HUD Fair Market Rent · FY 2026 · effective Oct 1, 2025 to Sep 30, 2026
Fair Market Rent in Coles County, Illinois (FY 2026)
A two-bedroom in Coles County carries a FY 2026 Fair Market Rent of $965 a month, effective October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026. Everything Section 8 pays in Coles keys off that figure.
2 bedroom FMR
$965
FY 2026, utilities included
Payment standard range
$869 to $1,062
90% to 110% of FMR
Income to afford 2BR
$38,600
per year, at 30% of income
Rank in Illinois
50th of 102
by 2BR FMR
HUD has already published FY 2027. On October 1, 2026 the two-bedroom rate in Coles moves to $950. That's down 2%. The full FY 2027 table is in the history section below.
HUD's number is one input. What does a two-bedroom in Coles actually rent for?
Search any address in Coles for a rent estimate built from nearby comps, with the HUD figure right next to it.
FY 2026 Fair Market Rents
| Bedrooms | FMR | Payment standard | Income needed | Hourly wage | vs FY 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Studio | $665 | $599 to $732 | $26,600 | $12.79/hr | +8.3% |
| 1 bedroom | $759 | $683 to $835 | $30,360 | $14.60/hr | +10.2% |
| 2 bedroom | $965 | $869 to $1,062 | $38,600 | $18.56/hr | +7.8% |
| 3 bedroom | $1,261 | $1,135 to $1,387 | $50,440 | $24.25/hr | +6.1% |
| 4 bedroom | $1,348 | $1,213 to $1,483 | $53,920 | $25.92/hr | +6.2% |
5 to 8 bedrooms (PropMetrics estimates)
HUD stops at four bedrooms. These add 15% of the four-bedroom rent per extra bedroom. It's our estimate, not a HUD number.
| Bedrooms | Estimated FMR | Payment standard |
|---|---|---|
| 5 bedroom Estimate | $1,550 | $1,395 to $1,705 |
| 6 bedroom Estimate | $1,752 | $1,577 to $1,927 |
| 7 bedroom Estimate | $1,955 | $1,760 to $2,151 |
| 8 bedroom Estimate | $2,157 | $1,941 to $2,373 |
Source: HUD Office of Policy Development and Research, FY 2026 Fair Market Rents. Rents include utilities. huduser.gov
Fair Market Rent is HUD's estimate of what a modest, decent unit rents for in an area, utilities included. It's set once a year and runs October to September. For FY 2026 that's October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026. In Coles, that runs from $665 for a studio up to $1,348 for four bedrooms, all five rates in the table above.
Because Coles sits outside any HUD metro area, its rate is a county-wide figure built from local rents. One number covers every address in the county, Ashmore included.
Among Illinois's 102 counties, Coles ranks 50th for two-bedroom FMR. That's within a couple percent of the state median of $953 and about 5% below the national median county at $1,018. About 47,076 people live here, 31st in the state.
Rates by ZIP code
Zoom in and the picture changes. HUD's Small Area FMRs put a two-bedroom at $920 in 61912 (Ashmore) and $1,310 in 62440 (Lerna), with the 7 ZIP codes in between. Housing authorities in HUD-designated metros use those ZIP rates instead of the county rate. Everywhere else the ZIP numbers show where rents actually sit, and the county rate stays the official standard.
What a voucher pays here
The voucher doesn't pay the FMR itself. It pays the payment standard. Housing authorities set it anywhere from 90% to 110% of FMR, which puts a two-bedroom standard in Coles somewhere between $869 and $1,062. The tenant pays roughly 30% of their income, the voucher covers the rest up to the standard, and the PHA won't approve a rent above what comparable unassisted units get.
$965 a month is affordable, by HUD's 30% rule, on an income of roughly $38,600 a year. Put another way, $19 an hour full time.
Worked example for a two-bedroom, assuming the rent equals the payment standard. Tenant pays 30% of monthly income, HUD's housing assistance payment covers the rest.
| Monthly household income | Tenant pays (30%) | HAP at 90% ($869) | HAP at 100% ($965) | HAP at 110% ($1,062) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $2,500 | $750 | $119 | $215 | $312 |
| $4,000 | $1,200 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
Rate history
The two-bedroom rate went up 8% from FY 2025 ($895) to FY 2026 ($965). Since FY 2020 it's up 30% in total, about 4.5% a year. The Illinois median moved up 6% over the same year.
| Year | Studio | 1 BR | 2 BR | 3 BR | 4 BR | 2BR change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY 2020 | $500 | $570 | $741 | $1,012 | $1,075 | — |
| FY 2021 | $482 | $554 | $730 | $996 | $1,055 | -1.5% |
| FY 2022 | $527 | $603 | $793 | $1,075 | $1,122 | +8.6% |
| FY 2023 | $540 | $614 | $808 | $1,098 | $1,106 | +1.9% |
| FY 2024 | $575 | $645 | $848 | $1,123 | $1,133 | +5.0% |
| FY 2025 | $614 | $689 | $895 | $1,188 | $1,269 | +5.5% |
| FY 2026 | $665 | $759 | $965 | $1,261 | $1,348 | +7.8% |
| FY 2027 | $662 | $742 | $950 | $1,231 | $1,342 | -1.6% |
Nearby counties
Questions people ask
$965 a month for FY 2026, which runs October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026. The other rates are $665 for a studio, $759 for one bedroom, $1,261 for three and $1,348 for four.
Tools for this county
Fair Market Rent lookup
Look up any ZIP code's Small Area FMR by bedroom count.
Section 8 rent calculator
Work out the payment standard and tenant share for a specific rent.
What is Fair Market Rent?
How HUD calculates FMR and what it means for landlords.
Rent affordability calculator
See what income a household needs for a given rent.
What does a rental in Coles actually go for?
HUD's number is one input. Search any address in Coles for a rent estimate built from nearby comps. 3 free searches, no card.
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