How Much Does Section 8 Pay in Rochester? (FY2027 Payment Standards by ZIP)
Section 8 in Rochester starts from one number: HUD's FY2027 Fair Market Rent for the Rochester, NY area, which is $1,416 for a 2-bedroom. Most housing authorities here set their payment standard within a band around that figure. But HUD also publishes a separate Small Area FMR for every ZIP code, and across the 44 ZIPs in Monroe County those run from $1,420 in ZIP 14420 to $2,130 in ZIP 14614, which tells you where a voucher stretches and where it doesn't.
This guide walks through the FY2027 figures by bedroom size, the math behind your share of the rent, and the housing authorities that administer vouchers in the Rochester metro area.
The FY2027 Numbers: Low ZIP vs. High ZIP
HUD's FY2027 Small Area FMRs are the basis for what the housing authorities in the Rochester metro area will pay. Two real ZIP codes in Monroe County show the spread:
| Bedrooms | ZIP 14420 | ZIP 14614 |
|---|---|---|
| Studio | $1,010 | $1,510 |
| 1 BR | $1,140 | $1,700 |
| 2 BR | $1,420 | $2,130 |
| 3 BR | $1,710 | $2,560 |
| 4 BR | $1,880 | $2,810 |
The middle of the range: the median 2-bedroom SAFMR across the 44 ZIP codes in Monroe County is $1,480 (ZIP 14428). For reference, HUD's metro-wide FMR for the Rochester, NY area is $1,416 for a 2-bedroom, the figure a housing authority uses unless it has adopted the ZIP-level standards.
One important caveat: these are HUD's FY2027 SAFMRs, the basis for payment standards. Each housing authority sets its actual payment standard within a band around these figures (typically 90% to 110%), so confirm the exact standard for your ZIP with your PHA before signing anything. You can browse the ZIP-by-ZIP numbers on our Rochester Section 8 guide or straight from HUD's SAFMR dataset.
Beyond Monroe County: The Whole Metro
A voucher can often be used elsewhere in the metro through portability, and the Rochester, NY area is bigger than Monroe County: 147 ZIP codes in all, from $1,420 for a 2-bedroom in ZIP 13143 (Wayne County) up to $2,130 in ZIP 14614 (Monroe County). The metro-wide median is $1,420.
Five ZIP codes spaced across the metro show the whole ladder, from cheapest to most expensive:
| ZIP | County | 1 BR | 2 BR | 3 BR |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 13143 | Wayne County | $1,140 | $1,420 | $1,710 |
| 14485 | Livingston County | $1,140 | $1,420 | $1,710 |
| 14585 | Ontario County | $1,140 | $1,420 | $1,710 |
| 14454 | Livingston County | $1,170 | $1,460 | $1,760 |
| 14614 | Monroe County | $1,700 | $2,130 | $2,560 |
FY2026 to FY2027: The Change Effective October 1, 2026
HUD's metro-wide 2-bedroom FMR for Rochester went down 10.0% from FY2026 to FY2027: $1,573 to $1,416. A lower FMR does not cut a current tenant's subsidy right away. The housing authority may keep a family's existing payment standard for as long as it stays in the unit, and any reduction cannot start sooner than two years after the decrease takes effect, and only after written notice (24 CFR 982.505(c)(3)). The people who feel it first are new voucher holders and families who move, whose new leases are measured against the lower ceiling.
What You Actually Pay as a Tenant
Your share is generally 30% of your adjusted monthly income; the voucher covers the difference between that and the rent, up to the payment standard for your ZIP and bedroom size. Take a household earning $2,400 a month. Its share is about $720. In a ZIP where the 2-bedroom standard is $1,480, the voucher can cover up to $760 of the rent.
Practical consequence: in Rochester, where you search changes what your voucher is worth more than almost any other decision. Two similar apartments on opposite sides of a ZIP boundary can differ by hundreds of dollars in approvable rent, while your own contribution stays pegged to your income.
Rochester Landlords: What the Standard Means for You
The economics vary block to block. In ZIPs near the bottom of the table, the standard often matches what the unit would rent for unassisted, with the housing authority's portion arriving every month on schedule. In the higher-cost ZIPs, the ceiling is high enough that a voucher tenant competes with anyone. Either way the PHA runs a rent reasonableness check against comparable unassisted units before approving the lease.
Also non-negotiable: refusing a voucher holder is illegal in New York under the NY Human Rights Law §296(5). Source of income is a protected class, so "no vouchers" in an ad is itself a violation.
If you own units in Rochester, list them free on VoucherMatch and reach voucher holders searching by ZIP right now.
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Who Administers Section 8 in Rochester
Vouchers in the Rochester metro area are administered by several authorities, and each sets its own payment standard inside HUD's band. The biggest ones:
- Rochester Housing Authority, (585) 697-3602, about 10,000 vouchers
- Newark Housing Authority, (315) 331-1574, about 540 vouchers
- Village of Fairport, (585) 421-3241, about 500 vouchers
- Auburn Housing Authority, (315) 253-6249, about 440 vouchers
- Hornell Housing Authority, (607) 324-7912, about 280 vouchers
Frequently Asked Questions
How much is a 2-bedroom Section 8 voucher worth in Rochester in FY2027? It depends on the ZIP code: HUD's FY2027 Small Area FMRs for 2-bedrooms range from $1,420 (14420) to $2,130 (14614) across the 44 ZIPs in Monroe County, with a median around $1,480. Your PHA's payment standard is set from these figures.
Why does my voucher cover more in some neighborhoods than others? HUD publishes a Small Area FMR for every ZIP code in the metro alongside the single metro-wide FMR. Authorities that have adopted the ZIP-level figures pay different ceilings in different neighborhoods; ask yours which it uses.
Can a Rochester landlord refuse my voucher? No. Refusing an applicant because they pay with a voucher is illegal in New York under the NY Human Rights Law §296(5).
Do these numbers include utilities? The standards assume rent plus a utility allowance fit within the ceiling. If you pay utilities yourself, the approvable rent drops by the allowance for your unit size. The mechanics are the same ones we cover in our utility allowance guide, with Rochester's own allowance schedules.
Where can I see the number for my exact ZIP? Our Rochester Section 8 guide list payment data ZIP by ZIP, or check HUD's SAFMR lookup and confirm with your housing authority.
Comparing metros? We have the same breakdown for Buffalo, and a New York Section 8 overview.
Have a voucher and looking in Rochester? Browse voucher-friendly listings, filtered by ZIP and bedroom size.
Own property in the Rochester metro area? List it free and reach tenants with guaranteed rent.
VoucherMatch Editorial Team
Every rule, date and dollar amount in this article is checked against the agency document it comes from, and the sources are listed above. How VoucherMatch articles are researched and corrected
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