HUD Fair Market Rent · FY 2026 · effective Oct 1, 2025 to Sep 30, 2026
Fair Market Rent in Thurston County, Washington (FY 2026)
HUD's FY 2026 Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom in Thurston County is $1,960 a month. That's the number the housing authority starts from when it sets Section 8 payment standards here.
2 bedroom FMR
$1,960
FY 2026, utilities included
Payment standard range
$1,764 to $2,156
90% to 110% of FMR
Income to afford 2BR
$78,400
per year, at 30% of income
Rank in Washington
5th of 39
by 2BR FMR
HUD has already published FY 2027. On October 1, 2026 the two-bedroom rate in Thurston moves to $1,946. That's down 1%. The full FY 2027 table is in the history section below.
HUD's number is one input. What does a two-bedroom in Thurston actually rent for?
Search any address in Thurston 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 | $1,538 | $1,384 to $1,692 | $61,520 | $29.58/hr | +10.4% |
| 1 bedroom | $1,682 | $1,514 to $1,850 | $67,280 | $32.35/hr | +6.1% |
| 2 bedroom | $1,960 | $1,764 to $2,156 | $78,400 | $37.69/hr | +6.3% |
| 3 bedroom | $2,613 | $2,352 to $2,874 | $104,520 | $50.25/hr | +3.4% |
| 4 bedroom | $3,288 | $2,959 to $3,617 | $131,520 | $63.23/hr | +6.2% |
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 | $3,781 | $3,403 to $4,159 |
| 6 bedroom Estimate | $4,274 | $3,847 to $4,701 |
| 7 bedroom Estimate | $4,768 | $4,291 to $5,245 |
| 8 bedroom Estimate | $5,261 | $4,735 to $5,787 |
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 Thurston, that runs from $1,538 for a studio up to $3,288 for four bedrooms, all five rates in the table above.
Thurston is its own HUD metro area (Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater, WA), so the rate here is set from rents inside the county rather than a wider region.
Among Washington's 39 counties, Thurston ranks 5th for two-bedroom FMR. That's about 43% above the state median of $1,374 and about 93% above the national median county at $1,018. About 294,272 people live here, 6th in the state.
Rates by ZIP code
Zoom in and the picture changes. HUD's Small Area FMRs put a two-bedroom at $1,660 in 98530 (Bucoda) and $2,320 in 98516 (Olympia), with the 19 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 98501 | Olympia | $1,910 | -2.6% |
| 98502 | Olympia | $1,910 | -2.6% |
| 98503 | Lacey | $1,990 | +1.5% |
| 98504 | Olympia | $1,960County rate | — |
| 98505 | Olympia | $1,910 | -2.6% |
| 98506 | Olympia | $1,840 | -6.1% |
| 98507 | Olympia | $1,960 | 0.0% |
| 98508 | Olympia | $1,960 | 0.0% |
| 98509 | Lacey | $1,960 | 0.0% |
| 98511 | Tumwater | $1,960 | 0.0% |
| 98512 | Olympia | $1,990 | +1.5% |
| 98513 | Olympia | $2,250 | +14.8% |
| 98516 | Olympia | $2,320 | +18.4% |
| 98530 | Bucoda | $1,660 | -15.3% |
| 98540 | East Olympia | $1,960 | 0.0% |
| 98556 | Littlerock | $1,990 | +1.5% |
| 98576 | Rainier | $1,660 | -15.3% |
| 98579 | Rochester | $1,660 | -15.3% |
| 98589 | Tenino | $1,660 | -15.3% |
| 98597 | Yelm | $1,890 | -3.6% |
| 98599 | Olympia | $1,960County rate | — |
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 Thurston somewhere between $1,764 and $2,156. 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.
$1,960 a month is affordable, by HUD's 30% rule, on an income of roughly $78,400 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% ($1,764) | HAP at 100% ($1,960) | HAP at 110% ($2,156) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $2,500 | $750 | $1,014 | $1,210 | $1,406 |
| $4,000 | $1,200 | $564 | $760 | $956 |
Rate history
The two-bedroom rate went up 6% from FY 2025 ($1,843) to FY 2026 ($1,960). Since FY 2020 it's up 67% in total, about 9.0% 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 | $954 | $960 | $1,171 | $1,689 | $2,056 | — |
| FY 2021 | $1,021 | $1,026 | $1,241 | $1,776 | $2,149 | +6.0% |
| FY 2022 | $1,035 | $1,076 | $1,273 | $1,808 | $2,179 | +2.6% |
| FY 2023 | $1,127 | $1,245 | $1,456 | $2,069 | $2,480 | +14.4% |
| FY 2024 | $1,341 | $1,554 | $1,802 | $2,531 | $3,058 | +23.8% |
| FY 2025 | $1,393 | $1,585 | $1,843 | $2,526 | $3,095 | +2.3% |
| FY 2026 | $1,538 | $1,682 | $1,960 | $2,613 | $3,288 | +6.3% |
| FY 2027 | $1,586 | $1,656 | $1,946 | $2,541 | $3,141 | -0.7% |
Nearby counties
Pierce County
$1,97125 mi · pop 918,993
Mason County
$1,35428 mi · pop 66,053
Lewis County
$1,27929 mi · pop 82,663
Kitsap County
$2,03146 mi · pop 275,411
Grays Harbor County
$1,21647 mi · pop 75,672
King County
$2,50150 mi · pop 2,254,371
Wahkiakum County
$1,13757 mi · pop 4,476
Cowlitz County
$1,45158 mi · pop 110,621
Questions people ask
$1,960 a month for FY 2026, which runs October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026. The other rates are $1,538 for a studio, $1,682 for one bedroom, $2,613 for three and $3,288 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 Thurston actually go for?
HUD's number is one input. Search any address in Thurston for a rent estimate built from nearby comps. 3 free searches, no card.
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