Niagara County, NY: Fair Market Rent 2027 and Income Limits

Official HUD figures for landlords and renters, effective October 1, 2026 (rents) and May 1, 2026 (income limits).

$1,4232-bedroom FMR, FY2027

$1,2031-bedroom FMR, FY2027

$81,20080% income limit, family of 4 (FY2026)

$101,500Median family income (FY2026)

The FY2027 Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom unit in Niagara County is $1,423 a month, up 6.0% from $1,343 in FY2026. Niagara County belongs to the Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY MSA FMR area, so the same figures apply across that area. FMRs are gross rents: rent plus all tenant-paid utilities except phone, cable and internet.

Fair market rent in Niagara County by bedroom count

Unit size	FY2027 FMR	FY2026 FMR	Change	Payment standard range (90–110%)
Studio	$1,178	$1,105	+6.6%	$1,061 – $1,295
1 bedroom	$1,203	$1,139	+5.6%	$1,083 – $1,323
2 bedrooms	$1,423	$1,343	+6.0%	$1,281 – $1,565
3 bedrooms	$1,732	$1,640	+5.6%	$1,559 – $1,905
4 bedrooms	$1,977	$1,869	+5.8%	$1,780 – $2,174

Source: HUD Fair Market Rents FY2027 (effective October 1, 2026) and FY2026 (revised file), details.

What can a landlord charge a Section 8 tenant here?

The FMR is not a cap on what you can ask on the open market. For a Housing Choice Voucher tenant, the local housing authority sets a payment standard, normally between 90% and 110% of the FMR (or of the ZIP-level Small Area FMR where those apply). For a two-bedroom unit in Niagara County that is typically $1,281 to $1,565 including utilities. You can charge more than the payment standard if the rent passes the housing authority's rent-reasonableness test and, at move-in, the tenant's share stays within 40% of their adjusted monthly income. Ask the housing authority for its current payment standard schedule.

Can local renters afford the fair market rent?

$35,954median income of renter households

$899Median gross rent, all units

30%Rent-to-income ratio (median rent ÷ median renter income)

49%of renter households pay 30% or more of income on rent

At the 30% rule, a renter household earning the local median of $35,954 can afford about $899 a month including utilities. The FY2027 two-bedroom Fair Market Rent of $1,423 is $524 (58.3%) more than that. To rent a two-bedroom at the FMR, a household needs $56,920 a year under the 30% rule, or $51,228 under the common landlord rule that income must be three times the rent.

Niagara County, ACS 2020–2024	Estimate ± MOE
Median gross rent (rent + utilities)	$899 ±$20
Median income of renter households	$35,954 ±$2,192
Renters paying 30% or more of income (cost-burdened)	48.6% ±3.2
Renters paying 50% or more (severely cost-burdened)	25.6% ±2.6
Renter households (where the share can be computed)	24,426

Change since 2015–2019

	ACS 2015–2019	ACS 2020–2024	Change
Median gross rent	$703	$899	+27.9%
Median renter household income	$27,585	$35,954	+30.3%
Renters paying 30%+ of income	46.2%	48.6%	+2.4 pts

Rent-to-income calculator: does an applicant qualify? → · Most affordable counties to rent in this state →

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates 2020–2024 and 2015–2019 (tables B25064, B25119, B25070). ± = margin of error at 90% confidence. Dollar figures are not adjusted for inflation.

Small Area FMRs by ZIP code (FY2027)

In metro areas HUD also publishes ZIP-level Small Area Fair Market Rents. Housing authorities in designated areas must use them for voucher payment standards; others may opt in. Here the two-bedroom SAFMR ranges from $1,010 to $2,130 depending on the ZIP code.

