Market Alignment
How HUD fair market rents align with the state of the rental market.
FMR falls below market. Section 8 income will likely be below what private tenants pay in this area.
FMR falls below market. Section 8 income will likely be below what private tenants pay in this area.
FMR falls below market. Section 8 income will likely be below what private tenants pay in this area.
FMR aligns with market rates. Payment is likely to be at or near the FMR in this area.
FMR aligns with market rates. Payment is likely to be at or near the FMR in this area.
FMR falls below market. Section 8 income will likely be below what private tenants pay in this area.
FMR falls below market. Section 8 income will likely be below what private tenants pay in this area.
FMR falls below market. Section 8 income will likely be below what private tenants pay in this area.
FMR aligns with market rates. Payment is likely to be at or near the FMR in this area.
FMR falls below market. Section 8 income will likely be below what private tenants pay in this area.
FMR falls below market. Section 8 income will likely be below what private tenants pay in this area.
FMR falls below market. Section 8 income will likely be below what private tenants pay in this area.
FMR aligns with market rates. Payment is likely to be at or near the FMR in this area.
FMR aligns with market rates. Payment is likely to be at or near the FMR in this area.
FMR aligns with market rates. Payment is likely to be at or near the FMR in this area.
FMR aligns with market rates. Payment is likely to be at or near the FMR in this area.
FMR exceeds market. Payment is likely to be capped due to rent reasonableness requirements in this area.
FMR aligns with market rates. Payment is likely to be at or near the FMR in this area.
FMR aligns with market rates. Payment is likely to be at or near the FMR in this area.
FMR exceeds market. Payment is likely to be capped due to rent reasonableness requirements in this area.
FMR exceeds market. Payment is likely to be capped due to rent reasonableness requirements in this area.
FMR exceeds market. Payment is likely to be capped due to rent reasonableness requirements in this area.
Voucher alignment varies significantly by bedroom size in this area.
Bedroom curve
Data indexed
- FMR
- FY2026
- Market rent
- last ~365 days
ZIP Codes
Ranked by Investment Score (vs area median)
About this result(HUD FMR/SAFMR details)
This page shows HUD Fair Market Rent data for MERCED, CA (CA) for FY 2026. Fair Market Rent (FMR) is a HUD benchmark used to determine payment standards for programs like the Housing Choice Voucher (Section 8) program.
Values are shown for 0–4 bedroom units. In some metro areas HUD publishes Small Area FMR (SAFMR) at the ZIP-code level; otherwise the county/metropolitan-area FMR applies. This result is labeled SAFMR based on HUD's designation for the area and the available data.
Tip: use these numbers as a starting point and confirm local program rules (payment standards may differ from HUD's published FMR). If you're comparing neighborhoods, SAFMR ZIP ranges can highlight variation within the same county.