In February and March 1999, HUD conducted Random Digit Dialing (RDD) telephone surveys of 30 Fair Market Rent (FMR) areas. The purpose was to estimate the FMR, which is the rent standard used in its Section 8 Certificate and Voucher assistance programs. The table below lists the survey date and the interquartile range (25th percentile, median, and 75th percentile) of two-bedroom gross rents (including utilities) for all renters from all of the RDD surveys conducted by HUD's contractor. The 30 RDD surveys covered a total of 36 FMR areas because some surveys included several nonmetropolitan county FMR areas. These surveys exclude units less than 2 years old, public housing units, seasonal units, and units owned by relatives; assisted units are included if the respondent knew the nonsubsidized rent.

1999 Area Rent Surveys: HUD-Sponsored Random Digit Dialing Surveys

HUD also conducted longitudinal surveys to measure the previous year's changes in median rents for metropolitan and nonmetropolitan FMR areas in each region. These rent-change factors are used in HUD programs to adjust rents for units currently under contract. The metropolitan surveys exclude metropolitan areas covered by separate Consumer Price Index surveys. The 10 regions surveyed are almost the same as the 9 census divisions, except that the Alaska-Idaho-Oregon-Washington region is treated separately from the rest of the Pacific census division.

Changes in Rents from 1997 to 1998 (Regional RRD Survey Results)