Rent Limits / Studio voucher amount

How Much Does Section 8 Pay for a Studio? (2026–27)

Median ZIP

$970

8 in 10 ZIPs

$720–$1,860

Full range

$620–$3,990

There is no single national studio 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 studio at $970 a month in the median ZIP code, and between $720 and $1,860 in 8 of every 10 ZIP codes. By state, the median ZIP runs from $700 in Arkansas to $2,080 in District of Columbia.

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 studio at the median $970 and a household with $2,000 of adjusted monthly income. The household's share is $600, and the voucher covers up to $370. 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 studio figure for your ZIP code

Studio voucher amounts in 30 large cities

HUD FY2027 studio 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	$3,210	$2,280–$3,890	127
Boston, MA	$2,940	$2,350–$3,660	25
Brooklyn, NY	$2,590	$2,280–$3,890	45
San Francisco, CA	$2,470	$2,240–$3,430	38
Bronx, NY	$2,300	$2,280–$2,790	25
San Diego, CA	$2,190	$1,730–$3,280	70
Los Angeles, CA	$2,150	$1,340–$3,230	89
Seattle, WA	$2,130	$1,690–$2,980	53
Washington, DC	$2,080	$1,420–$3,170	105
Miami, FL	$1,950	$1,530–$2,930	86
Denver, CO	$1,740	$1,480–$2,470	51
Sacramento, CA	$1,720	$1,200–$2,140	37
Charlotte, NC	$1,670	$1,320–$2,360	59
Chicago, IL	$1,650	$1,250–$2,520	76
Nashville, TN	$1,640	$1,320–$2,260	31
Atlanta, GA	$1,630	$1,060–$2,330	76
Fort Worth, TX	$1,470	$1,140–$2,140	43
Austin, TX	$1,470	$1,330–$2,170	66
Dallas, TX	$1,420	$930–$2,240	77
Phoenix, AZ	$1,400	$1,080–$2,080	67
Philadelphia, PA	$1,380	$1,040–$2,160	58
Jacksonville, FL	$1,370	$950–$2,100	44
Las Vegas, NV	$1,310	$1,200–$1,970	71
Baltimore, MD	$1,310	$1,230–$1,910	31
Columbus, OH	$1,220	$790–$1,850	35
Houston, TX	$1,210	$840–$1,850	169
Indianapolis, IN	$1,140	$1,010–$1,780	46
San Antonio, TX	$1,090	$780–$1,650	83
Detroit, MI	$970	$770–$1,560	31
Milwaukee, WI	$960	$930–$1,470	33

Studio voucher amounts by state

HUD FY2027 studio figure across each state's ZIP codes, highest median first.

State	Median ZIP	Lowest–highest ZIP	Highest ZIP
District of Columbia	$2,080	$1,420–$3,170	20003 Washington
California	$1,970	$750–$3,990	95060 Santa Cruz
Massachusetts	$1,885	$1,020–$3,660	01731 Hanscom Afb
Hawaii	$1,830	$1,440–$2,750	96825 Honolulu
New Jersey	$1,730	$880–$3,690	07030 Hoboken
Maryland	$1,530	$790–$3,170	20817 Bethesda
Florida	$1,520	$680–$2,930	33131 Miami
Rhode Island	$1,490	$1,190–$2,140	02817 West Greenwich
Connecticut	$1,365	$900–$2,510	06612 Easton
Colorado	$1,340	$710–$2,620	80125 Littleton
New Hampshire	$1,330	$890–$2,510	03087 Windham
Delaware	$1,320	$960–$1,760	19701 Bear
Washington	$1,270	$710–$3,130	98004 Bellevue
Nevada	$1,255	$780–$1,970	89004 Blue Diamond
Vermont	$1,240	$850–$1,880	05494 Westford
Arizona	$1,160	$710–$2,080	85045 Phoenix
Oregon	$1,160	$710–$2,290	97089 Damascus
Maine	$1,140	$790–$2,400	04050 Long Island
Virginia	$1,130	$660–$3,170	22060 Fort Belvoir
New York	$1,110	$710–$3,890	10001 New York
Alaska	$1,090	$730–$1,800	99559 Bethel
Utah	$1,090	$710–$2,450	84098 Park City
North Carolina	$1,050	$700–$2,360	28075 Harrisburg
Montana	$1,040	$710–$1,710	59834 Frenchtown
Georgia	$1,010	$700–$2,330	30309 Atlanta
South Carolina	$992	$630–$2,500	29429 Awendaw
Texas	$970	$710–$2,240	75072 Mckinney
Idaho	$950	$710–$1,560	83637 Lowman
Pennsylvania	$940	$710–$2,160	18923 Fountainville
Tennessee	$900	$690–$2,380	37135 Nolensville
Indiana	$880	$706–$1,780	46075 Whitestown
Michigan	$880	$710–$1,960	49301 Ada
North Dakota	$860	$710–$1,480	58765 Noonan
Alabama	$840	$640–$1,760	35213 Birmingham
Ohio	$840	$700–$1,850	43215 Columbus
Wisconsin	$840	$710–$1,470	53005 Brookfield
Minnesota	$830	$706–$1,900	55047 Marine On Saint Croix
New Mexico	$830	$710–$1,470	87043 Placitas
Illinois	$810	$650–$2,520	60010 Barrington
Wyoming	$810	$700–$1,360	82063 Jelm
Louisiana	$800	$620–$1,640	70130 New Orleans
Mississippi	$800	$630–$1,650	39110 Madison
Nebraska	$790	$710–$1,760	68118 Omaha
Missouri	$780	$630–$1,890	64157 Kansas City
South Dakota	$780	$710–$1,270	57706 Ellsworth Afb
Kansas	$760	$670–$1,890	66027 Fort Leavenworth
Iowa	$740	$650–$1,450	50323 Urbandale
Kentucky	$740	$630–$1,580	41091 Union
Oklahoma	$740	$640–$1,440	73012 Edmond
West Virginia	$730	$660–$1,220	25560 Scott Depot
Arkansas	$700	$630–$1,370	72718 Cave Springs
Puerto Rico (territory)	$530	$430–$890	00966 Guaynabo

Who is issued a studio 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. A single person's voucher is for a studio or a 1-bedroom, depending on the authority's standards, unless a live-in aide lives with them (24 CFR 982.402(b)(7)). The authority can make exceptions for age, disability or other personal circumstances.

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 studio in 2026?

It depends on where you rent. HUD's FY2027 figures took effect on October 1, 2026; for a studio they are $720–$1,860 a month in most ZIP codes, with a median of $970. 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 1-bedroom unit with a studio 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 studio 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 studio 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.