Santa Cruz County fair market rent FY 2027California, HUD studio to 4 bedrooms
HUD's FY 2027 Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom home in Santa Cruz County, California is $4,254 a month, effective October 1, 2026: $3,230 for a studio, $3,390 for one bedroom, $5,531 for three and $5,748 for four. It is set for the Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA MSA. The FY 2026 two-bedroom FMR was $4,214 (+0.9%).
Santa Cruz County Fair Market Rents by bedrooms
| Bedrooms | FY 2027 | FY 2026 | Change | Payment standard basic range |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Studio | $3,230 | $3,179 | +1.6% | $2,907 to $3,553 |
| 1 bedroom | $3,390 | $3,298 | +2.8% | $3,051 to $3,729 |
| 2 bedrooms | $4,254 | $4,214 | +0.9% | $3,828 to $4,679 |
| 3 bedrooms | $5,531 | $5,377 | +2.9% | $4,977 to $6,084 |
| 4 bedrooms | $5,748 | $5,659 | +1.6% | $5,173 to $6,322 |
Monthly gross rent (rent plus tenant-paid utilities except telephone). FY 2027 runs October 1, 2026 to September 30, 2027. The payment standard basic range is 90 to 110 percent of the FMR (24 CFR 982.503(c)); the local housing agency sets the actual payment standard.
How Santa Cruz County compares
Santa Cruz County's two-bedroom FMR of $4,254 is the 1st highest of 58 counties in California, where the county median is $1,725 and the range $1,084 to $4,254. Across all 3,144 US counties the median two-bedroom FMR is $1,071; Santa Cruz County ranks 1st.
Small Area FMRs and ZIP codes
HUD also publishes Small Area FMRs by ZIP code for metropolitan areas. For the Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA MSA it lists 23 ZIP codes, with two-bedroom Small Area FMRs from $3,300 to $5,260. This area is not one of HUD's designated Small Area FMR areas, so agencies use the area-wide FMR above unless they opt in.
Look up any ZIP code: fair market rent by ZIP code.
Fair market rents in nearby counties
All California counties · Fair market rents in every state
More for Santa Cruz County
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Check a Santa Cruz County property
HeritageDeed does not search title records in Santa Cruz County yet; the counties it covers are listed under title search coverage, where a title report is $49 per report. For any US address, the Environmental Records Report lists Superfund, hazardous waste, leaking tank and brownfield sites nearby, with the flood zone.
Questions about Santa Cruz County fair market rent
What is the fair market rent in Santa Cruz County for FY 2027?
$3,230 for a studio, $3,390 for one bedroom, $4,254 for two, $5,531 for three and $5,748 for four bedrooms a month. FY 2027 runs from October 1, 2026 to September 30, 2027.
What was the fair market rent in Santa Cruz County for FY 2026?
$3,179 for a studio, $3,298 for one bedroom, $4,214 for two, $5,377 for three and $5,659 for four bedrooms (FY 2026, October 1, 2025 to September 30, 2026).
What is the Section 8 voucher amount for a 2 bedroom in Santa Cruz County?
The housing agency sets a payment standard, usually within the basic range of 90 to 110 percent of the FMR: $3,828 to $4,679 for two bedrooms here. The voucher then pays the lower of the payment standard or the gross rent, minus the family's total tenant payment, usually 30 percent of adjusted monthly income (24 CFR 982.505 and 5.628). The local housing agency publishes its own schedule.
Does fair market rent include utilities?
Yes. HUD's rule defines Fair Market Rents as "estimates of rent plus the cost of utilities, except telephone", set at the 40th percentile of rents for standard-quality units rented by recent movers (24 CFR 888.113).
Is Santa Cruz County's fair market rent high for California?
$4,254 for two bedrooms ranks 1st of 58 counties in California; the state's county median is $1,725 (range $1,084 to $4,254) and the national county median is $1,071.
Legal references
- 24 CFR 888.113, Fair market rents for existing housing: methodology
- 24 CFR 982.503, Voucher tenancy: payment standard amount and schedule
- 24 CFR 982.505, How to calculate housing assistance payment
JSON: /api/data/fair-market-rent/california/santa-cruz-county. Fair Market Rents are HUD program figures, not an appraisal of any unit's rent.