $2,064. That's up 5%. The full FY 2027 table is in the history section below.
HUD's number is one input. What does a two-bedroom in Pierce actually rent for?
Search any address in Pierce 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 | $1,428 | $1,285 to $1,571 | $57,120 | $27.46/hr | -3.4% |
| 1 bedroom | $1,605 | $1,445 to $1,766 | $64,200 | $30.87/hr | -4.1% |
| 2 bedroom | $1,971 | $1,774 to $2,168 | $78,840 | $37.90/hr | -4.2% |
| 3 bedroom | $2,733 | $2,460 to $3,006 | $109,320 | $52.56/hr | -5.2% |
| 4 bedroom | $3,102 | $2,792 to $3,412 | $124,080 | $59.65/hr | -5.8% |
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 | $3,567 | $3,210 to $3,924 |
| 6 bedroom Estimate | $4,033 | $3,630 to $4,436 |
| 7 bedroom Estimate | $4,498 | $4,048 to $4,948 |
| 8 bedroom Estimate | $4,963 | $4,467 to $5,459 |
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 Pierce, that runs from $1,428 for a studio up to $3,102 for four bedrooms, all five rates in the table above.
Pierce is its own HUD metro area (Tacoma, WA), so the rate here is set from rents inside the county rather than a wider region.
Among Washington's 39 counties, Pierce ranks 4th for two-bedroom FMR. That's about 43% above the state median of $1,374 and about 94% above the national median county at $1,018. About 918,993 people live here, 2nd in the state.
Rates by ZIP code
Zoom in and the picture changes. HUD's Small Area FMRs put a two-bedroom at $1,860 in 98304 (Ashford) and $2,680 in 98332 (Gig Harbor), with the 68 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 98303 | Anderson Island | $2,100 | +6.5% |
| 98304 | Ashford | $1,860 | -5.6% |
| 98321 | Buckley | $1,990 | +1.0% |
| 98323 | Carbonado | $1,860 | -5.6% |
| 98327 | Dupont | $2,560 | +29.9% |
| 98328 | Eatonville | $1,860 | -5.6% |
| 98329 | Gig Harbor | $2,020 | +2.5% |
| 98330 | Elbe | $1,970 | -0.1% |
| 98332 | Gig Harbor | $2,680 | +36.0% |
| 98333 | Fox Island | $2,290 | +16.2% |
| 98335 | Gig Harbor | $2,210 | +12.1% |
| 98338 | Graham | $2,140 | +8.6% |
| 98344 | Kapowsin | $1,970 | -0.1% |
| 98348 | La Grande | $1,971County rate | — |
| 98349 | Lakebay | $1,860 | -5.6% |
| 98351 | Longbranch | $1,860 | -5.6% |
| 98352 | Sumner | $1,971County rate | — |
| 98354 | Milton | $2,270 | +15.2% |
| 98360 | Orting | $2,540 | +28.9% |
| 98371 | Puyallup | $1,880 | -4.6% |
| 98372 | Puyallup | $2,090 | +6.0% |
| 98373 | Puyallup | $2,120 | +7.6% |
| 98374 | Puyallup | $2,230 | +13.1% |
| 98375 | Puyallup | $2,460 | +24.8% |
| 98385 | South Prairie | $2,090 | +6.0% |
| 98387 | Spanaway | $2,110 | +7.1% |
| 98388 | Steilacoom | $1,890 | -4.1% |
| 98390 | Sumner | $2,190 | +11.1% |
| 98391 | Bonney Lake | $2,470 | +25.3% |
| 98394 | Vaughn | $1,860 | -5.6% |
| 98395 | Wauna | $1,970 | -0.1% |
| 98396 | Wilkeson | $1,860 | -5.6% |
| 98397 | Longmire | $1,971County rate | — |
| 98398 | Paradise Inn | $1,971County rate | — |
| 98401 | Tacoma | $1,970 | -0.1% |
| 98402 | Tacoma | $1,900 | -3.6% |
| 98403 | Tacoma | $1,860 | -5.6% |
| 98404 | Tacoma | $1,860 | -5.6% |
| 98405 | Tacoma | $1,860 | -5.6% |
| 98406 | Tacoma | $1,950 | -1.1% |
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 Pierce somewhere between $1,774 and $2,168. 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.
$1,971 a month is affordable, by HUD's 30% rule, on an income of roughly $78,840 a year. Put another way, $38 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% ($1,774) | HAP at 100% ($1,971) | HAP at 110% ($2,168) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $2,500 | $750 | $1,024 | $1,221 | $1,418 |
| $4,000 | $1,200 | $574 | $771 | $968 |
Rate history
The two-bedroom rate went down 4% from FY 2025 ($2,057) to FY 2026 ($1,971). Since FY 2020 it's up 40% 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 | $961 | $1,075 | $1,408 | $2,031 | $2,472 | — |
| FY 2021 | $1,011 | $1,126 | $1,461 | $2,091 | $2,530 | +3.8% |
| FY 2022 | $1,056 | $1,162 | $1,484 | $2,108 | $2,540 | +1.6% |
| FY 2023 | $1,174 | $1,308 | $1,643 | $2,335 | $2,740 | +10.7% |
| FY 2024 | $1,430 | $1,603 | $1,987 | $2,800 | $3,236 | +20.9% |
| FY 2025 | $1,479 | $1,673 | $2,057 | $2,882 | $3,292 | +3.5% |
| FY 2026 | $1,428 | $1,605 | $1,971 | $2,733 | $3,102 | -4.2% |
| FY 2027 | $1,491 | $1,682 | $2,064 | $2,849 | $3,219 | +4.7% |
Nearby counties
Thurston County
$1,96025 mi · pop 294,272
King County
$2,50128 mi · pop 2,254,371
Kitsap County
$2,03133 mi · pop 275,411
Mason County
$1,35434 mi · pop 66,053
Lewis County
$1,27943 mi · pop 82,663
Snohomish County
$2,50155 mi · pop 828,337
Jefferson County
$1,36756 mi · pop 33,006
Grays Harbor County
$1,21667 mi · pop 75,672
Questions people ask
$1,971 a month for FY 2026, which runs October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026. The other rates are $1,428 for a studio, $1,605 for one bedroom, $2,733 for three and $3,102 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 Pierce actually go for?
HUD's number is one input. Search any address in Pierce for a rent estimate built from nearby comps. 3 free searches, no card.
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