All 114 ZIP codes in this FMR area

ZIP	0 BR	1 BR	2 BR	3 BR	4 BR
14001	$910	$930	$1,110	$1,340	$1,530
14004	$960	$980	$1,160	$1,420	$1,630
14006	$1,120	$1,140	$1,350	$1,640	$1,880
14008	$970	$990	$1,170	$1,420	$1,620
14009	$920	$930	$1,100	$1,430	$1,800
14010	$1,210	$1,230	$1,460	$1,780	$2,030
14012	$1,000	$1,020	$1,210	$1,470	$1,680
14013	$810	$930	$1,160	$1,380	$1,520
14025	$1,130	$1,160	$1,370	$1,670	$1,900
14026	$1,760	$1,800	$2,130	$2,590	$2,960
14027	$1,030	$1,060	$1,270	$1,550	$1,760
14028	$1,010	$1,030	$1,210	$1,480	$1,690
14030	$840	$860	$1,030	$1,260	$1,440
14031	$1,070	$1,090	$1,290	$1,570	$1,790
14032	$1,760	$1,800	$2,130	$2,590	$2,960
14033	$1,110	$1,130	$1,340	$1,630	$1,860
14034	$1,050	$1,070	$1,270	$1,550	$1,760
14035	$1,050	$1,070	$1,270	$1,550	$1,760
14036	$770	$890	$1,110	$1,320	$1,460
14037	$990	$1,010	$1,190	$1,480	$1,750
14038	$1,210	$1,230	$1,460	$1,780	$2,030
14043	$1,180	$1,210	$1,430	$1,740	$1,990
14047	$1,080	$1,110	$1,310	$1,590	$1,820
14051	$1,760	$1,800	$2,130	$2,590	$2,960
14052	$1,130	$1,160	$1,370	$1,670	$1,900
14055	$1,010	$1,030	$1,220	$1,480	$1,700
14057	$1,040	$1,060	$1,260	$1,530	$1,750
14059	$1,420	$1,450	$1,710	$2,080	$2,380
14061	$980	$1,010	$1,220	$1,510	$1,690
14067	$980	$1,000	$1,180	$1,440	$1,640
14068	$1,570	$1,600	$1,890	$2,300	$2,630
14069	$1,000	$1,020	$1,210	$1,470	$1,680
14070	$790	$830	$1,010	$1,250	$1,430
14072	$1,360	$1,390	$1,640	$2,000	$2,280
14075	$1,350	$1,380	$1,630	$1,980	$2,270
14080	$920	$940	$1,110	$1,350	$1,540
14081	$980	$1,010	$1,220	$1,510	$1,690
14085	$1,440	$1,490	$1,750	$2,140	$2,430
14086	$1,160	$1,180	$1,400	$1,700	$1,950
14091	$1,760	$1,800	$2,130	$2,590	$2,960
14092	$1,100	$1,120	$1,330	$1,620	$1,850
14094	$1,080	$1,110	$1,310	$1,590	$1,820
14095	$1,030	$1,050	$1,240	$1,510	$1,720
14098	$900	$1,010	$1,260	$1,530	$1,670
14102	$1,140	$1,170	$1,380	$1,680	$1,930
14103	$850	$950	$1,190	$1,440	$1,580
14105	$840	$860	$1,010	$1,230	$1,420
14107	$1,030	$1,050	$1,240	$1,510	$1,720
14108	$940	$960	$1,130	$1,380	$1,570
14109	$1,100	$1,120	$1,330	$1,620	$1,850
14110	$1,210	$1,230	$1,460	$1,780	$2,030
14111	$1,020	$1,040	$1,230	$1,500	$1,710
14112	$1,210	$1,230	$1,460	$1,780	$2,030
14120	$1,110	$1,130	$1,340	$1,630	$1,860
14126	$1,030	$1,050	$1,240	$1,510	$1,720
14127	$1,330	$1,360	$1,610	$1,960	$2,240
14129	$860	$920	$1,170	$1,470	$1,660
14131	$980	$1,000	$1,180	$1,440	$1,640
14132	$1,060	$1,080	$1,280	$1,560	$1,780
14134	$860	$880	$1,050	$1,290	$1,470
14139	$900	$920	$1,090	$1,330	$1,510
14140	$1,210	$1,230	$1,460	$1,780	$2,030
14141	$840	$850	$1,010	$1,240	$1,420
14144	$1,030	$1,050	$1,240	$1,510	$1,720
14145	$860	$870	$1,010	$1,330	$1,690
14150	$1,260	$1,280	$1,520	$1,850	$2,110
14151	$1,210	$1,230	$1,460	$1,780	$2,030
14169	$1,130	$1,160	$1,370	$1,670	$1,900
14170	$1,050	$1,070	$1,270	$1,550	$1,760
14172	$1,130	$1,150	$1,360	$1,660	$1,890
14173	$840	$880	$1,090	$1,370	$1,600
14174	$1,260	$1,280	$1,520	$1,850	$2,110
14201	$1,200	$1,230	$1,450	$1,760	$2,020
14202	$1,240	$1,270	$1,500	$1,830	$2,080
14203	$1,630	$1,670	$1,970	$2,400	$2,740
14204	$990	$1,010	$1,200	$1,460	$1,670
14205	$1,210	$1,230	$1,460	$1,780	$2,030
14206	$1,020	$1,040	$1,230	$1,500	$1,710
14207	$1,110	$1,130	$1,340	$1,630	$1,860
14208	$1,080	$1,100	$1,300	$1,580	$1,810
14209	$1,200	$1,230	$1,450	$1,760	$2,020
14210	$1,080	$1,110	$1,310	$1,590	$1,820
14211	$1,160	$1,180	$1,400	$1,700	$1,950
14212	$1,060	$1,080	$1,280	$1,560	$1,780
14213	$1,180	$1,200	$1,420	$1,730	$1,970
14214	$1,260	$1,280	$1,520	$1,850	$2,110
14215	$1,080	$1,110	$1,310	$1,590	$1,820
14216	$1,320	$1,350	$1,600	$1,950	$2,220
14217	$1,140	$1,170	$1,380	$1,680	$1,920
14218	$1,020	$1,040	$1,230	$1,500	$1,710
14219	$1,070	$1,090	$1,290	$1,570	$1,790
14220	$1,120	$1,140	$1,350	$1,640	$1,880
14221	$1,630	$1,670	$1,970	$2,400	$2,740
14222	$1,320	$1,340	$1,590	$1,940	$2,210
14223	$1,090	$1,120	$1,320	$1,610	$1,830
14224	$1,300	$1,330	$1,570	$1,910	$2,180
14225	$1,110	$1,130	$1,340	$1,630	$1,860
14226	$1,300	$1,330	$1,570	$1,910	$2,180
14227	$1,330	$1,360	$1,610	$1,960	$2,240
14228	$1,490	$1,520	$1,800	$2,190	$2,500
14231	$1,210	$1,230	$1,460	$1,780	$2,030
14233	$1,210	$1,230	$1,460	$1,780	$2,030
14240	$1,210	$1,230	$1,460	$1,780	$2,030
14260	$1,490	$1,520	$1,800	$2,190	$2,500
14261	$1,530	$1,560	$1,850	$2,250	$2,570
14263	$1,210	$1,230	$1,460	$1,780	$2,030
14272	$1,210	$1,230	$1,460	$1,780	$2,030
14273	$1,210	$1,230	$1,460	$1,780	$2,030
14280	$1,210	$1,230	$1,460	$1,780	$2,030
14301	$890	$910	$1,080	$1,310	$1,500
14302	$890	$910	$1,080	$1,310	$1,500
14303	$970	$990	$1,170	$1,420	$1,630
14304	$1,050	$1,070	$1,270	$1,550	$1,760
14305	$1,100	$1,120	$1,330	$1,620	$1,850

