HUD FMR Data · Updated April 2026
Most Expensive Counties by Rent
These 50 U.S. counties post the highest Fair Market Rent for a 2-bedroom unit in HUD's latest fiscal-year release. Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA sits at the top of the list at $4,214 per month — what HUD considers the 40th-percentile gross rent for a standard 2-bedroom in that area. Rents at this end of the distribution are dominated by coastal metros and high-cost suburbs where land constraints and tight vacancy push rents well above the national median.
How to Read This Ranking
For context, the national median 2-bedroom FMR is $1,250 per month and the national median household income is $71,049 per year, per the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey 5-year estimates. HUD uses these figures to set Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher payment standards, so the rents on this list directly drive subsidy levels, income limits, and federal housing program eligibility in those counties.
Each row links to a full county page with bedroom-by-bedroom Fair Market Rent, rent burden against the local median household income, and the underlying HUD area code. The ranking covers up to 50 counties and refreshes against HUD\'s annual fiscal-year FMR release. For the underlying HUD data, see the official HUD Fair Market Rents dataset or query the HUD FMR API.
| Rank | County | State | 2BR FMR | 2BR FMR |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Santa Cruz-Watsonville | California | $4,214 | $4,214 |
| 2 | San Francisco | California | $3,604 | $3,604 |
| 3 | San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara | California | $3,483 | $3,483 |
| 4 | Santa Ana-Anaheim-Irvine | California | $3,236 | $3,236 |
| 5 | Santa Maria-Santa Barbara | California | $3,124 | $3,124 |
| 6 | San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad | California | $3,001 | $3,001 |
| 7 | Boston-Cambridge-Quincy | Massachusetts | $2,941 | $2,941 |
| 8 | Boston-Cambridge-Quincy | New Hampshire | $2,941 | $2,941 |
| 9 | Oakland-Fremont | California | $2,912 | $2,912 |
| 10 | New York | New York | $2,910 | $2,910 |
| 11 | San Benito County | California | $2,902 | $2,902 |
| 12 | Santa Rosa-Petaluma | California | $2,827 | $2,827 |
| 13 | Napa | California | $2,773 | $2,773 |
| 14 | Jersey City | New Jersey | $2,763 | $2,763 |
| 15 | Nassau-Suffolk | New York | $2,747 | $2,747 |
| 16 | Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura | California | $2,693 | $2,693 |
| 17 | Salinas | California | $2,684 | $2,684 |
| 18 | Urban Honolulu | Hawaii | $2,642 | $2,642 |
| 19 | Kahului-Wailuku-Lahaina | Hawaii | $2,624 | $2,624 |
| 20 | Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale | California | $2,601 | $2,601 |
| 21 | Easton-Raynham | Massachusetts | $2,550 | $2,550 |
| 22 | San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles | California | $2,512 | $2,512 |
| 23 | Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury | Connecticut | $2,511 | $2,511 |
| 24 | Seattle-Bellevue | Washington | $2,501 | $2,501 |
| 25 | Kalawao County | Hawaii | $2,492 | $2,492 |
| 26 | Middlesex-Somerset-Hunterdon | New Jersey | $2,486 | $2,486 |
| 27 | Miami-Miami Beach-Kendall | Florida | $2,436 | $2,436 |
| 28 | Barnstable Town | Massachusetts | $2,422 | $2,422 |
| 29 | Lowell | Massachusetts | $2,351 | $2,351 |
| 30 | Fort Lauderdale | Florida | $2,333 | $2,333 |
| 31 | Monmouth-Ocean | New Jersey | $2,328 | $2,328 |
| 32 | Bergen-Passaic | New Jersey | $2,324 | $2,324 |
| 33 | Newport-Middleton-Portsmouth | Rhode Island | $2,314 | $2,314 |
| 34 | Brockton | Massachusetts | $2,311 | $2,311 |
| 35 | Lawrence | Massachusetts | $2,270 | $2,270 |
| 36 | Lawrence | New Hampshire | $2,270 | $2,270 |
| 37 | Sacramento--Roseville--Arden-Arcade | California | $2,255 | $2,255 |
| 38 | West Palm Beach-Boca Raton | Florida | $2,254 | $2,254 |
| 39 | Washington-Arlington-Alexandria | District of Columbia | $2,246 | $2,246 |
| 40 | Washington-Arlington-Alexandria | Maryland | $2,246 | $2,246 |
| 41 | Washington-Arlington-Alexandria | Virginia | $2,246 | $2,246 |
| 42 | Western Rockingham County | New Hampshire | $2,220 | $2,220 |
| 43 | Newark | New Jersey | $2,205 | $2,205 |
| 44 | York-Kittery-South Berwick | Maine | $2,202 | $2,202 |
| 45 | Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario | California | $2,201 | $2,201 |
| 46 | Portsmouth-Rochester | New Hampshire | $2,194 | $2,194 |
| 47 | Vallejo | California | $2,178 | $2,178 |
| 48 | Eastern Worcester County | Massachusetts | $2,166 | $2,166 |
| 49 | Bozeman | Montana | $2,154 | $2,154 |
| 50 | Burlington-South Burlington | Vermont | $2,140 | $2,140 |
Methodology Notes
Each county's rent is HUD's published 2-bedroom Fair Market Rent — the 40th-percentile gross rent for standard-quality units. We rank by raw FMR, not by adjusted dollars, so high-cost coastal counties dominate the expensive list and rural Midwest and Plains counties dominate the affordable list. To compare rent against local incomes, use the rent-burden rankings.
For the full step-by-step calculation, including how HUD ages ACS base rents using BLS CPI rent indexes and how rent burden is paired with Census income data, see the RentIndex methodology page. We do not adjust HUD\'s figures; the rents and rent-burden calculations on this page reflect federal published data exactly as released.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the most expensive county for rent in the U.S.?
Based on HUD's latest Fair Market Rent release, Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA posts the highest 2-bedroom FMR at $4,214 per month — about 237% above the national median 2BR FMR of $1,250.
Why are these counties so expensive?
High-FMR counties cluster around coastal metros, resort economies, and tech hubs where land constraints, tight vacancy, and high-income demand push rents above the national median. HUD's 40th-percentile methodology means even the cheaper standard units in these areas command premium rent.
How is Fair Market Rent calculated?
HUD calculates FMR as the 40th percentile of gross rents for standard-quality, non-substandard rental units in a Fair Market Rent Area, using American Community Survey base rents trimmed and updated with BLS CPI rent indexes. The full methodology is published in HUD's annual FMR Documentation System.
Is FMR the same as average rent?
No. FMR is the 40th percentile, not the average. It represents what HUD considers a reasonable rent for a typical unit, which is generally lower than asking rent on listing platforms because FMR includes long-tenured leases, smaller landlords, and the broader rental stock — not just units currently on the market.
Where can I see the underlying HUD data?
All Fair Market Rent figures come from HUD User's public FMR dataset at huduser.gov/portal/datasets/fmr.html. Each county page on RentIndex links directly to HUD's original record for that area.
Other Rankings
Source: U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), Fair Market Rents — public domain; huduser.gov/portal/datasets/fmr.html. Income figures: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates. Last refreshed April 2026.