Rhode Island Fair Market Rents 2026

HUD publishes a Fair Market Rent for each of the 5 counties in Rhode Island. It is the rent estimate your housing authority starts from when it decides how much a Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher will cover. The statewide median two-bedroom Fair Market Rent is $1,729 per month, ranging from $1,721 in Washington County to $1,729 in Bristol County.

What it takes to afford a two-bedroom in Rhode Island

Housing wage
$31.71/hr
Annual income needed
$65,957
Hours at minimum wage
85/wk

To rent a modest two-bedroom in Rhode Island without spending more than 30% of income on housing, a household needs to earn $31.71 per hour full time. At the state minimum wage of $15.00, that means working 85 hours a week. Source: National Low Income Housing Coalition, Out of Reach 2025.

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FY2026 Fair Market Rents by County

County Studio 1 BR 2 BR 3 BR 4 BR
Bristol County $1,318 $1,402 $1,729 $2,087 $2,480
Kent County $1,318 $1,402 $1,729 $2,087 $2,480
Newport County (from — 2 rent areas) $1,318 $1,402 $1,729 $2,087 $2,480
Providence County $1,318 $1,402 $1,729 $2,087 $2,480
Washington County (from — 2 rent areas) $1,353 $1,362 $1,721 $2,146 $2,326

Find a housing authority in Rhode Island

Fair Market Rent sets the ceiling, but the housing authority issuing your voucher sets the payment standard and runs the waiting list. Start there.

Rhode Island Housing Authorities Rhode Island Waiting Lists

For FY2026, Bristol County has the highest two-bedroom Fair Market Rent in Rhode Island at $1,729 per month, while Washington County has the lowest at $1,721. The statewide median two-bedroom FMR is $1,729.

No. Each housing authority in Rhode Island sets its own payment standard, anywhere from 90% to 110% of the HUD Fair Market Rent for its area, and some receive HUD approval to go higher. Two authorities serving the same county can pay different amounts, so confirm the figure with the authority that will issue your voucher.

Find your county in the table below to see the FY2026 rent HUD estimates for each bedroom size. That figure is the starting point your housing authority uses to set its payment standard, which caps the subsidy on your unit. You generally pay about 30% of your adjusted monthly income, with the voucher covering the rest up to that cap.

Source: HUD Fair Market Rents FY2026 · huduser.gov

The federal Fair Housing Act prohibits discrimination in housing because of race, color, national origin, religion, familial status, gender, and disability. The Fair Housing Act ensures that all persons receive equal housing opportunity. For more information about the Fair Housing Act and your rights, visit the Department of Housing and Urban Development .