Iowa Fair Market Rents 2026
HUD publishes a Fair Market Rent for each of the 99 counties in Iowa. 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 $919 per month, ranging from $919 in Allamakee County to $1,368 in Harrison County.
What it takes to afford a two-bedroom in Iowa
Housing wage
$19.99/hr
Annual income needed
$41,579
Hours at minimum wage
111/wk
To rent a modest two-bedroom in Iowa without spending more than 30% of income on housing, a household needs to earn $19.99 per hour full time. At the state minimum wage of $7.25, that means working 111 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Adair County | $687 | $706 | $926 | $1,201 | $1,285 |
| Adams County | $692 | $711 | $933 | $1,217 | $1,235 |
| Allamakee County | $682 | $754 | $919 | $1,278 | $1,399 |
| Appanoose County | $682 | $700 | $919 | $1,102 | $1,306 |
| Audubon County | $682 | $838 | $919 | $1,160 | $1,423 |
| Benton County | $659 | $729 | $956 | $1,209 | $1,348 |
| Black Hawk County | $725 | $801 | $1,051 | $1,357 | $1,763 |
| Boone County | $783 | $788 | $1,026 | $1,427 | $1,500 |
| Bremer County | $674 | $745 | $978 | $1,290 | $1,295 |
| Buchanan County | $713 | $718 | $942 | $1,281 | $1,468 |
| Buena Vista County | $765 | $770 | $1,010 | $1,240 | $1,337 |
| Butler County | $682 | $700 | $919 | $1,102 | $1,367 |
| Calhoun County | $682 | $736 | $919 | $1,162 | $1,217 |
| Carroll County | $775 | $788 | $919 | $1,162 | $1,217 |
| Cass County | $682 | $710 | $919 | $1,278 | $1,496 |
| Cedar County | $717 | $736 | $966 | $1,259 | $1,279 |
| Cerro Gordo County | $746 | $750 | $949 | $1,226 | $1,446 |
| Cherokee County | $682 | $811 | $919 | $1,278 | $1,414 |
| Chickasaw County | $682 | $778 | $919 | $1,278 | $1,293 |
| Clarke County | $682 | $803 | $919 | $1,222 | $1,227 |
| Clay County | $682 | $700 | $919 | $1,198 | $1,217 |
| Clayton County | $682 | $700 | $919 | $1,127 | $1,304 |
| Clinton County | $659 | $729 | $956 | $1,184 | $1,507 |
| Crawford County | $682 | $788 | $919 | $1,212 | $1,451 |
| Dallas County | $1,063 | $1,109 | $1,318 | $1,794 | $1,841 |
| Davis County | $774 | $795 | $1,043 | $1,251 | $1,392 |
| Decatur County | $634 | $700 | $919 | $1,102 | $1,542 |
| Delaware County | $682 | $838 | $919 | $1,102 | $1,227 |
| Des Moines County | $733 | $810 | $1,063 | $1,369 | $1,426 |
| Dickinson County | $826 | $831 | $1,091 | $1,314 | $1,445 |
| Dubuque County | $774 | $841 | $1,077 | $1,450 | $1,807 |
| Emmet County | $682 | $771 | $919 | $1,222 | $1,227 |
| Fayette County | $682 | $723 | $919 | $1,210 | $1,439 |
| Floyd County | $682 | $700 | $919 | $1,192 | $1,217 |
| Franklin County | $682 | $700 | $919 | $1,168 | $1,542 |
| Fremont County | $682 | $708 | $919 | $1,278 | $1,379 |
| Greene County | $682 | $700 | $919 | $1,278 | $1,486 |
| Grundy County | $725 | $801 | $1,051 | $1,357 | $1,763 |
| Guthrie County | $1,063 | $1,109 | $1,318 | $1,794 | $1,841 |
| Hamilton County | $738 | $791 | $994 | $1,192 | $1,316 |
| Hancock County | $682 | $745 | $919 | $1,170 | $1,542 |
| Hardin County | $682 | $700 | $919 | $1,208 | $1,347 |
| Harrison County | $1,090 | $1,148 | $1,368 | $1,813 | $2,046 |
| Henry County | $647 | $716 | $939 | $1,242 | $1,360 |
| Howard County | $682 | $838 | $919 | $1,278 | $1,476 |
| Humboldt County | $682 | $798 | $919 | $1,278 | $1,436 |
| Ida County | $682 | $764 | $919 | $1,102 | $1,217 |
| Iowa County | $682 | $709 | $919 | $1,278 | $1,452 |
