HUD Fair Market Rent · FY 2027 · Effective Oct 1, 2026 to Sep 30, 2027
Fair Market Rent in Cook County, Illinois (FY 2027)
HUD's FY 2027 Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom in Cook County is $2,011 a month. That's the number the housing authority starts from when it sets Section 8 payment standards here.
Two-bedroom FMR
$2,011
+12.9% from FY 2026
Payment standard
$1,810–$2,212
90% to 110% of the FMR, two-bedroom
Income to afford
$80,440
a year, with rent at 30% of income
Rank in Illinois
2nd of 102
by two-bedroom FMR, highest first
FY 2027 Fair Market Rents
Payment standard is the 90% to 110% band a housing authority can set. Income needed puts rent at 30% of gross income, and the hourly wage assumes a 40-hour week.
| Bedrooms | FMR | Payment standard | Income needed | Hourly wage | vs FY 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Studio | $1,678 | $1,510–$1,846 | $67,120 | $32.27/hr | +13.4% |
| 1 bedroom | $1,780 | $1,602–$1,958 | $71,200 | $34.23/hr | +12.6% |
| 2 bedroom | $2,011 | $1,810–$2,212 | $80,440 | $38.67/hr | +12.9% |
| 3 bedroom | $2,586 | $2,327–$2,845 | $103,440 | $49.73/hr | +12.7% |
| 4 bedroom | $2,954 | $2,659–$3,249 | $118,160 | $56.81/hr | +11.3% |
Five to eight 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 | $3,397 | $3,057–$3,737 |
| 6 bedroom Estimate | $3,840 | $3,456–$4,224 |
| 7 bedroom Estimate | $4,283 | $3,855–$4,711 |
| 8 bedroom Estimate | $4,726 | $4,253–$5,199 |
Source: HUD Office of Policy Development and Research, FY 2027 Fair Market Rents. Rents include utilities. huduser.gov
Market check
Two-bedrooms in Chicago are asking $2,918. HUD says $2,011.
That's 45% above the county FMR. Median asking rent across 22 Chicago ZIP codes with active 2BR listings. FMR includes utilities and asking rents usually don't, so the true gap is a little smaller.
No card needed
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 Cook somewhere between $1,810 and $2,212. 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.
$2,011 a month is affordable, by HUD's 30% rule, on an income of roughly $80,440 a year. Put another way, $39 an hour full time.
Worked example for a two-bedroom renting at the payment standard. The tenant pays 30% of monthly income and the voucher covers the rest.
| Monthly household income | Tenant pays (30%) | Voucher pays at 90%$1,810 | Voucher pays at 100%$2,011 | Voucher pays at 110%$2,212 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $2,500 | $750 | $1,060 | $1,261 | $1,462 |
| $4,000 | $1,200 | $610 | $811 | $1,012 |
Rate history
The two-bedroom rate went up 13% from FY 2026 ($1,781) to FY 2027 ($2,011). Since FY 2020 it's up 61% in total, about 7.1% a year. The Illinois median moved up 1% over the same year.
| Fiscal year | Studio | 1 BR | 2 BR | 3 BR | 4 BR | 2BR change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY 2020 | $956 | $1,076 | $1,248 | $1,585 | $1,888 | — |
| FY 2021 | $1,012 | $1,122 | $1,299 | $1,649 | $1,969 | +4.1% |
| FY 2022 | $1,059 | $1,161 | $1,340 | $1,697 | $2,018 | +3.2% |
| FY 2023 | $1,158 | $1,255 | $1,440 | $1,827 | $2,172 | +7.5% |
| FY 2024 | $1,399 | $1,507 | $1,714 | $2,182 | $2,583 | +19.0% |
| FY 2025 | $1,458 | $1,560 | $1,761 | $2,262 | $2,657 | +2.7% |
| FY 2026 | $1,480 | $1,581 | $1,781 | $2,294 | $2,653 | +1.1% |
| FY 2027In effect | $1,678 | $1,780 | $2,011 | $2,586 | $2,954 | +12.9% |
About this rate
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 2027 that's October 1, 2026 through September 30, 2027. In Cook, that runs from $1,678 for a studio up to $2,954 for four bedrooms, all five rates in the table above.
This is a metro rate. The county doesn't get one of its own. HUD lumps Cook in with 5 other counties in the Chicago-Joliet-Naperville metro, DuPage County, Lake County, Will County among them, and every one of them gets $2,011 for a two-bedroom. Where you are inside the metro doesn't change the county number. It does change the ZIP number, covered below.
