Rent Limits / 3 Bedroom voucher amount

How Much Does Section 8 Pay for a 3-Bedroom? (2026–27)

Median ZIP

$1,640

8 in 10 ZIPs

$1,250–$3,060

Full range

$1,050–$6,840

There is no single national 3-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 3-bedroom at $1,640 a month in the median ZIP code, and between $1,250 and $3,060 in 8 of every 10 ZIP codes. By state, the median ZIP runs from $1,253 in Mississippi to $3,500 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 3-bedroom at the median $1,640 and a household with $2,000 of adjusted monthly income. The household's share is $600, and the voucher covers up to $1,040. 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 3-bedroom figure for your ZIP code

3 Bedroom voucher amounts in 30 large cities

HUD FY2027 3-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	$4,660	$3,280–$5,640	127
San Francisco, CA	$4,630	$4,150–$6,440	38
Boston, MA	$4,310	$3,460–$5,370	25
Brooklyn, NY	$3,760	$3,280–$5,640	45
Los Angeles, CA	$3,760	$2,390–$5,650	89
San Diego, CA	$3,740	$2,960–$5,610	70
Seattle, WA	$3,390	$2,690–$4,730	53
Bronx, NY	$3,340	$3,280–$4,050	25
Miami, FL	$3,270	$2,570–$4,920	86
Washington, DC	$3,060	$2,090–$4,660	105
Sacramento, CA	$2,850	$2,300–$3,540	37
Denver, CO	$2,820	$2,470–$4,020	51
Chicago, IL	$2,550	$1,930–$3,880	76
Nashville, TN	$2,390	$1,930–$3,290	31
Austin, TX	$2,330	$2,120–$3,440	66
Las Vegas, NV	$2,320	$2,180–$3,480	71
Charlotte, NC	$2,310	$1,830–$3,270	59
Phoenix, AZ	$2,300	$1,870–$3,430	67
Fort Worth, TX	$2,290	$1,780–$3,350	43
Atlanta, GA	$2,200	$1,430–$3,150	76
Dallas, TX	$2,170	$1,420–$3,410	77
Baltimore, MD	$2,150	$2,130–$3,150	31
Philadelphia, PA	$2,120	$1,610–$3,320	58
Jacksonville, FL	$2,030	$1,410–$3,110	44
Houston, TX	$1,980	$1,370–$3,030	169
Indianapolis, IN	$1,915	$1,700–$2,980	46
Columbus, OH	$1,860	$1,200–$2,800	35
San Antonio, TX	$1,850	$1,320–$2,790	83
Detroit, MI	$1,640	$1,300–$2,640	31
Milwaukee, WI	$1,510	$1,490–$2,320	33

3 Bedroom voucher amounts by state

HUD FY2027 3-bedroom figure across each state's ZIP codes, highest median first.

State	Median ZIP	Lowest–highest ZIP	Highest ZIP
California	$3,500	$1,480–$6,840	95060 Santa Cruz
Hawaii	$3,360	$2,360–$5,280	96825 Honolulu
Massachusetts	$3,170	$1,880–$5,370	01731 Hanscom Afb
District of Columbia	$3,060	$2,090–$4,660	20003 Washington
New Jersey	$2,880	$1,540–$5,090	07030 Hoboken
Maryland	$2,500	$1,339–$4,660	20817 Bethesda
Florida	$2,430	$1,140–$4,920	33131 Miami
New Hampshire	$2,430	$1,540–$4,350	03033 Brookline
Rhode Island	$2,410	$1,880–$3,450	02817 West Greenwich
Connecticut	$2,400	$1,650–$4,320	06612 Easton
Washington	$2,360	$1,320–$4,980	98004 Bellevue
Colorado	$2,330	$1,210–$4,280	80443 Frisco
Nevada	$2,290	$1,410–$3,480	89004 Blue Diamond
Delaware	$2,155	$1,590–$2,760	19979 Viola
Oregon	$2,150	$1,380–$3,830	97089 Damascus
Vermont	$2,080	$1,450–$3,340	05650 East Calais
Arizona	$2,060	$1,250–$3,430	85045 Phoenix
Alaska	$2,050	$1,400–$3,170	99505 Jber
Maine	$1,980	$1,510–$4,240	04050 Long Island
Montana	$1,870	$1,210–$3,410	59834 Frenchtown
Virginia	$1,860	$1,120–$4,660	22060 Fort Belvoir
New York	$1,850	$1,210–$5,640	10001 New York
Utah	$1,830	$1,210–$3,830	84098 Park City
Idaho	$1,690	$1,250–$2,890	83637 Lowman
Texas	$1,640	$1,210–$3,440	78652 Manchaca
Pennsylvania	$1,620	$1,210–$3,460	18069 Orefield
North Carolina	$1,610	$1,210–$3,360	28480 Wrightsville Beach
Georgia	$1,555	$1,190–$3,150	30309 Atlanta
Minnesota	$1,520	$1,209–$3,390	55047 Marine On Saint Croix
Michigan	$1,505	$1,210–$3,180	49301 Ada
Tennessee	$1,500	$1,190–$3,470	37135 Nolensville
Wisconsin	$1,490	$1,210–$2,510	54023 Roberts
South Carolina	$1,470	$1,050–$3,510	29429 Awendaw
New Mexico	$1,460	$1,210–$2,860	87043 Placitas
North Dakota	$1,450	$1,210–$2,260	58765 Noonan
Wyoming	$1,445	$1,220–$2,480	83001 Jackson
South Dakota	$1,430	$1,210–$2,470	57706 Ellsworth Afb
Indiana	$1,420	$1,210–$2,980	46075 Whitestown
Ohio	$1,420	$1,200–$2,840	45040 Mason
Illinois	$1,410	$1,110–$3,900	60585 Plainfield
Nebraska	$1,405	$1,210–$2,890	68118 Omaha
Alabama	$1,350	$1,100–$2,600	35756 Madison
Louisiana	$1,350	$1,060–$2,850	70130 New Orleans
Missouri	$1,350	$1,146–$3,030	64157 Kansas City
Kansas	$1,330	$1,150–$3,030	66027 Fort Leavenworth
Iowa	$1,300	$1,100–$2,440	50323 Urbandale
Oklahoma	$1,290	$1,090–$2,580	73012 Edmond
West Virginia	$1,280	$1,120–$2,200	25560 Scott Depot
Arkansas	$1,270	$1,080–$2,600	72718 Cave Springs
Kentucky	$1,270	$1,080–$2,840	41091 Union
Mississippi	$1,253	$1,080–$2,570	38672 Southaven
Puerto Rico (territory)	$820	$670–$1,380	00966 Guaynabo

Who is issued a 3-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 3-bedroom in 2026?

It depends on where you rent. HUD's FY2027 figures took effect on October 1, 2026; for a 3-bedroom they are $1,250–$3,060 a month in most ZIP codes, with a median of $1,640. 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 4-bedroom unit with a 3-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 3-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 3-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.