Cumberland County, PA: 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).

$1,5982-bedroom FMR, FY2027

$1,2851-bedroom FMR, FY2027

$87,45080% income limit, family of 4 (FY2026)

$109,300Median family income (FY2026)

The FY2027 Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom unit in Cumberland County is $1,598 a month, up 7.0% from $1,493 in FY2026. Cumberland County belongs to the Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA 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 Cumberland County by bedroom count

Unit size	FY2027 FMR	FY2026 FMR	Change	Payment standard range (90–110%)
Studio	$1,166	$1,058	+10.2%	$1,050 – $1,282
1 bedroom	$1,285	$1,212	+6.0%	$1,157 – $1,413
2 bedrooms	$1,598	$1,493	+7.0%	$1,439 – $1,757
3 bedrooms	$2,055	$1,920	+7.0%	$1,850 – $2,260
4 bedrooms	$2,100	$1,977	+6.2%	$1,890 – $2,310

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 Cumberland County that is typically $1,439 to $1,757 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?

$56,464median income of renter households

$1,249Median gross rent, all units

27%Rent-to-income ratio (median rent ÷ median renter income)

42%of renter households pay 30% or more of income on rent

At the 30% rule, a renter household earning the local median of $56,464 can afford about $1,412 a month including utilities. The FY2027 two-bedroom Fair Market Rent of $1,598 is $186 (13.2%) more than that. To rent a two-bedroom at the FMR, a household needs $63,920 a year under the 30% rule, or $57,528 under the common landlord rule that income must be three times the rent.

Cumberland County, ACS 2020–2024	Estimate ± MOE
Median gross rent (rent + utilities)	$1,249 ±$36
Median income of renter households	$56,464 ±$2,606
Renters paying 30% or more of income (cost-burdened)	41.7% ±2.8
Renters paying 50% or more (severely cost-burdened)	20.4% ±2.1
Renter households (where the share can be computed)	28,873

Change since 2015–2019

	ACS 2015–2019	ACS 2020–2024	Change
Median gross rent	$991	$1,249	+26.0%
Median renter household income	$43,711	$56,464	+29.2%
Renters paying 30%+ of income	42.7%	41.7%	−1.0 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 $1,980 depending on the ZIP code.

