Section 8 payment standards
by state.
A payment standard is the maximum a housing authority will pay toward rent — not a check for that amount. The family's own share, generally about 30% of adjusted monthly income, comes off it first. HUD publishes only the Fair Market Rent behind it, and each PHA sets its own standard between 90% and 110% of that. FMR is also a gross rent — contract rent plus the utilities the tenant pays — so where the tenant pays utilities, the contract rent reaching you is the band minus the utility allowance. Every band below is a bound computed from HUD FY2026 FMR for all 50 states + DC, not a quote: the actual standard is set locally, it varies by PHA, and rent reasonableness against comparable unassisted units still applies before a lease is approved. Confirm the exact figure with your housing authority.
Fair market rent vs.
payment standard.
HUD publishes FMR.
Once per federal fiscal year, for each metropolitan FMR area and each nonmetropolitan county — and by ZIP in Small Area FMR metros. It is a gross rent: contract rent plus tenant-paid utilities. What fair market rent is.
The PHA picks its standard.
Inside 90–110% of FMR without extra approval. Above the ceiling it becomes an exception payment standard and generally needs HUD sign-off. Varies by PHA and by state.
The subsidy is the gap.
The standard is a ceiling on assistance, not a payment. The housing assistance payment is the lower of the payment standard or the unit's gross rent, minus the family's share — generally about 30% of adjusted monthly income. Rent reasonableness against comparable unassisted units still gates the rent.
The 2-bedroom band.
Data as of 2026-07-14 · HUD FY2026.
| state | 2 BR FMR / mo | 90% floor | 110% ceiling |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $1,010 | $909 | $1,111 |
| Alaska | $1,510 | $1,359 | $1,661 |
| Arizona | $1,630 | $1,467 | $1,793 |
| Arkansas | $930 | $837 | $1,023 |
| California | $2,600 | $2,340 | $2,860 |
| Colorado | $1,710 | $1,539 | $1,881 |
| Connecticut | $1,910 | $1,719 | $2,101 |
| Delaware | $1,470 | $1,323 | $1,617 |
| District of Columbia | $2,200 | $1,980 | $2,420 |
| Florida | $1,860 | $1,674 | $2,046 |
| Georgia | $1,195 | $1,076 | $1,315 |
| Hawaii | $2,550 | $2,295 | $2,805 |
| Idaho | $1,200 | $1,080 | $1,320 |
| Illinois | $1,060 | $954 | $1,166 |
| Indiana | $1,100 | $990 | $1,210 |
| Iowa | $980 | $882 | $1,078 |
| Kansas | $930 | $837 | $1,023 |
| Kentucky | $950 | $855 | $1,045 |
| Louisiana | $1,050 | $945 | $1,155 |
| Maine | $1,500 | $1,350 | $1,650 |
| Maryland | $1,770 | $1,593 | $1,947 |
| Massachusetts | $2,490 | $2,241 | $2,739 |
| Michigan | $1,150 | $1,035 | $1,265 |
| Minnesota | $1,110 | $999 | $1,221 |
| Mississippi | $960 | $864 | $1,056 |
| Missouri | $990 | $891 | $1,089 |
| Montana | $1,370 | $1,233 | $1,507 |
| Nebraska | $1,020 | $918 | $1,122 |
| Nevada | $1,685 | $1,517 | $1,854 |
| New Hampshire | $1,920 | $1,728 | $2,112 |
| New Jersey | $2,360 | $2,124 | $2,596 |
| New Mexico | $1,070 | $963 | $1,177 |
| New York | $1,500 | $1,350 | $1,650 |
| North Carolina | $1,210 | $1,089 | $1,331 |
| North Dakota | $970 | $873 | $1,067 |
| Ohio | $1,090 | $981 | $1,199 |
| Oklahoma | $990 | $891 | $1,089 |
| Oregon | $1,570 | $1,413 | $1,727 |
| Pennsylvania | $1,250 | $1,125 | $1,375 |
| Rhode Island | $1,820 | $1,638 | $2,002 |
| South Carolina | $1,180 | $1,062 | $1,298 |
| South Dakota | $980 | $882 | $1,078 |
| Tennessee | $1,120 | $1,008 | $1,232 |
| Texas | $1,240 | $1,116 | $1,364 |
| Utah | $1,340 | $1,206 | $1,474 |
| Vermont | $1,425 | $1,283 | $1,568 |
| Virginia | $1,260 | $1,134 | $1,386 |
| Washington | $1,620 | $1,458 | $1,782 |
| West Virginia | $940 | $846 | $1,034 |
| Wisconsin | $1,095 | $986 | $1,205 |
| Wyoming | $1,020 | $918 | $1,122 |
Statewide medians, shown to compare states — a real payment standard is set per PHA, per bedroom size, and often per ZIP. Every figure here is a gross rent: where the tenant pays utilities, the contract rent that reaches the owner is the band minus that unit's utility allowance, so these columns are not askable rent. See Fair Market Rent by state, or run a unit through the Section 8 rent calculator.
Payment standards, answered.
Know the ceiling before you offer.
Verleon AI overlays HUD Fair Market Rents and DSCR on every active listing nationwide, so you see the voucher band and the underwriting before you write the offer. Background reading: the Section 8 investing guide.
Data source: HUD FY2026 Fair Market Rents (Small Area FMRs where published), snapshot 2026-07-14. The 90% and 110% columns are the bounds a public housing authority may set a voucher payment standard within — not the standard itself, which is set locally and varies by PHA, and not a payment: the family's share comes off it first. FMR is a gross rent covering contract rent plus tenant-paid utilities. Figures are for research and do not guarantee approved rent on any specific unit.