FY2027 Fair Market Rent · California
Santa Clara County Fair Market Rent & Income Limits
HUD's FY2027 Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom home in Santa Clara County, CA is $3,272 a month, down 6.1% from FY2026. The area median family income is $205,500, and a family of four counts as low income up to $162,400 a year.
Fair Market Rent by unit size
FY2027 FY2026
Fair Market Rents are gross rents: rent plus the cost of all utilities except phone, cable and internet.
Check your household
Enter your household size and total yearly income before taxes to see which HUD income category it falls in for Santa Clara County, CA.
Low income (80% limit)
A household of 4 earning $160,400 is under the 80% limit of $162,400 for this area. At 30% of income it could pay about $4,010 a month for rent and utilities.
This is a quick comparison with HUD's published limits, not an eligibility decision. Programs count income in their own ways and many have waiting lists; the local housing agency or property decides.
Income limits in Santa Clara County
HUD's FY2026 income limits for San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA are based on a median family income of $205,500. Programs such as Housing Choice Vouchers, public housing and HOME use the 30%, 50% and 80% columns; Low-Income Housing Tax Credit properties use the 50% and 60% Multifamily Tax Subsidy Project limits.
| People | Extremely low30% / poverty | Very low50% | 60% (LIHTC)MTSP | Low income80% |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | $43,200 | $71,950 | $86,340 | $113,700 |
| 2 | $49,350 | $82,200 | $98,640 | $129,950 |
| 3 | $55,500 | $92,500 | $111,000 | $146,200 |
| 4 | $61,650 | $102,750 | $123,300 | $162,400 |
| 5 | $66,600 | $111,000 | $133,200 | $175,400 |
| 6 | $71,550 | $119,200 | $143,040 | $188,400 |
| 7 | $76,450 | $127,450 | $152,940 | $201,400 |
| 8 | $81,400 | $135,650 | $162,780 | $214,400 |
HERA Special area. Tax-credit properties placed in service before 2009 may use HUD's higher HERA hold-harmless 60% limits here: $133,740 for four people, against the regular $123,300.
Rent history
Since FY2017 the two-bedroom FMR here has gone from $2,220 to $3,272, up 47.4% over ten years. HUD has published a two-bedroom FMR for this area since FY1983, when it was $491.
What it takes to afford the rent
To keep a two-bedroom rent of $3,272 at no more than 30% of income, the usual affordability rule, a household needs about $130,900 a year. That is 64% of the area median family income of $205,500, so a typical family can afford it with room to spare.
| Unit | FY2027 | FY2026 | FY2025 | Income to affordat 30% |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Studio | $2,458 | $2,621 | $2,608 | $98,300 |
| 1 bedroom | $2,778 | $2,982 | $2,975 | $111,100 |
| 2 bedrooms | $3,272 | $3,483 | $3,446 | $130,900 |
| 3 bedrooms | $4,396 | $4,602 | $4,477 | $175,800 |
| 4 bedrooms | $4,688 | $5,010 | $4,878 | $187,500 |
How Santa Clara County compares
Santa Clara County makes up the San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA metro area on its own, so HUD's metro figures and the county figures are the same.
Santa Clara County has the 6th highest two-bedroom Fair Market Rent of the 58 counties in California; the population-weighted average across California is $2,632 and the nationwide average is $1,751.
Small Area FMRs by ZIP code
HUD also publishes Small Area Fair Market Rents for each ZIP code. In Santa Clara County the two-bedroom figure ranges from $2,290 to $4,460 across 100 ZIP codes, against the area-wide $3,272. San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA is one of HUD's mandatory Small Area FMR areas (designated 2023), so housing agencies there must set voucher payment standards from these ZIP-code rents.
| ZIP | Place | 2 BR SAFMR | 110% payment std. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 95134 | San Jose | $4,460 | $4,906 |
| 95054 | Santa Clara | $4,230 | $4,653 |
| 94040 | Mountain View | $4,050 | $4,455 |
| 95014 | Cupertino | $4,050 | $4,455 |
| 94024 | Los Altos | $4,030 | $4,433 |
| 94085 | Sunnyvale | $4,020 | $4,422 |
| 94022 | Los Altos | $3,990 | $4,389 |
| 94304 | Palo Alto | $3,880 | $4,268 |
| 95139 | San Jose | $3,870 | $4,257 |
| 94087 | Sunnyvale | $3,860 | $4,246 |
| 95070 | Saratoga | $3,780 | $4,158 |
| 94089 | Sunnyvale | $3,770 | $4,147 |
| 94041 | Mountain View | $3,710 | $4,081 |
| 95035 | Milpitas | $3,700 | $4,070 |
| 95051 | Santa Clara | $3,690 | $4,059 |
| 94043 | Mountain View | $3,670 | $4,037 |
| 95148 | San Jose | $3,670 | $4,037 |
