Lehigh 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).

$1,8392-bedroom FMR, FY2027

$1,5191-bedroom FMR, FY2027

$83,50080% income limit, family of 4 (FY2026)

$104,400Median family income (FY2026)

The FY2027 Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom unit in Lehigh County is $1,839 a month, up 12.5% from $1,634 in FY2026. Lehigh County belongs to the Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA HUD Metro FMR Area 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 Lehigh County by bedroom count

Unit size	FY2027 FMR	FY2026 FMR	Change	Payment standard range (90–110%)
Studio	$1,302	$1,130	+15.2%	$1,172 – $1,432
1 bedroom	$1,519	$1,341	+13.3%	$1,368 – $1,670
2 bedrooms	$1,839	$1,634	+12.5%	$1,656 – $2,022
3 bedrooms	$2,306	$2,087	+10.5%	$2,076 – $2,536
4 bedrooms	$2,482	$2,195	+13.1%	$2,234 – $2,730

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 Lehigh County that is typically $1,656 to $2,022 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?

$48,020median income of renter households

$1,383Median gross rent, all units

35%Rent-to-income ratio (median rent ÷ median renter income)

55%of renter households pay 30% or more of income on rent

At the 30% rule, a renter household earning the local median of $48,020 can afford about $1,201 a month including utilities. The FY2027 two-bedroom Fair Market Rent of $1,839 is $639 (53.2%) more than that. To rent a two-bedroom at the FMR, a household needs $73,560 a year under the 30% rule, or $66,204 under the common landlord rule that income must be three times the rent.

Lehigh County, ACS 2020–2024	Estimate ± MOE
Median gross rent (rent + utilities)	$1,383 ±$27
Median income of renter households	$48,020 ±$2,208
Renters paying 30% or more of income (cost-burdened)	54.9% ±2.3
Renters paying 50% or more (severely cost-burdened)	28.1% ±1.7
Renter households (where the share can be computed)	47,038

Change since 2015–2019

	ACS 2015–2019	ACS 2020–2024	Change
Median gross rent	$1,072	$1,383	+29.0%
Median renter household income	$37,990	$48,020	+26.4%
Renters paying 30%+ of income	52.6%	54.9%	+2.3 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 $1,480 to $2,760 depending on the ZIP code.