All 82 ZIP codes in this FMR area

ZIP	0 BR	1 BR	2 BR	3 BR	4 BR
17001	$1,190	$1,310	$1,630	$2,100	$2,140
17005	$1,040	$1,140	$1,420	$1,830	$1,870
17006	$1,070	$1,180	$1,470	$1,890	$1,930
17007	$1,020	$1,130	$1,400	$1,800	$1,840
17011	$1,250	$1,370	$1,710	$2,200	$2,250
17013	$1,070	$1,180	$1,470	$1,890	$1,930
17015	$1,150	$1,270	$1,580	$2,030	$2,080
17017	$730	$890	$1,010	$1,330	$1,410
17018	$1,010	$1,120	$1,390	$1,790	$1,830
17019	$870	$960	$1,220	$1,610	$1,690
17020	$870	$960	$1,190	$1,530	$1,560
17021	$890	$950	$1,230	$1,550	$1,790
17022	$1,130	$1,230	$1,530	$1,940	$2,000
17023	$820	$910	$1,130	$1,450	$1,490
17024	$1,020	$1,130	$1,400	$1,800	$1,840
17025	$1,120	$1,240	$1,540	$1,980	$2,020
17027	$1,160	$1,270	$1,590	$2,070	$2,130
17028	$1,080	$1,180	$1,470	$1,900	$1,970
17030	$740	$820	$1,010	$1,310	$1,340
17032	$820	$900	$1,120	$1,440	$1,470
17033	$1,250	$1,370	$1,710	$2,200	$2,250
17034	$1,020	$1,130	$1,400	$1,800	$1,840
17035	$760	$810	$1,050	$1,320	$1,550
17036	$1,390	$1,530	$1,900	$2,440	$2,500
17037	$830	$900	$1,150	$1,460	$1,590
17040	$940	$1,040	$1,290	$1,660	$1,700
17043	$980	$1,080	$1,340	$1,720	$1,760
17045	$800	$870	$1,100	$1,400	$1,510
17047	$850	$930	$1,160	$1,490	$1,520
17048	$830	$960	$1,170	$1,510	$1,550
17050	$1,440	$1,590	$1,980	$2,550	$2,600
17053	$910	$1,010	$1,250	$1,610	$1,640
17055	$1,310	$1,440	$1,790	$2,310	$2,360
17057	$1,130	$1,250	$1,550	$1,990	$2,040
17061	$820	$900	$1,120	$1,440	$1,470
17062	$840	$920	$1,160	$1,480	$1,570
17065	$940	$1,040	$1,290	$1,660	$1,700
17068	$950	$1,050	$1,300	$1,670	$1,710
17069	$1,040	$1,140	$1,420	$1,830	$1,870
17070	$920	$1,010	$1,260	$1,650	$1,700
17071	$740	$820	$1,010	$1,310	$1,340
17072	$1,190	$1,310	$1,630	$2,100	$2,140
17074	$800	$880	$1,100	$1,410	$1,450
17078	$1,130	$1,220	$1,540	$1,980	$2,140
17080	$760	$900	$1,050	$1,370	$1,440
17081	$1,150	$1,270	$1,580	$2,030	$2,080
17089	$1,190	$1,310	$1,630	$2,100	$2,140
17090	$830	$920	$1,140	$1,470	$1,500
17093	$1,090	$1,200	$1,490	$1,920	$1,960
17097	$1,260	$1,380	$1,720	$2,210	$2,260
17098	$880	$970	$1,210	$1,560	$1,590
17101	$1,020	$1,130	$1,400	$1,800	$1,840
17102	$1,100	$1,210	$1,510	$1,940	$1,980
17103	$970	$1,070	$1,330	$1,710	$1,750
17104	$1,000	$1,100	$1,370	$1,760	$1,800
17105	$1,170	$1,290	$1,610	$2,070	$2,120
17106	$1,170	$1,290	$1,610	$2,070	$2,120
17108	$1,170	$1,290	$1,610	$2,070	$2,120
17109	$1,230	$1,350	$1,680	$2,160	$2,210
17110	$1,350	$1,490	$1,850	$2,380	$2,430
17111	$1,300	$1,430	$1,780	$2,290	$2,340
17112	$1,370	$1,510	$1,880	$2,420	$2,470
17113	$1,160	$1,280	$1,590	$2,040	$2,090
17120	$1,170	$1,290	$1,610	$2,070	$2,120
17121	$1,170	$1,290	$1,610	$2,070	$2,120
17122	$1,170	$1,290	$1,610	$2,070	$2,120
17123	$1,170	$1,290	$1,610	$2,070	$2,120
17124	$1,170	$1,290	$1,610	$2,070	$2,120
17125	$1,170	$1,290	$1,610	$2,070	$2,120
17126	$1,170	$1,290	$1,610	$2,070	$2,120
17127	$1,170	$1,290	$1,610	$2,070	$2,120
17129	$1,170	$1,290	$1,610	$2,070	$2,120
17240	$1,240	$1,390	$1,720	$2,240	$2,320
17241	$990	$1,090	$1,350	$1,740	$1,770
17257	$1,000	$1,120	$1,390	$1,810	$1,880
17266	$930	$1,020	$1,270	$1,630	$1,670
17307	$810	$820	$1,050	$1,420	$1,520
17324	$850	$910	$1,140	$1,500	$1,560
17938	$710	$780	$1,010	$1,330	$1,380
17978	$830	$910	$1,150	$1,480	$1,520
17980	$730	$800	$1,040	$1,350	$1,400
19405	$1,360	$1,470	$1,760	$2,100	$2,310

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

HUD income limits for Cumberland County (FY2026)

Income limits decide who qualifies for Section 8 vouchers, public housing and most HUD-assisted units. The area median family income is $109,300 (FY2025: $105,400, +3.7%). 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%)	$23,000 +3.8%	$26,250 +3.8%	$29,550 +3.9%	$33,000 +2.6%	$38,680 +2.7%	$44,360 +2.8%	$50,040 +2.9%	$55,720 +2.9%
Very low income (50%)	$38,300 +3.8%	$43,750 +3.7%	$49,200 +3.7%	$54,650 +3.7%	$59,050 +3.7%	$63,400 +3.7%	$67,800 +3.7%	$72,150 +3.7%
Low income (80%)	$61,250 +3.7%	$70,000 +3.8%	$78,750 +3.8%	$87,450 +3.7%	$94,450 +3.7%	$101,450 +3.7%	$108,450 +3.7%	$115,450 +3.7%

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.