Short answer: Type a ZIP code above to see HUD's FY2027 Small Area Fair Market Rent for that ZIP: the 40th percentile gross rent (rent plus utilities) for recently rented, standard-quality homes. It is a conservative public starting point for a rent estimate, not a market rent quote, so confirm it with nearby rental comps before you buy.
What this number is, and isn't
Each year the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) publishes fair market rents (FMRs) for the Housing Choice Voucher program. The Small Area version does it ZIP code by ZIP code, so a pricey suburb and a cheaper neighborhood in the same metro get different figures. The FY2027 file took effect October 1, 2026 and covers 38,601 ZIP codes.
- 40th percentile, not the median. About 40% of recently rented standard-quality units in the ZIP rent for less, and 60% for more.
- Gross rent. It includes tenant-paid utilities (except telephone). If your tenant pays utilities, the rent you collect is lower than the gross figure.
- Recent movers. It reflects units that changed hands recently, so it is closer to a new lease than a census median that includes long-time tenants.
- Capped. HUD limits a ZIP's figure to 150% of the metro-wide FMR, so the priciest ZIPs can sit below their true market.
Use it as a floor-to-middle check. If your comps say $2,400 and HUD says $1,900, ask why your unit is better. If HUD says more than your comps, trust the comps. See how to estimate rent for the full comps process.
Fair market rent in big-city ZIP codes
The downtown ZIP of 24 big US cities, with HUD's FY2027 Small Area FMR next to the metro-wide 3-bedroom FMR for the same HUD area. In 24 of 24, the downtown ZIP's 3-bed figure is above the metro-wide FMR (median +46%). Tap a 3-bed figure to score the city's median-priced home (Census ACS 2024) at that rent.
| City and ZIP | 2-bed | 3-bed | Metro 3-bed | ZIP vs metro |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New York, NY 10001 | $4,460 | $5,640 | $3,760 | +50% |
| Los Angeles, CA 90012 | $3,150 | $4,000 | $3,760 | +6% |
| Chicago, IL 60601 | $3,020 | $3,880 | $2,586 | +50% |
| Houston, TX 77002 | $2,250 | $3,030 | $2,017 | +50% |
| Phoenix, AZ 85004 | $1,950 | $2,590 | $2,287 | +13% |
| Philadelphia, PA 19103 | $2,790 | $3,320 | $2,216 | +50% |
| San Antonio, TX 78205 | $1,450 | $1,880 | $1,864 | +1% |
| San Diego, CA 92101 | $4,090 | $5,420 | $3,743 | +45% |
| Dallas, TX 75201 | $2,710 | $3,410 | $2,275 | +50% |
| Austin, TX 78701 | $2,730 | $3,440 | $2,292 | +50% |
| Seattle, WA 98101 | $3,490 | $4,550 | $3,324 | +37% |
| Denver, CO 80202 | $3,060 | $4,020 | $2,846 | +41% |
| Atlanta, GA 30303 | $1,910 | $2,280 | $2,099 | +9% |
| Miami, FL 33131 | $3,850 | $4,920 | $3,277 | +50% |
| Boston, MA 02108 | $3,670 | $4,370 | $3,584 | +22% |
| Nashville, TN 37203 | $2,140 | $2,750 | $2,309 | +19% |
| Columbus, OH 43215 | $2,350 | $2,800 | $1,909 | +47% |
| Charlotte, NC 28202 | $2,680 | $3,270 | $2,179 | +50% |
| Indianapolis, IN 46204 | $2,220 | $2,880 | $1,991 | +45% |
| Detroit, MI 48226 | $2,170 | $2,640 | $1,777 | +49% |
| Memphis, TN 38103 | $1,750 | $2,310 | $1,717 | +35% |
| St. Louis, MO 63101 | $1,600 | $2,050 | $1,731 | +18% |
| Cleveland, OH 44113 | $1,910 | $2,440 | $1,628 | +50% |
| Pittsburgh, PA 15222 | $2,080 | $2,650 | $1,773 | +49% |
Rents vary a lot inside one metro. In the Chicago-Joliet-Naperville, IL area, HUD lists 370 ZIP codes with 3-bedroom figures from $1,400 to $3,900 a month. That spread is why a ZIP figure beats a metro average:
| City's HUD area | ZIPs | Lowest 3-bed | Highest 3-bed |
|---|---|---|---|
| New York, NY | 410 | $3,280 | $5,640 |
| Los Angeles, CA | 474 | $2,390 | $5,650 |
| Chicago, IL | 370 | $1,400 | $3,900 |
| Houston, TX | 327 | $1,350 | $3,030 |
| Phoenix, AZ | 225 | $1,870 | $3,430 |
| Philadelphia, PA | 473 | $1,470 | $3,320 |
| San Antonio, TX | 138 | $1,320 | $2,790 |
| San Diego, CA | 178 | $2,200 | $5,610 |
| Dallas, TX | 260 | $1,290 | $3,410 |
| Austin, TX | 131 | $1,470 | $3,440 |
| Seattle, WA | 153 | $2,570 | $4,980 |
| Denver, CO | 182 | $1,410 | $4,260 |
| Atlanta, GA | 299 | $1,190 | $3,150 |
| Miami, FL | 120 | $2,570 | $4,920 |
| Boston, MA | 259 | $3,180 | $5,370 |
| Nashville, TN | 125 | $1,250 | $3,470 |
| Columbus, OH | 143 | $1,200 | $2,800 |
| Charlotte, NC | 129 | $1,240 | $3,270 |
| Indianapolis, IN | 136 | $1,300 | $2,980 |
| Detroit, MI | 250 | $1,230 | $2,700 |
| Memphis, TN | 105 | $1,260 | $2,570 |
| St. Louis, MO | 268 | $1,160 | $2,590 |
| Cleveland, OH | 126 | $1,230 | $2,440 |
| Pittsburgh, PA | 393 | $1,210 | $2,650 |
From rent estimate to deal verdict
Rent is the number that makes or breaks a rental. Once you have a ZIP figure, the button in the tool opens FirstDoor's free deal score with that rent filled in, at 7.32% with 20% down (Freddie Mac's 30-year average on October 22, 2026). If you leave the price blank it starts from the US median home value ($360,600, Census ACS 2024); change it to your listing and the verdict updates. To see how low rent can go before the deal loses money, use the break-even rent calculator.
