PALO ALTO, CA
CitySAFMR
Santa Clara County
Found 6 ZIPs
BRFMR
Eff. Rent
0 BR$2,350 – $3,210$2,350 – $2,970
1 BR$2,760 – $3,650$2,760 – $3,440
2 BR$3,300 – $4,260$3,110 – $4,260
3 BR$4,270 – $5,630$4,130 – $5,630
4 BR$4,510 – $6,130$4,510 – $6,130
5 BR$6,014
6 BR$6,917
7 BR$7,954
8 BR$9,147

Market Alignment

How HUD fair market rents align with the state of the rental market.

Studio
Studio· 2 ZIPs
0.87–0.88ratio range
Median FMR$2,660
Median Market$3,045
vs market-$385

FMR falls below market. Section 8 income will likely be below what private tenants pay in this area.

2
Studio· 2 ZIPs
1.02ratio range
Median FMR$2,620
Median Market$2,580
vs market+$40

FMR aligns with market rates. Payment is likely to be at or near the FMR in this area.

2
Studio· 2 ZIPs
1.09–1.10ratio range
Median FMR$3,030
Median Market$2,770
vs market+$260

FMR aligns with market rates. Payment is likely to be at or near the FMR in this area.

2
0.87–1.10
1 BR
1 BR· 2 ZIPs
0.74–0.77ratio range
Median FMR$3,070
Median Market$4,060
vs market-$990

FMR falls below market. Section 8 income will likely be below what private tenants pay in this area.

2
1 BR· 1 ZIP
0.90ratio
FMR$3,240
Market$3,620
vs market-$380

FMR falls below market. Section 8 income will likely be below what private tenants pay in this area.

1
1 BR· 2 ZIPs
1.05ratio range
Median FMR$2,980
Median Market$2,830
vs market+$150

FMR aligns with market rates. Payment is likely to be at or near the FMR in this area.

2
1 BR· 1 ZIP
1.06ratio
FMR$3,650
Market$3,440
vs market+$210

FMR aligns with market rates. Payment is likely to be at or near the FMR in this area.

1
0.74–1.06
2 BR
2 BR· 3 ZIPs
0.74–0.75ratio range
Median FMR$3,790
Median Market$5,050
vs market-$1,260

FMR falls below market. Section 8 income will likely be below what private tenants pay in this area.

3
2 BR· 1 ZIP
0.91ratio
FMR$4,260
Market$4,680
vs market-$420

FMR aligns with market rates. Payment is likely to be at or near the FMR in this area.

2 BR· 2 ZIPs
1.12ratio range
Median FMR$3,480
Median Market$3,110
vs market+$370

FMR exceeds market. Payment is likely to be capped due to rent reasonableness requirements in this area.

2
0.74–1.12
3 BR
3 BR· 1 ZIP
0.68ratio
FMR$4,270
Market$6,300
vs market-$2,030

FMR falls below market. Section 8 income will likely be below what private tenants pay in this area.

1
3 BR· 1 ZIP
0.72ratio
FMR$5,010
Market$6,970
vs market-$1,960

FMR falls below market. Section 8 income will likely be below what private tenants pay in this area.

1
3 BR· 1 ZIP
0.75ratio
FMR$5,220
Market$6,940
vs market-$1,720

FMR falls below market. Section 8 income will likely be below what private tenants pay in this area.

1
3 BR· 1 ZIP
0.81ratio
FMR$5,630
Market$6,970
vs market-$1,340

FMR falls below market. Section 8 income will likely be below what private tenants pay in this area.

1
3 BR· 2 ZIPs
1.11ratio range
Median FMR$4,600
Median Market$4,130
vs market+$470

FMR exceeds market. Payment is likely to be capped due to rent reasonableness requirements in this area.

2
0.68–1.11
4 BR
4 BR· 2 ZIPs
0.50–0.52ratio range
Median FMR$5,095
Median Market$10,055
vs market-$4,960

FMR falls below market. Section 8 income will likely be below what private tenants pay in this area.

2
4 BR· 2 ZIPs
0.66ratio range
Median FMR$5,790
Median Market$8,805
vs market-$3,015

FMR falls below market. Section 8 income will likely be below what private tenants pay in this area.

2
4 BR· 2 ZIPs
1.07ratio range
Median FMR$5,010
Median Market$4,670
vs market+$340

FMR aligns with market rates. Payment is likely to be at or near the FMR in this area.

2
0.50–1.07
0.700.800.901.001.101.201.30aligned range

Voucher alignment varies significantly by bedroom size in this area.

Bedroom curve

Historical
See FMR progression in recent years

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 PALO ALTO, 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.