| 94301 | Palo Alto | $3,650 | $4,015 |
| 95135 | San Jose | $3,640 | $4,004 |
| 95032 | Los Gatos | $3,630 | $3,993 |
| 95132 | San Jose | $3,630 | $3,993 |
| 95131 | San Jose | $3,620 | $3,982 |
| 94086 | Sunnyvale | $3,610 | $3,971 |
| 95113 | San Jose | $3,600 | $3,960 |
| 95119 | San Jose | $3,580 | $3,938 |
| 94306 | Palo Alto | $3,530 | $3,883 |
| 95120 | San Jose | $3,500 | $3,850 |
| 95121 | San Jose | $3,440 | $3,784 |
| 94303 | Palo Alto | $3,390 | $3,729 |
| 95123 | San Jose | $3,370 | $3,707 |
| 95124 | San Jose | $3,350 | $3,685 |
| 95030 | Los Gatos | $3,330 | $3,663 |
| 95008 | Campbell | $3,310 | $3,641 |
| 95128 | San Jose | $3,310 | $3,641 |
| 94023 | Los Altos | $3,270 | $3,597 |
| 94035 | Mountain View | $3,270 | $3,597 |
| 94039 | Mountain View | $3,270 | $3,597 |
| 94042 | Mountain View | $3,270 | $3,597 |
| 94088 | Sunnyvale | $3,270 | $3,597 |
| 94302 | Palo Alto | $3,270 | $3,597 |
| 94309 | Palo Alto | $3,270 | $3,597 |
| 95009 | Campbell | $3,270 | $3,597 |
| 95011 | Campbell | $3,270 | $3,597 |
| 95015 | Cupertino | $3,270 | $3,597 |
| 95021 | Gilroy | $3,270 | $3,597 |
| 95026 | Holy City | $3,270 | $3,597 |
| 95031 | Los Gatos | $3,270 | $3,597 |
| 95036 | Milpitas | $3,270 | $3,597 |
| 95038 | Morgan Hill | $3,270 | $3,597 |
| 95044 | Redwood Estates | $3,270 | $3,597 |
| 95052 | Santa Clara | $3,270 | $3,597 |
| 95055 | Santa Clara | $3,270 | $3,597 |
| 95056 | Santa Clara | $3,270 | $3,597 |
| 95071 | Saratoga | $3,270 | $3,597 |
| 95101 | San Jose | $3,270 | $3,597 |
| 95103 | San Jose | $3,270 | $3,597 |
| 95106 | San Jose | $3,270 | $3,597 |
| 95108 | San Jose | $3,270 | $3,597 |
| 95109 | San Jose | $3,270 | $3,597 |
| 95141 | San Jose | $3,270 | $3,597 |
| 95150 | San Jose | $3,270 | $3,597 |
| 95151 | San Jose | $3,270 | $3,597 |
| 95152 | San Jose | $3,270 | $3,597 |
| 95153 | San Jose | $3,270 | $3,597 |
| 95154 | San Jose | $3,270 | $3,597 |
| 95155 | San Jose | $3,270 | $3,597 |
| 95156 | San Jose | $3,270 | $3,597 |
| 95157 | San Jose | $3,270 | $3,597 |
| 95158 | San Jose | $3,270 | $3,597 |
| 95159 | San Jose | $3,270 | $3,597 |
| 95160 | San Jose | $3,270 | $3,597 |
| 95161 | San Jose | $3,270 | $3,597 |
| 95164 | San Jose | $3,270 | $3,597 |
| 95170 | San Jose | $3,270 | $3,597 |
| 95172 | San Jose | $3,270 | $3,597 |
| 95173 | San Jose | $3,270 | $3,597 |
| 95126 | San Jose | $3,250 | $3,575 |
| 95129 | San Jose | $3,230 | $3,553 |
| 95050 | Santa Clara | $3,190 | $3,509 |
| 95053 | Santa Clara | $3,190 | $3,509 |
| 95138 | San Jose | $3,190 | $3,509 |
| 95140 | Mount Hamilton | $3,180 | $3,498 |
| 95136 | San Jose | $3,150 | $3,465 |
| 95013 | Coyote | $3,110 | $3,421 |
| 95110 | San Jose | $3,030 | $3,333 |
| 95125 | San Jose | $3,020 | $3,322 |
| 95133 | San Jose | $3,000 | $3,300 |
| 95118 | San Jose | $2,950 | $3,245 |
| 95127 | San Jose | $2,940 | $3,234 |
| 95117 | San Jose | $2,920 | $3,212 |
| 95112 | San Jose | $2,900 | $3,190 |
| 95046 | San Martin | $2,800 | $3,080 |
| 95037 | Morgan Hill | $2,750 | $3,025 |
| 95122 | San Jose | $2,740 | $3,014 |
| 95002 | Alviso | $2,700 | $2,970 |
| 95130 | San Jose | $2,640 | $2,904 |
| 95020 | Gilroy | $2,630 | $2,893 |
| 95116 | San Jose | $2,610 | $2,871 |
| 95111 | San Jose | $2,400 | $2,640 |
| 94305 | Stanford | $2,290 | $2,519 |
Questions
What is the Fair Market Rent in Santa Clara County, CA for 2027?
For FY2027 (October 1, 2026 to September 30, 2027) HUD's Fair Market Rents in Santa Clara County, CA are $2,458 for a studio, $2,778 for one bedroom, $3,272 for two bedrooms, $4,396 for three and $4,688 for four bedrooms, per month including utilities.
What is the area median income in Santa Clara County, CA?
HUD's FY2026 median family income for the area is $205,500, up 5.3% from $195,200 in FY2025.
What is 80% of AMI in Santa Clara County, CA for a family of 4?
The FY2026 low-income limit (80%) for a household of four is $162,400 a year. The very low-income limit (50%) is $102,750 and the extremely low-income limit is $61,650.
What is the 60% AMI limit for tax credit housing in Santa Clara County, CA?
Under HUD's FY2026 Multifamily Tax Subsidy Project limits, the 60% limit is $86,340 for one person and $123,300 for four. Some older tax-credit properties here use higher HERA hold-harmless limits.
Is the Fair Market Rent the same as the Section 8 payment standard?
No. Housing agencies set their payment standard between 90% and 110% of the FMR (for a two-bedroom here: $2,945 to $3,599), and can ask HUD for exceptions. Check the payment standard with your local housing agency.