All 86 ZIP codes in this FMR area

ZIP	0 BR	1 BR	2 BR	3 BR	4 BR
18002	$1,350	$1,570	$1,900	$2,380	$2,560
18011	$1,560	$1,800	$2,220	$2,760	$2,980
18012	$1,020	$1,210	$1,480	$1,880	$1,980
18013	$1,100	$1,290	$1,560	$1,960	$2,110
18014	$1,120	$1,300	$1,580	$1,980	$2,130
18015	$1,330	$1,550	$1,880	$2,360	$2,540
18016	$1,350	$1,570	$1,900	$2,380	$2,560
18017	$1,570	$1,830	$2,220	$2,780	$3,000
18018	$1,370	$1,600	$1,940	$2,430	$2,620
18020	$1,470	$1,710	$2,070	$2,600	$2,790
18030	$1,020	$1,210	$1,480	$1,880	$1,980
18031	$1,800	$2,100	$2,550	$3,190	$3,440
18032	$1,080	$1,260	$1,530	$1,920	$2,070
18034	$1,850	$2,160	$2,610	$3,270	$3,520
18035	$1,210	$1,420	$1,720	$2,150	$2,320
18036	$1,220	$1,400	$1,690	$2,100	$2,270
18037	$1,200	$1,400	$1,700	$2,130	$2,290
18038	$1,170	$1,320	$1,610	$2,050	$2,270
18040	$1,350	$1,580	$1,910	$2,400	$2,580
18041	$1,250	$1,360	$1,630	$1,940	$2,140
18042	$1,350	$1,570	$1,900	$2,380	$2,560
18043	$1,350	$1,570	$1,900	$2,380	$2,560
18044	$1,350	$1,570	$1,900	$2,380	$2,560
18045	$1,820	$2,120	$2,570	$3,220	$3,470
18046	$1,660	$1,940	$2,350	$2,940	$3,170
18049	$1,300	$1,510	$1,830	$2,290	$2,470
18051	$1,160	$1,350	$1,640	$2,060	$2,210
18052	$1,360	$1,590	$1,920	$2,410	$2,590
18053	$1,200	$1,400	$1,700	$2,130	$2,290
18055	$1,330	$1,540	$1,860	$2,330	$2,510
18058	$1,260	$1,280	$1,570	$2,130	$2,570
18059	$1,170	$1,360	$1,650	$2,070	$2,230
18062	$1,800	$2,100	$2,550	$3,190	$3,440
18063	$1,140	$1,330	$1,610	$2,030	$2,180
18064	$1,200	$1,400	$1,690	$2,120	$2,280
18065	$1,070	$1,240	$1,510	$1,890	$2,030
18066	$1,020	$1,210	$1,480	$1,880	$1,980
18067	$1,220	$1,430	$1,730	$2,170	$2,340
18069	$1,950	$2,280	$2,760	$3,460	$3,730
18071	$1,020	$1,210	$1,480	$1,880	$1,990
18072	$1,420	$1,660	$2,010	$2,520	$2,710
18077	$1,250	$1,370	$1,630	$1,960	$2,150
18078	$1,160	$1,350	$1,640	$2,060	$2,210
18079	$1,020	$1,210	$1,480	$1,880	$1,980
18080	$1,020	$1,210	$1,480	$1,880	$1,980
18083	$1,280	$1,490	$1,810	$2,270	$2,440
18085	$1,350	$1,570	$1,900	$2,380	$2,560
18086	$1,210	$1,410	$1,710	$2,140	$2,310
18087	$1,130	$1,320	$1,600	$2,010	$2,160
18088	$1,210	$1,410	$1,710	$2,140	$2,310
18091	$1,240	$1,450	$1,750	$2,190	$2,360
18092	$1,260	$1,470	$1,790	$2,230	$2,410
18101	$1,340	$1,560	$1,890	$2,370	$2,550
18102	$1,200	$1,400	$1,690	$2,120	$2,280
18103	$1,310	$1,530	$1,850	$2,320	$2,500
18104	$1,610	$1,870	$2,270	$2,850	$3,060
18105	$1,320	$1,540	$1,860	$2,330	$2,510
18106	$1,470	$1,710	$2,070	$2,600	$2,790
18109	$1,280	$1,490	$1,810	$2,270	$2,440
18195	$1,320	$1,540	$1,860	$2,330	$2,510
18201	$1,020	$1,210	$1,480	$1,880	$2,030
18210	$1,240	$1,410	$1,710	$2,170	$2,390
18211	$1,020	$1,210	$1,480	$1,880	$1,980
18212	$1,020	$1,210	$1,480	$1,880	$1,980
18216	$1,150	$1,340	$1,630	$2,050	$2,210
18224	$1,020	$1,210	$1,480	$1,880	$2,010
18229	$1,020	$1,210	$1,480	$1,880	$1,980
18230	$1,120	$1,300	$1,590	$2,000	$2,150
18232	$1,020	$1,210	$1,480	$1,880	$1,980
18235	$1,020	$1,210	$1,480	$1,880	$1,980
18237	$1,020	$1,210	$1,480	$1,880	$1,980
18240	$1,040	$1,210	$1,480	$1,880	$1,990
18244	$1,020	$1,210	$1,480	$1,880	$1,980
18250	$1,160	$1,350	$1,640	$2,060	$2,210
18252	$1,020	$1,210	$1,480	$1,880	$1,980
18254	$1,370	$1,600	$1,940	$2,430	$2,620
18255	$1,020	$1,210	$1,480	$1,880	$1,980
18333	$1,210	$1,250	$1,530	$2,060	$2,450
18343	$1,040	$1,210	$1,480	$1,880	$1,980
18351	$1,290	$1,500	$1,820	$2,280	$2,460
18624	$1,220	$1,400	$1,710	$2,190	$2,410
18661	$1,190	$1,390	$1,700	$2,220	$2,430
18951	$1,410	$1,530	$1,830	$2,180	$2,410
19529	$1,200	$1,370	$1,710	$2,110	$2,300
19530	$1,020	$1,210	$1,480	$1,880	$1,980
19539	$1,150	$1,340	$1,670	$2,080	$2,220

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

HUD income limits for Lehigh County (FY2026)

Income limits decide who qualifies for Section 8 vouchers, public housing and most HUD-assisted units. The area median family income is $104,400 (FY2025: $100,200, +4.2%). 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%)	$21,950 +4.3%	$25,050 +4.2%	$28,200 +4.3%	$33,000 +2.6%	$38,680 +2.7%	$44,360 +2.8%	$50,040 +2.9%	$55,720 +2.9%
Very low income (50%)	$36,550 +4.1%	$41,800 +4.2%	$47,000 +4.2%	$52,200 +4.2%	$56,400 +4.2%	$60,600 +4.2%	$64,750 +4.2%	$68,950 +4.2%
Low income (80%)	$58,450 +4.1%	$66,800 +4.1%	$75,150 +4.2%	$83,500 +4.2%	$90,200 +4.2%	$96,900 +4.2%	$103,550 +4.2%	$110,250 +4.2%

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.