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Average Rent in El Paso, Colorado
The FY2027 Fair Market Rent for a 2-bedroom home in El Paso is $1,621 a month, on HUD's gross-rent scale that includes utilities. El Paso sits in the Colorado Springs, CO HUD Metro FMR Area, and its figures place it #24 among the 64 county rent listings published for Colorado — $246 (18%) above the Colorado county median. With a 2024 population of about 742,999, it is one of the rental markets we track in depth: below is the full bedroom-by-bedroom table, the income each size implies under the 30% rule, and how the county compares with its state and the country.
FY2027 Fair Market Rents in El Paso
| Unit size | Monthly FMR | Rent over a year | Income needed (30% rule) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Efficiency (0 BR) | $1,129 | $13,548 | $45,160 |
| 1 bedroom | $1,380 | $16,560 | $55,200 |
| 2 bedrooms | $1,621 | $19,452 | $64,840 |
| 3 bedrooms | $2,245 | $26,940 | $89,800 |
| 4 bedrooms | $2,574 | $30,888 | $102,960 |
The gaps between sizes tell you how this market prices space. In El Paso, stepping up from an efficiency to a one-bedroom adds $251 a month; stepping up from a one-bedroom to a two-bedroom adds $241 a month; and stepping up from a two-bedroom to a three-bedroom adds $624 a month. Families feel those steps directly, because voucher size standards and the 30% math both key off the bedroom count: a household approved for a 2-bedroom voucher that rents a 3-bedroom pays the difference itself unless the unit still passes the agency's rent-reasonableness test.
The 30% rule in El Paso
Housing is considered affordable when gross rent takes no more than 30% of gross household income. At the FY2027 2-bedroom FMR of $1,621, that means an income of about $64,840 a year — $19,452 of rent spread over twelve months. A 1-bedroom at $1,380 fits an income of $55,200, while a family-sized 4-bedroom at $2,574 needs $102,960. Remember that FMRs are gross rents: if a lease leaves utilities in the tenant's name, the housing agency applies a utility allowance so the combined cost is what gets compared with the payment standard. For workers, the 2-bedroom figure works out to about $31 an hour at full-time hours — a useful yardstick when weighing a job offer against local rent.
How El Paso, Colorado compares
Against its own state, El Paso's 2-bedroom FMR sits below the statewide ACS median gross rent of $1,822, and $246 (18%) above the Colorado county median. Against the country as a whole it is $603 above the national median area figure of $1,018. The state's priciest county listing is Summit at $2,766 and its least expensive is Baca at $1,014, so El Paso sits within the Colorado range. The full county-by-county table is on the Colorado average rent page.
Vouchers and Fair Market Rents in El Paso
This is a metropolitan rent area. In a small number of the largest metro areas HUD also publishes Small Area FMRs by ZIP code, which housing agencies in those areas must or may use for vouchers; the figures here are the standard area-wide schedule. For Housing Choice Voucher holders, the number that matters day to day is the payment standard: the local housing agency sets it between 90% and 110% of the FMR for each unit size, and the subsidy is calculated from the lower of that standard or the actual gross rent. An FMR is not a rent control and not a quote — homes in El Paso lease both above and below these figures — but it is the benchmark every voucher lease is tested against, and a good neutral summary of where the modest end of this market sits.
El Paso rent questions
What is the Fair Market Rent for a 2-bedroom in El Paso, CO?
HUD's FY2027 Fair Market Rent for a 2-bedroom home in El Paso (Colorado Springs, CO HUD Metro FMR Area) is $1,621 a month, gross rent including utilities. The efficiency figure is $1,129 and a 4-bedroom is $2,574.
What income do you need for a 2-bedroom in El Paso?
At the 30% rule, a 2-bedroom at the FY2027 FMR of $1,621 a month takes an annual income of about $64,840 — roughly $31 an hour full-time. Housing agencies may set voucher payment standards between 90% and 110% of the FMR.
How does El Paso compare with the rest of Colorado?
Its 2-bedroom FMR of $1,621 ranks #24 among 64 county listings in Colorado, $246 (18%) above the Colorado county median, and sits below the statewide ACS median gross rent of $1,822.
Sources: U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Fair Market Rents FY2027 (county-level data file, effective October 1, 2026), huduser.gov; U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2024 1-year estimates, table B25031 (median gross rent), census.gov. Last verified: October 2026.