HUD Fair Market Rent · FY 2026 · effective Oct 1, 2025 to Sep 30, 2026
Fair Market Rent in Effingham County, Illinois (FY 2026)
HUD's FY 2026 Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom in Effingham County is $916 a month. That's the number the housing authority starts from when it sets Section 8 payment standards here.
2 bedroom FMR
$916
FY 2026, utilities included
Payment standard range
$824 to $1,008
90% to 110% of FMR
Income to afford 2BR
$36,640
per year, at 30% of income
Rank in Illinois
68th of 102
by 2BR FMR
HUD has already published FY 2027. On October 1, 2026 the two-bedroom rate in Effingham moves to $930. That's up 2%. The full FY 2027 table is in the history section below.
HUD's number is one input. What does a two-bedroom in Effingham actually rent for?
Search any address in Effingham 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 | $745 | $671 to $820 | $29,800 | $14.33/hr | +10.5% |
| 1 bedroom | $754 | $679 to $829 | $30,160 | $14.50/hr | +11.0% |
| 2 bedroom | $916 | $824 to $1,008 | $36,640 | $17.62/hr | +5.3% |
| 3 bedroom | $1,208 | $1,087 to $1,329 | $48,320 | $23.23/hr | +4.1% |
| 4 bedroom | $1,385 | $1,247 to $1,524 | $55,400 | $26.63/hr | +8.9% |
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 | $1,593 | $1,434 to $1,752 |
| 6 bedroom Estimate | $1,801 | $1,621 to $1,981 |
| 7 bedroom Estimate | $2,008 | $1,807 to $2,209 |
| 8 bedroom Estimate | $2,216 | $1,994 to $2,438 |
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 Effingham, that runs from $745 for a studio up to $1,385 for four bedrooms, all five rates in the table above.
Because Effingham 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, Effingham included.
Among Illinois's 102 counties, Effingham ranks 68th for two-bedroom FMR. That's about 4% below the state median of $953 and about 10% below the national median county at $1,018. About 34,594 people live here, 41st 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 62401 (Effingham) and $1,050 in 62411 (Altamont), with the 10 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 Effingham somewhere between $824 and $1,008. 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.
$916 a month is affordable, by HUD's 30% rule, on an income of roughly $36,640 a year. Put another way, $18 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% ($824) | HAP at 100% ($916) | HAP at 110% ($1,008) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $2,500 | $750 | $74 | $166 | $258 |
| $4,000 | $1,200 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
Rate history
The two-bedroom rate went up 5% from FY 2025 ($870) to FY 2026 ($916). Since FY 2020 it's up 31% in total, about 4.6% 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 | $534 | $537 | $698 | $1,007 | $1,107 | — |
| FY 2021 | $538 | $541 | $700 | $1,002 | $1,095 | +0.3% |
| FY 2022 | $577 | $580 | $735 | $1,044 | $1,116 | +5.0% |
| FY 2023 | $599 | $603 | $774 | $1,100 | $1,152 | +5.3% |
| FY 2024 | $625 | $629 | $807 | $1,125 | $1,173 | +4.3% |
| FY 2025 | $674 | $679 | $870 | $1,160 | $1,272 | +7.8% |
| FY 2026 | $745 | $754 | $916 | $1,208 | $1,385 | +5.3% |
| FY 2027 | $764 | $792 | $930 | $1,231 | $1,434 | +1.5% |
Nearby counties
Questions people ask
$916 a month for FY 2026, which runs October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026. The other rates are $745 for a studio, $754 for one bedroom, $1,208 for three and $1,385 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 Effingham actually go for?
HUD's number is one input. Search any address in Effingham for a rent estimate built from nearby comps. 3 free searches, no card.
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