Among Illinois's 102 counties, Cook ranks 2nd for two-bedroom FMR. That's about 110% above the state median of $958 and about 89% above the national median county at $1,063. About 5,182,090 people live here, 1st in the state.
Rates by ZIP code
Zoom in and the picture changes. HUD's Small Area FMRs put a two-bedroom at $1,100 in 60141 (Hines) and $3,020 in 60053 (Morton Grove), with the 199 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.
| ZIP | City | 2BR rate | vs county |
|---|---|---|---|
| 60004 | Arlington Heights | $2,470 | +22.8% |
| 60005 | Arlington Heights | $2,200 | +9.4% |
| 60006 | Arlington Heights | $1,980 | -1.5% |
| 60007 | Elk Grove Village | $2,210 | +9.9% |
| 60008 | Rolling Meadows | $2,160 | +7.4% |
| 60009 | Elk Grove Village | $1,980 | -1.5% |
| 60016 | Des Plaines | $2,230 | +10.9% |
| 60017 | Des Plaines | $1,980 | -1.5% |
| 60018 | Des Plaines | $1,670 | -17.0% |
| 60019 | Des Plaines | $2,011County rate | — |
| 60022 | Glencoe | $2,790 | +38.7% |
| 60025 | Glenview | $2,390 | +18.8% |
| 60026 | Glenview | $2,680 | +33.3% |
| 60029 | Golf | $2,600 | +29.3% |
| 60038 | Palatine | $2,011County rate | — |
| 60043 | Kenilworth | $2,880 | +43.2% |
| 60053 | Morton Grove | $3,020 | +50.2% |
| 60055 | Palatine | $1,980 | -1.5% |
| 60056 | Mount Prospect | $2,040 | +1.4% |
| 60062 | Northbrook | $2,650 | +31.8% |
| 60065 | Northbrook | $1,980 | -1.5% |
| 60067 | Palatine | $2,130 | +5.9% |
| 60068 | Park Ridge | $2,090 | +3.9% |
| 60070 | Prospect Heights | $1,930 | -4.0% |
| 60074 | Palatine | $2,170 | +7.9% |
| 60076 | Skokie | $2,220 | +10.4% |
| 60077 | Skokie | $2,080 | +3.4% |
| 60078 | Palatine | $1,980 | -1.5% |
| 60082 | Techny | $2,011County rate | — |
| 60090 | Wheeling | $2,290 | +13.9% |
| 60091 | Wilmette | $3,020 | +50.2% |
| 60093 | Winnetka | $2,630 | +30.8% |
| 60094 | Palatine | $2,011County rate | — |
| 60095 | Palatine | $1,980 | -1.5% |
| 60103 | Bartlett | $2,490 | +23.8% |
| 60104 | Bellwood | $1,700 | -15.5% |
| 60107 | Streamwood | $2,550 | +26.8% |
| 60130 | Forest Park | $1,900 | -5.5% |
| 60131 | Franklin Park | $1,570 | -21.9% |
| 60141 | Hines | $1,100 | -45.3% |
Counties sharing the Chicago-Joliet-Naperville metro rate
HUD sets one rate for the whole metro, so every county here carries the same $2,011 two-bedroom figure as Cook.
Nearby counties
Two-bedroom FMR, with how each compares to Cook.
DuPage County
16 mi · 930,024 people
$2,011
same rate
Will County
27 mi · 701,462 people
$2,011
same rate
Kane County
31 mi · 517,255 people
$2,011
same rate
Lake County
32 mi · 714,223 people
$2,011
same rate
Kendall County
39 mi · 137,675 people
$2,341
+16%
McHenry County
43 mi · 312,591 people
$2,011
same rate
DeKalb County
51 mi · 100,703 people
$1,481
-26%
Grundy County
52 mi · 53,219 people
$1,613
-20%
Questions people ask
$2,011 a month for FY 2027, which runs October 1, 2026 through September 30, 2027. The other rates are $1,678 for a studio, $1,780 for one bedroom, $2,586 for three and $2,954 for four.
Tools for this county
Fair Market Rent lookup
Any ZIP code's Small Area FMR by bedroom count
Section 8 rent calculator
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
The income a household needs for a given rent
What does a rental in Cook actually go for?
HUD's number is one input. Search any address in Cook for a rent estimate built from nearby comps. Free to start, no card.
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