Rent Limits / 2 Bedroom voucher amount

How Much Does Section 8 Pay for a 2-Bedroom? (2026–27)

Median ZIP

$1,260

8 in 10 ZIPs

$970–$2,400

Full range

$890–$5,260

There is no single national 2-bedroom voucher amount. Your housing authority sets a payment standard for each unit size, normally between 90% and 110% of HUD's Fair Market Rent for your area (24 CFR 982.503). HUD's FY2027 figures, effective October 1, 2026, put a 2-bedroom at $1,260 a month in the median ZIP code, and between $970 and $2,400 in 8 of every 10 ZIP codes. By state, the median ZIP runs from $960 in Arkansas to $2,630 in California.

The voucher does not pay that whole amount. The housing authority pays the payment standard, or the gross rent if that is lower, minus your total tenant payment, which is usually 30% of your adjusted monthly income (24 CFR 982.505). Gross rent means rent plus any utilities you pay yourself, counted through the utility allowance.

For example, take a 2-bedroom at the median $1,260 and a household with $2,000 of adjusted monthly income. The household's share is $600, and the voucher covers up to $660. If the gross rent is above the payment standard, the household pays the difference too, but at the first lease-up its total share cannot be more than 40% of adjusted monthly income (24 CFR 982.508).

Look up the 2-bedroom figure for your ZIP code

2 Bedroom voucher amounts in 30 large cities

HUD FY2027 2-bedroom figure across each city's ZIP codes ("New York" is the Manhattan postal city). Highest first.

City	Median ZIP	Lowest–highest ZIP	ZIPs
New York, NY	$3,680	$2,620–$4,460	127
Boston, MA	$3,620	$2,900–$4,510	25
San Francisco, CA	$3,540	$3,250–$4,930	38
Brooklyn, NY	$2,970	$2,620–$4,460	45
Los Angeles, CA	$2,960	$1,870–$4,450	89
San Diego, CA	$2,820	$2,230–$4,230	70
Bronx, NY	$2,640	$2,620–$3,200	25
Seattle, WA	$2,600	$2,060–$3,630	53
Miami, FL	$2,560	$2,010–$3,850	86
Washington, DC	$2,400	$1,640–$3,660	105
Sacramento, CA	$2,170	$1,660–$2,700	37
Denver, CO	$2,150	$1,890–$3,060	51
Chicago, IL	$1,980	$1,500–$3,020	76
Charlotte, NC	$1,890	$1,500–$2,680	59
Nashville, TN	$1,860	$1,500–$2,560	31
Austin, TX	$1,850	$1,670–$2,730	66
Atlanta, GA	$1,850	$1,200–$2,640	76
Philadelphia, PA	$1,780	$1,350–$2,790	58
Fort Worth, TX	$1,750	$1,360–$2,560	43
Phoenix, AZ	$1,740	$1,380–$2,600	67
Dallas, TX	$1,720	$1,130–$2,710	77
Baltimore, MD	$1,720	$1,680–$2,520	31
Las Vegas, NV	$1,690	$1,570–$2,530	71
Jacksonville, FL	$1,660	$1,150–$2,540	44
Columbus, OH	$1,560	$1,000–$2,350	35
Indianapolis, IN	$1,475	$1,310–$2,300	46
Houston, TX	$1,470	$1,020–$2,250	169
San Antonio, TX	$1,430	$1,020–$2,160	83
Detroit, MI	$1,350	$1,070–$2,170	31
Milwaukee, WI	$1,230	$1,210–$1,890	33

2 Bedroom voucher amounts by state

HUD FY2027 2-bedroom figure across each state's ZIP codes, highest median first.

