A one-bedroom rent benchmark in Coconino County is nearly twice the benchmark in La Paz County. The basic VA disability payment used in this comparison is the same in both places.
Using HUD’s newly released fiscal year 2027 Fair Market Rents, Claim Raven calculated how much of a standardized VA disability payment would be absorbed by benchmark rent in each of Arizona’s 15 counties. One-bedroom benchmarks range from $792 a month in La Paz County to $1,555 in Coconino County, a difference of $763 a month, or $9,156 over 12 months. HUD Arizona table.
HUD FY2027 one-bedroom gross-rent benchmarks; effective October 1, 2026. These are program benchmarks, not observed veteran rents.
For a veteran alone with a 100% disability rating, the current basic monthly compensation rate is $3,938.58. The one-bedroom benchmark therefore equals 20.1% of that payment in La Paz and 39.5% in Coconino. Those percentages describe the purchasing power of one benefit. They do not establish a veteran’s actual housing burden, because veterans may have employment income, retirement income, dependents, additional benefits or different housing costs. VA compensation table.
| County | HUD one-bedroom monthly benchmark | Share of basic 100% payment | Basic payment minus benchmark |
|---|---|---|---|
| Coconino | $1,555 | 39.5% | $2,383.58 |
| Maricopa | $1,493 | 37.9% | $2,445.58 |
| Pinal | $1,493 | 37.9% | $2,445.58 |
| Yavapai | $1,242 | 31.5% | $2,696.58 |
| Pima | $1,092 | 27.7% | $2,846.58 |
| Gila | $1,055 | 26.8% | $2,883.58 |
| Cochise | $1,000 | 25.4% | $2,938.58 |
| Navajo | $966 | 24.5% | $2,972.58 |
| Mohave | $959 | 24.3% | $2,979.58 |
| Yuma | $948 | 24.1% | $2,990.58 |
| Graham | $894 | 22.7% | $3,044.58 |
| Greenlee | $873 | 22.2% | $3,065.58 |
| Apache | $819 | 20.8% | $3,119.58 |
| Santa Cruz | $796 | 20.2% | $3,142.58 |
| La Paz | $792 | 20.1% | $3,146.58 |
Claim Raven calculations from the linked HUD and VA tables. “Payment minus benchmark” is not disposable household income. Other income and all other expenses are outside this comparison.
The Phoenix-area comparison is also substantial. Maricopa and Pinal share HUD’s Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler metropolitan benchmark. Their $1,493 one-bedroom figure is $401 higher than Pima County’s Tucson benchmark. With the same payment in both places, that leaves $401 less of the modeled benefit after benchmark rent.
The result changes with the housing scenario. For two bedrooms, the Phoenix-area benchmark is $1,734, slightly above Coconino’s $1,729. A headline naming a single “most expensive county” without specifying bedroom count would obscure that difference. The workbook includes both scenarios and the raw file includes efficiency through four-bedroom benchmarks.
At a 70% rating, the veteran-alone basic payment is $1,808.45. Coconino’s one-bedroom benchmark equals 86.0% of that payment; the Phoenix-area figure equals 82.6%. At 50%, the basic rate is $1,132.90, and the one-bedroom benchmark exceeds that payment in Coconino, Maricopa, Pinal and Yavapai counties. Lower disability ratings are not a claim that the benefit replaces all earnings, and these figures should not be described as household poverty rates. VA rates.
This is a timely comparison, but the dates need to travel with the numbers. HUD’s FY2027 schedule becomes effective October 1, 2026. The VA rates used here became effective December 1, 2025. The model compares the announced October rent benchmarks with the currently published benefit schedule. It does not predict the next VA cost-of-living adjustment or claim that the payment will remain unchanged throughout 2027. HUD notice.
HUD Fair Market Rent is a gross-rent benchmark used in housing programs. It includes rent and specified tenant-paid utilities, and generally reflects a 40th-percentile standard-quality rent measure. It is not the average asking rent for every apartment available today. Individual ZIP codes, accessible units and actual leases can differ considerably. HUD source and methodology.
The study does not recommend moving to the county with the lowest benchmark. Availability of housing, health care, work, transportation and family support also matter. It identifies a narrower, measurable fact: a geographically uniform benefit has different rent purchasing power within Arizona.
Data and method
The denominator is a veteran-alone basic monthly rate, with no dependents or special monthly compensation. Each ratio is monthly FMR divided by monthly compensation. Dollar differences are compensation minus FMR. Calculations retain full precision and displayed percentages are rounded to one decimal place. This is a census of the 15 county entries in HUD’s Arizona table, not a sample of veterans. Maricopa and Pinal share one HUD market, so the table contains 14 distinct rent areas. No statewide weighted average, change over time or estimate of how many veterans experience hardship is asserted.
Downloads: Excel calculations, raw HUD county values, calculated results.
Chart: Claim Raven calculations and presentation using HUD FY2027 Arizona values, checked September 10, 2026; editorial review September 11, 2026. Include the source, vintage and method if reusing it.
Publisher disclosure: Claim Raven is a commercial veteran-facing claims product. This analysis uses public government data and does not imply endorsement by VA or HUD.
Read the other Special Reports, with sources, graphics and methods.
Arizona expanded veterans’ tax relief. Clear instructions are the next test.
VA Disability Pay Chart 2026: Rates and Dependent Examples
Arizona’s $1.95 million VetLink settlement includes $1.2 million for restitution. What comes next?
