HUD Fair Market Rent · FY 2027 · Effective Oct 1, 2026 to Sep 30, 2027
Fair Market Rent in Knox County, Illinois (FY 2027)
A two-bedroom in Knox County carries a FY 2027 Fair Market Rent of $930 a month, effective October 1, 2026 through September 30, 2027. Everything Section 8 pays in Knox keys off that figure.
Two-bedroom FMR
$930
+1.5% from FY 2026
Payment standard
$837–$1,023
90% to 110% of the FMR, two-bedroom
Income to afford
$37,200
a year, with rent at 30% of income
Rank in Illinois
82nd 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 | $703 | $633–$773 | $28,120 | $13.52/hr | +1.3% |
| 1 bedroom | $711 | $640–$782 | $28,440 | $13.67/hr | +1.9% |
| 2 bedroom | $930 | $837–$1,023 | $37,200 | $17.88/hr | +1.5% |
| 3 bedroom | $1,204 | $1,084–$1,324 | $48,160 | $23.15/hr | +0.4% |
| 4 bedroom | $1,241 | $1,117–$1,365 | $49,640 | $23.87/hr | +2.3% |
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 | $1,427 | $1,284–$1,570 |
| 6 bedroom Estimate | $1,613 | $1,452–$1,774 |
| 7 bedroom Estimate | $1,799 | $1,619–$1,979 |
| 8 bedroom Estimate | $1,986 | $1,787–$2,185 |
Source: HUD Office of Policy Development and Research, FY 2027 Fair Market Rents. Rents include utilities. huduser.gov
Market check
HUD's number is one input. What does a two-bedroom in Knox actually rent for?
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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 Knox somewhere between $837 and $1,023. 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.
$930 a month is affordable, by HUD's 30% rule, on an income of roughly $37,200 a year. Put another way, $18 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%$837 | Voucher pays at 100%$930 | Voucher pays at 110%$1,023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $2,500 | $750 | $87 | $180 | $273 |
| $4,000 | $1,200 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
Rate history
The two-bedroom rate went up 2% from FY 2026 ($916) to FY 2027 ($930). Since FY 2020 it's up 33% in total, about 4.2% 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 | $455 | $530 | $698 | $942 | $946 | — |
| FY 2021 | $462 | $531 | $700 | $933 | $949 | +0.3% |
| FY 2022 | $508 | $559 | $735 | $976 | $997 | +5.0% |
| FY 2023 | $547 | $588 | $774 | $1,012 | $1,040 | +5.3% |
| FY 2024 | $596 | $614 | $807 | $1,055 | $1,075 | +4.3% |
| FY 2025 | $653 | $663 | $870 | $1,130 | $1,153 | +7.8% |
| FY 2026 | $694 | $698 | $916 | $1,199 | $1,213 | +5.3% |
| FY 2027In effect | $703 | $711 | $930 | $1,204 | $1,241 | +1.5% |
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 Knox, that runs from $703 for a studio up to $1,241 for four bedrooms, all five rates in the table above.
Because Knox 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, Galesburg included.
Among Illinois's 102 counties, Knox ranks 82nd for two-bedroom FMR. That's about 3% below the state median of $958 and about 13% below the national median county at $1,063. About 49,046 people live here, 29th in the state.
Rates by ZIP code
Zoom in and the picture changes. HUD's Small Area FMRs put a two-bedroom at $930 in 61402 (Galesburg) and $1,080 in 61436 (Gilson), with the 17 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 61401 | Galesburg | $1,030 | +10.8% |
| 61402 | Galesburg | $930 | 0.0% |
| 61410 | Abingdon | $930 | 0.0% |
| 61414 | Altona | $1,040 | +11.8% |
| 61428 | Dahinda | $940 | +1.1% |
| 61430 | East Galesburg | $1,030 | +10.8% |
| 61436 | Gilson | $1,080 | +16.1% |
| 61439 | Henderson | $950 | +2.2% |
| 61448 | Knoxville | $930 | 0.0% |
| 61458 | Maquon | $1,010 | +8.6% |
| 61467 | Oneida | $1,020 | +9.7% |
| 61472 | Rio | $1,030 | +10.8% |
| 61474 | Saint Augustine | $950 | +2.2% |
| 61485 | Victoria | $950 | +2.2% |
| 61488 | Wataga | $930 | 0.0% |
| 61489 | Williamsfield | $940 | +1.1% |
| 61572 | Yates City | $1,070 | +15.1% |
Nearby counties
Two-bedroom FMR, with how each compares to Knox.
Warren County
21 mi · 16,447 people
$930
same rate
Henry County
26 mi · 48,643 people
$1,056
+14%
Stark County
26 mi · 5,308 people
$1,212
+30%
Mercer County
28 mi · 15,495 people
$1,056
+14%
Fulton County
31 mi · 33,020 people
$930
same rate
Peoria County
33 mi · 179,645 people
$1,212
+30%
Henderson County
38 mi · 6,193 people
$935
+1%
McDonough County
38 mi · 26,920 people
$930
same rate
Questions people ask
$930 a month for FY 2027, which runs October 1, 2026 through September 30, 2027. The other rates are $703 for a studio, $711 for one bedroom, $1,204 for three and $1,241 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 Knox actually go for?
HUD's number is one input. Search any address in Knox for a rent estimate built from nearby comps. Free to start, no card.
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