Source: HUD FY2027 Small Area FMRs (effective October 1, 2026).

HUD income limits for Niagara County (FY2026)

Income limits decide who qualifies for Section 8 vouchers, public housing and most HUD-assisted units. The area median family income is $101,500 (FY2025: $101,000, +0.5%). Small figures under each limit show the change from FY2025.

Household size	1 person	2 people	3 people	4 people	5 people	6 people	7 people	8 people
Extremely low income (30%)	$21,350 +0.5%	$24,400 +0.6%	$27,450 +0.5%	$33,000 +2.6%	$38,680 +2.7%	$44,360 +2.8%	$50,040 +2.9%	$55,720 +2.9%
Very low income (50%)	$35,550 +0.6%	$40,600 +0.5%	$45,700 +0.6%	$50,750 +0.5%	$54,850 +0.5%	$58,900 +0.5%	$62,950 +0.5%	$67,000 +0.4%
Low income (80%)	$56,850 +0.4%	$65,000 +0.5%	$73,100 +0.5%	$81,200 +0.5%	$87,700 +0.5%	$94,200 +0.5%	$100,700 +0.5%	$107,200 +0.5%

The 30% limit is HUD's “extremely low income” limit: the higher of 30% of median income or the federal poverty guideline, but never above the 50% limit. That is why it can rise faster than 30% of median for larger households. Tax-credit (LIHTC) properties use separate Multifamily Tax Subsidy Project limits.

Source: HUD Section 8 Income Limits FY2026 (effective May 1, 2026) and FY2025, details.