| Jackson County | $682 | $700 | $919 | $1,178 | $1,217 |
| Jasper County | $784 | $789 | $1,008 | $1,348 | $1,372 |
| Jefferson County | $821 | $826 | $1,084 | $1,300 | $1,435 |
| Johnson County | $880 | $961 | $1,141 | $1,587 | $1,914 |
| Jones County | $634 | $711 | $919 | $1,212 | $1,217 |
| Keokuk County | $682 | $764 | $919 | $1,178 | $1,227 |
| Kossuth County | $682 | $700 | $919 | $1,102 | $1,217 |
| Lee County | $663 | $733 | $962 | $1,270 | $1,330 |
| Linn County | $738 | $816 | $1,071 | $1,490 | $1,797 |
| Louisa County | $682 | $700 | $919 | $1,124 | $1,223 |
| Lucas County | $724 | $743 | $975 | $1,250 | $1,302 |
| Lyon County | $682 | $700 | $919 | $1,102 | $1,217 |
| Madison County | $1,063 | $1,109 | $1,318 | $1,794 | $1,841 |
| Mahaska County | $717 | $722 | $947 | $1,135 | $1,254 |
| Marion County | $701 | $808 | $1,016 | $1,218 | $1,356 |
| Marshall County | $712 | $731 | $959 | $1,265 | $1,270 |
| Mills County | $1,090 | $1,148 | $1,368 | $1,813 | $2,046 |
| Mitchell County | $682 | $774 | $919 | $1,156 | $1,227 |
| Monona County | $682 | $700 | $919 | $1,145 | $1,542 |
| Monroe County | $682 | $700 | $919 | $1,222 | $1,227 |
| Montgomery County | $682 | $838 | $919 | $1,265 | $1,319 |
| Muscatine County | $795 | $858 | $1,071 | $1,374 | $1,605 |
| O'Brien County | $682 | $700 | $919 | $1,111 | $1,217 |
| Osceola County | $682 | $700 | $919 | $1,212 | $1,217 |
| Page County | $682 | $700 | $919 | $1,147 | $1,225 |
| Palo Alto County | $682 | $700 | $919 | $1,222 | $1,227 |
| Plymouth County | $767 | $772 | $980 | $1,287 | $1,366 |
| Pocahontas County | $658 | $700 | $919 | $1,125 | $1,217 |
| Polk County | $1,063 | $1,109 | $1,318 | $1,794 | $1,841 |
| Pottawattamie County | $1,090 | $1,148 | $1,368 | $1,813 | $2,046 |
| Poweshiek County | $733 | $853 | $988 | $1,303 | $1,308 |
| Ringgold County | $682 | $748 | $919 | $1,125 | $1,227 |
| Sac County | $786 | $791 | $919 | $1,226 | $1,231 |
| Scott County | $817 | $928 | $1,143 | $1,498 | $1,819 |
| Shelby County | $682 | $838 | $919 | $1,278 | $1,309 |
| Sioux County | $735 | $740 | $971 | $1,246 | $1,351 |
| Story County | $972 | $1,026 | $1,153 | $1,601 | $1,934 |
| Tama County | $698 | $717 | $941 | $1,174 | $1,330 |
| Taylor County | $682 | $700 | $919 | $1,116 | $1,217 |
| Union County | $634 | $700 | $919 | $1,212 | $1,217 |
| Van Buren County | $682 | $713 | $919 | $1,102 | $1,510 |
| Wapello County | $793 | $814 | $1,068 | $1,354 | $1,468 |
| Warren County | $1,063 | $1,109 | $1,318 | $1,794 | $1,841 |
| Washington County | $728 | $733 | $962 | $1,191 | $1,274 |
| Wayne County | $682 | $734 | $919 | $1,193 | $1,227 |
| Webster County | $696 | $700 | $919 | $1,182 | $1,542 |
| Winnebago County | $682 | $731 | $919 | $1,222 | $1,392 |
| Winneshiek County | $682 | $700 | $919 | $1,212 | $1,217 |
| Woodbury County | $796 | $925 | $1,154 | $1,386 | $1,528 |
| Worth County | $682 | $700 | $919 | $1,278 | $1,364 |
| Wright County | $682 | $700 | $919 | $1,102 | $1,217 |
Find a housing authority in Iowa
Fair Market Rent sets the ceiling, but the housing authority issuing your voucher sets the payment standard and runs the waiting list. Start there.
For FY2026, Harrison County has the highest two-bedroom Fair Market Rent in Iowa at $1,368 per month, while Allamakee County has the lowest at $919. The statewide median two-bedroom FMR is $919.
No. Each housing authority in Iowa 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