HUD Fair Market Rent · FY 2026 · effective Oct 1, 2025 to Sep 30, 2026
Fair Market Rent in Marion County, Illinois (FY 2026)
HUD's FY 2026 Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom in Marion 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
84th of 102
by 2BR FMR
HUD has already published FY 2027. On October 1, 2026 the two-bedroom rate in Marion 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 Marion actually rent for?
Search any address in Marion 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 | $662 | $596 to $728 | $26,480 | $12.73/hr | +6.4% |
| 1 bedroom | $769 | $692 to $846 | $30,760 | $14.79/hr | +5.9% |
| 2 bedroom | $916 | $824 to $1,008 | $36,640 | $17.62/hr | +5.3% |
| 3 bedroom | $1,190 | $1,071 to $1,309 | $47,600 | $22.88/hr | +5.8% |
| 4 bedroom | $1,537 | $1,383 to $1,691 | $61,480 | $29.56/hr | +5.7% |
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 | $1,768 | $1,591 to $1,945 |
| 6 bedroom Estimate | $1,998 | $1,798 to $2,198 |
| 7 bedroom Estimate | $2,229 | $2,006 to $2,452 |
| 8 bedroom Estimate | $2,459 | $2,213 to $2,705 |
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 Marion, that runs from $662 for a studio up to $1,537 for four bedrooms, all five rates in the table above.
Because Marion 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, Centralia included.
Among Illinois's 102 counties, Marion ranks 84th 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 37,543 people live here, 36th 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 62807 (Alma) and $1,160 in 62853 (Kell), with the 11 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 Marion 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 | $457 | $544 | $698 | $933 | $993 | — |
| FY 2021 | $462 | $557 | $700 | $939 | $966 | +0.3% |
| FY 2022 | $488 | $592 | $735 | $979 | $997 | +5.0% |
| FY 2023 | $519 | $627 | $774 | $1,013 | $1,041 | +5.3% |
| FY 2024 | $560 | $666 | $807 | $1,041 | $1,219 | +4.3% |
| FY 2025 | $622 | $726 | $870 | $1,125 | $1,454 | +7.8% |
| FY 2026 | $662 | $769 | $916 | $1,190 | $1,537 | +5.3% |
| FY 2027 | $661 | $767 | $930 | $1,210 | $1,554 | +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 $662 for a studio, $769 for one bedroom, $1,190 for three and $1,537 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 Marion actually go for?
HUD's number is one input. Search any address in Marion for a rent estimate built from nearby comps. 3 free searches, no card.
Free tier. No credit card.