HUD Fair Market Rent · FY 2026 · effective Oct 1, 2025 to Sep 30, 2026
Fair Market Rent in McDonough County, Illinois (FY 2026)
HUD's FY 2026 Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom in McDonough County is $951 a month. That's the number the housing authority starts from when it sets Section 8 payment standards here.
2 bedroom FMR
$951
FY 2026, utilities included
Payment standard range
$856 to $1,046
90% to 110% of FMR
Income to afford 2BR
$38,040
per year, at 30% of income
Rank in Illinois
52nd of 102
by 2BR FMR
HUD has already published FY 2027. On October 1, 2026 the two-bedroom rate in McDonough moves to $930. That's down 2%. The full FY 2027 table is in the history section below.
HUD's number is one input. What does a two-bedroom in McDonough actually rent for?
Search any address in McDonough 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 | $656 | $590 to $722 | $26,240 | $12.62/hr | +4.6% |
| 1 bedroom | $728 | $655 to $801 | $29,120 | $14.00/hr | +3.1% |
| 2 bedroom | $951 | $856 to $1,046 | $38,040 | $18.29/hr | +3.9% |
| 3 bedroom | $1,231 | $1,108 to $1,354 | $49,240 | $23.67/hr | +5.6% |
| 4 bedroom | $1,512 | $1,361 to $1,663 | $60,480 | $29.08/hr | +9.4% |
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 | $1,739 | $1,565 to $1,913 |
| 6 bedroom Estimate | $1,966 | $1,769 to $2,163 |
| 7 bedroom Estimate | $2,192 | $1,973 to $2,411 |
| 8 bedroom Estimate | $2,419 | $2,177 to $2,661 |
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 McDonough, that runs from $656 for a studio up to $1,512 for four bedrooms, all five rates in the table above.
Because McDonough 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, Adair included.
Among Illinois's 102 counties, McDonough ranks 52nd for two-bedroom FMR. That's within a couple percent of the state median of $953 and about 7% below the national median county at $1,018. About 27,370 people live here, 50th 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 61422 (Bushnell) and $1,100 in 61470 (Prairie City), 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 McDonough somewhere between $856 and $1,046. 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.
$951 a month is affordable, by HUD's 30% rule, on an income of roughly $38,040 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% ($856) | HAP at 100% ($951) | HAP at 110% ($1,046) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $2,500 | $750 | $106 | $201 | $296 |
| $4,000 | $1,200 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
Rate history
The two-bedroom rate went up 4% from FY 2025 ($915) to FY 2026 ($951). Since FY 2020 it's up 36% in total, about 5.3% 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 | $474 | $567 | $698 | $885 | $1,057 | — |
| FY 2021 | $572 | $575 | $700 | $940 | $1,141 | +0.3% |
| FY 2022 | $515 | $616 | $735 | $1,016 | $1,178 | +5.0% |
| FY 2023 | $545 | $650 | $794 | $1,078 | $1,232 | +8.0% |
| FY 2024 | $579 | $672 | $845 | $1,104 | $1,261 | +6.4% |
| FY 2025 | $627 | $706 | $915 | $1,166 | $1,382 | +8.3% |
| FY 2026 | $656 | $728 | $951 | $1,231 | $1,512 | +3.9% |
| FY 2027 | $648 | $714 | $930 | $1,186 | $1,554 | -2.2% |
Nearby counties
Questions people ask
$951 a month for FY 2026, which runs October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026. The other rates are $656 for a studio, $728 for one bedroom, $1,231 for three and $1,512 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 McDonough actually go for?
HUD's number is one input. Search any address in McDonough for a rent estimate built from nearby comps. 3 free searches, no card.
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