State	Median ZIP	Lowest–highest ZIP	Highest ZIP
California	$2,630	$1,080–$5,260	95060 Santa Cruz
Massachusetts	$2,545	$1,440–$4,510	01731 Hanscom Afb
Hawaii	$2,535	$1,870–$3,810	96825 Honolulu
District of Columbia	$2,400	$1,640–$3,660	20003 Washington
New Jersey	$2,310	$1,200–$4,190	07030 Hoboken
Maryland	$1,970	$1,010–$3,660	20817 Bethesda
Rhode Island	$1,970	$1,560–$2,820	02817 West Greenwich
Connecticut	$1,930	$1,290–$3,600	06612 Easton
New Hampshire	$1,880	$1,160–$3,550	03087 Windham
Florida	$1,870	$950–$3,850	33131 Miami
Colorado	$1,750	$1,010–$3,590	80443 Frisco
Washington	$1,730	$1,010–$3,820	98004 Bellevue
Delaware	$1,695	$1,260–$2,270	19701 Bear
Nevada	$1,690	$1,010–$2,530	89004 Blue Diamond
Vermont	$1,650	$1,070–$2,670	05650 East Calais
Oregon	$1,550	$1,010–$2,820	97089 Damascus
Arizona	$1,540	$1,020–$2,600	85045 Phoenix
New York	$1,540	$1,010–$4,460	10001 New York
Alaska	$1,510	$1,020–$2,490	99685 Unalaska
Maine	$1,480	$1,110–$3,440	04050 Long Island
Montana	$1,390	$1,010–$2,460	59834 Frenchtown
Virginia	$1,390	$940–$3,660	22060 Fort Belvoir
Utah	$1,330	$1,010–$2,850	84098 Park City
Pennsylvania	$1,260	$1,010–$2,790	18923 Fountainville
North Carolina	$1,250	$1,010–$2,680	28075 Harrisburg
Texas	$1,240	$1,010–$2,730	78652 Manchaca
Idaho	$1,230	$1,010–$2,090	83637 Lowman
Georgia	$1,210	$1,000–$2,640	30309 Atlanta
Michigan	$1,200	$1,010–$2,450	49301 Ada
South Carolina	$1,190	$890–$2,830	29429 Awendaw
Tennessee	$1,150	$1,000–$2,700	37135 Nolensville
Wisconsin	$1,150	$1,010–$1,920	54023 Roberts
Indiana	$1,145	$1,010–$2,300	46075 Whitestown
Minnesota	$1,140	$1,010–$2,600	55047 Marine On Saint Croix
Ohio	$1,120	$1,000–$2,350	43215 Columbus
Illinois	$1,090	$930–$3,030	60585 Plainfield
New Mexico	$1,090	$1,010–$2,080	87043 Placitas
South Dakota	$1,080	$1,010–$1,820	57706 Ellsworth Afb
Louisiana	$1,070	$890–$2,220	70130 New Orleans
Nebraska	$1,070	$1,010–$2,180	68118 Omaha
Alabama	$1,060	$920–$2,060	35213 Birmingham
North Dakota	$1,060	$1,010–$1,900	58765 Noonan
Wyoming	$1,060	$1,000–$1,790	83001 Jackson
Missouri	$1,030	$910–$2,320	64157 Kansas City
Kansas	$1,020	$960–$2,320	66027 Fort Leavenworth
Iowa	$1,000	$930–$1,790	50323 Urbandale
Kentucky	$1,000	$909–$2,160	41091 Union
Mississippi	$980	$905–$1,950	38672 Southaven
Oklahoma	$980	$920–$1,900	73012 Edmond
West Virginia	$970	$940–$1,600	25560 Scott Depot
Arkansas	$960	$909–$1,880	72718 Cave Springs
Puerto Rico (territory)	$640	$520–$1,060	00966 Guaynabo

Who is issued a 2-bedroom voucher

Your housing authority decides how many bedrooms your household is issued, using its own written subsidy standards. HUD requires those standards to give "the smallest number of bedrooms needed to house a family without overcrowding" and to treat families of the same size and makeup the same way (24 CFR 982.402(b)). Who shares a bedroom — by age, sex or relationship — is set in that policy, so check your authority's administrative plan.

You can rent a bigger or smaller unit than your voucher size. If the unit is bigger, the payment standard for your voucher size still applies; if it is smaller, the smaller unit's payment standard applies — the rule is the lower of the two (24 CFR 982.505(c)(1)). A smaller unit must still meet the space standards.

More: Section 8 occupancy standards · estimate your rent share

Figures: HUD FY2027 Fair Market Rents and Small Area Fair Market Rents, effective October 1, 2026, across 38,715 ZIP codes. National and state figures are the spread across ZIP codes, not weighted by population. These are HUD's figures, not any housing authority's payment standard. Source: HUD User FMR data. Rules: 24 CFR Part 982.

Voucher amounts nationwide by unit size: Studio · 1 Bedroom · 2 Bedroom · 3 Bedroom · 4 Bedroom

Frequently Asked Questions

How much will Section 8 pay for a 2-bedroom in 2026?

It depends on where you rent. HUD's FY2027 figures took effect on October 1, 2026; for a 2-bedroom they are $970–$2,400 a month in most ZIP codes, with a median of $1,260. Your housing authority's payment standard is normally 90–110% of the figure for your area, and the voucher pays that standard (or the gross rent, if lower) minus about 30% of your adjusted monthly income.

Can I rent a 3-bedroom unit with a 2-bedroom voucher?

Yes, if the housing authority approves the unit. The payment standard used is the lower of the one for your voucher size and the one for the unit you rent (24 CFR 982.505(c)(1)), so a bigger unit does not raise your subsidy. You pay the extra rent, and at first lease-up your total share cannot exceed 40% of adjusted monthly income.

Why is my housing authority's 2-bedroom amount different from HUD's figure?

HUD publishes Fair Market Rents; each housing authority then sets its own payment standards, normally 90–110% of those figures (24 CFR 982.503). Some authorities set different amounts by ZIP code, some get HUD approval for higher exception amounts, and Moving to Work agencies can set standards outside that range. Your voucher paperwork shows the amount that applies to you.

Does the 2-bedroom voucher amount include utilities?

Yes. The payment standard is compared with gross rent: the rent to the owner plus the housing authority's utility allowance for any utilities you pay yourself. A unit with tenant-paid heat or electricity therefore needs a lower contract rent to fit under the same payment standard.