HUD Fair Market Rent · FY 2026 · effective Oct 1, 2025 to Sep 30, 2026
Fair Market Rent in Lee County, Illinois (FY 2026)
HUD's FY 2026 Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom in Lee 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
82nd of 102
by 2BR FMR
HUD has already published FY 2027. On October 1, 2026 the two-bedroom rate in Lee 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 Lee actually rent for?
Search any address in Lee 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 | $632 | $569 to $695 | $25,280 | $12.15/hr | +4.5% |
| 1 bedroom | $810 | $729 to $891 | $32,400 | $15.58/hr | +3.1% |
| 2 bedroom | $916 | $824 to $1,008 | $36,640 | $17.62/hr | +3.7% |
| 3 bedroom | $1,274 | $1,147 to $1,401 | $50,960 | $24.50/hr | +3.0% |
| 4 bedroom | $1,395 | $1,256 to $1,535 | $55,800 | $26.83/hr | +5.8% |
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 | $1,604 | $1,444 to $1,764 |
| 6 bedroom Estimate | $1,814 | $1,633 to $1,995 |
| 7 bedroom Estimate | $2,023 | $1,821 to $2,225 |
| 8 bedroom Estimate | $2,232 | $2,009 to $2,455 |
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 Lee, that runs from $632 for a studio up to $1,395 for four bedrooms, all five rates in the table above.
Because Lee 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, Lee included.
Among Illinois's 102 counties, Lee ranks 82nd 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 34,221 people live here, 42nd 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 61006 (Ashton) and $1,370 in 60553 (Steward), with the 14 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 60530 | Lee | $1,260 | +37.6% |
| 60553 | Steward | $1,370 | +49.6% |
| 61006 | Ashton | $920 | +0.4% |
| 61021 | Dixon | $920 | +0.4% |
| 61031 | Franklin Grove | $920 | +0.4% |
| 61042 | Harmon | $920 | +0.4% |
| 61057 | Nachusa | $920 | +0.4% |
| 61310 | Amboy | $940 | +2.6% |
| 61318 | Compton | $1,130 | +23.4% |
| 61324 | Eldena | $920 | +0.4% |
| 61331 | Lee Center | $920 | +0.4% |
| 61353 | Paw Paw | $1,250 | +36.5% |
| 61367 | Sublette | $1,030 | +12.4% |
| 61378 | West Brooklyn | $1,280 | +39.7% |
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 Lee 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 4% from FY 2025 ($883) to FY 2026 ($916). Since FY 2020 it's up 25% in total, about 3.8% 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 | $477 | $556 | $732 | $912 | $1,048 | — |
| FY 2021 | $490 | $556 | $720 | $920 | $1,045 | -1.6% |
| FY 2022 | $503 | $594 | $735 | $995 | $1,067 | +2.1% |
| FY 2023 | $531 | $650 | $774 | $1,100 | $1,145 | +5.3% |
| FY 2024 | $553 | $710 | $807 | $1,137 | $1,188 | +4.3% |
| FY 2025 | $605 | $786 | $883 | $1,237 | $1,319 | +9.4% |
| FY 2026 | $632 | $810 | $916 | $1,274 | $1,395 | +3.7% |
| FY 2027 | $648 | $785 | $930 | $1,288 | $1,387 | +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 $632 for a studio, $810 for one bedroom, $1,274 for three and $1,395 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 Lee actually go for?
HUD's number is one input. Search any address in Lee for a rent estimate built from nearby comps. 3 free searches, no card.
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