Renting to a voucher holder? Read does Section 8 pay more than market rent: the payment standard is generally 90% to 110% of the FMR the housing authority uses, and the rent must still be reasonable next to similar unassisted units.
Methodology and source
Figures are HUD's FY2027 Small Area Fair Market Rents (FY27_safmrs.xlsx, effective October 1, 2026), downloaded from HUD USER on October 26, 2026, unchanged. HUD rounds each figure to the nearest $10. The tool shows HUD's figure for the ZIP and bedroom count, the full studio to 4-bed row, the HUD area(s) the ZIP is listed in, and that area's metro-wide or county FMR from HUD's FY2027 FMR file. The 90% and 110% payment-standard range is computed exactly as in HUD's file.
- Coverage: 38,601 ZIP codes in 2,600 HUD areas. 24,867 are in metro areas; 13,734 are only in non-metro counties, where HUD has published ZIP-level figures since FY2025 for information (vouchers there generally use the county FMR unless the housing authority opts in).
- ZIPs in more than one area: 10,093 ZIPs cross county lines and are listed under 2 to 6 HUD areas. In the FY2027 file every one has identical figures in each area, so the tool shows one row and names every area, metro areas first.
- ZIPs HUD doesn't list: for 14 Census ZIP code areas (2020 ZCTAs) that are not in HUD's file, the tool shows the county's FY2027 FMR, labeled as a county figure (matched using the Census Bureau's ZCTA-to-county file, by the county holding most of the ZIP's land). Any other ZIP gets a plain "not published" message, never an invented number.
- Page weight: the data is split into 905 small files by the first three digits of the ZIP (median 1.9 KB, largest 5.2 KB before compression). Only the one you need loads.
Frequently asked questions
How can I estimate rent by ZIP code for free?
Type the ZIP into the tool above and pick the bedroom count. It shows HUD's FY2027 Small Area Fair Market Rent for that ZIP, the figure HUD publishes for 38,601 ZIP codes. Treat it as a conservative public benchmark, then confirm with 3 to 5 nearby rental comps.
What is a Small Area Fair Market Rent (SAFMR)?
It is HUD's fair market rent for a single ZIP code instead of a whole metro area: the 40th percentile gross rent (rent plus tenant-paid utilities except telephone) for standard-quality units recently rented, rounded to the nearest $10. HUD caps a ZIP's figure at 150% of the metro-wide FMR.
Is the fair market rent what my rental will get?
Not necessarily. Forty percent of recently rented standard units in the area rent for less and sixty percent for more, and the figure includes utilities. A renovated home in a good school zone can lease well above it; a dated unit may not reach it. Use it as a starting point and check real comps.
Does Section 8 pay the Small Area FMR for my ZIP?
Only where the housing authority uses Small Area FMRs: metro areas HUD designates as mandatory SAFMR areas and housing authorities that opt in. Elsewhere vouchers are based on the metro-wide or county FMR. Payment standards are generally 90% to 110% of the FMR used, and the rent must also pass a rent-reasonableness check.
Why does my ZIP show more than one HUD area?
Some ZIP codes cross county lines, so HUD lists them under more than one fair market rent area. 10,093 ZIPs are listed more than once in the FY2027 file, and each one has the same Small Area FMRs in every area it appears in. The tool names every area and shows each area's metro-wide FMR.
Why is my ZIP not found?
HUD publishes Small Area FMRs for residential ZIP codes. PO box, single-business and some new ZIPs are not in the file. Try the ZIP of the property's street address. Where the Census Bureau maps a ZIP area to a county that HUD lists, the tool shows that county's fair market rent instead and labels it.
Sources
More free calculators
Educational tool, not financial advice. HUD fair market rents are program benchmarks, not appraisals or rent quotes. Updated October 26, 2026.