HUD Fair Market Rent · FY 2027 · Effective Oct 1, 2026 to Sep 30, 2027
Fair Market Rent in Mercer County, Illinois (FY 2027)
A two-bedroom in Mercer County carries a FY 2027 Fair Market Rent of $1,056 a month, effective October 1, 2026 through September 30, 2027. Everything Section 8 pays in Mercer keys off that figure.
Two-bedroom FMR
$1,056
-7.6% from FY 2026
Payment standard
$950–$1,162
90% to 110% of the FMR, two-bedroom
Income to afford
$42,240
a year, with rent at 30% of income
Rank in Illinois
35th 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 | $787 | $708–$866 | $31,480 | $15.13/hr | -3.7% |
| 1 bedroom | $852 | $767–$937 | $34,080 | $16.38/hr | -8.2% |
| 2 bedroom | $1,056 | $950–$1,162 | $42,240 | $20.31/hr | -7.6% |
| 3 bedroom | $1,396 | $1,256–$1,536 | $55,840 | $26.85/hr | -6.8% |
| 4 bedroom | $1,697 | $1,527–$1,867 | $67,880 | $32.63/hr | -6.7% |
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 | $1,952 | $1,757–$2,147 |
| 6 bedroom Estimate | $2,206 | $1,985–$2,427 |
| 7 bedroom Estimate | $2,461 | $2,215–$2,707 |
| 8 bedroom Estimate | $2,715 | $2,444–$2,987 |
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 Mercer actually rent for?
Search any address in Mercer for a rent estimate built from nearby comps, with the HUD figure right next to it.
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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 Mercer somewhere between $950 and $1,162. 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.
$1,056 a month is affordable, by HUD's 30% rule, on an income of roughly $42,240 a year. Put another way, $20 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%$950 | Voucher pays at 100%$1,056 | Voucher pays at 110%$1,162 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $2,500 | $750 | $200 | $306 | $412 |
| $4,000 | $1,200 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
Rate history
The two-bedroom rate went down 8% from FY 2026 ($1,143) to FY 2027 ($1,056). Since FY 2020 it's up 36% in total, about 4.5% 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 | $524 | $615 | $778 | $1,028 | $1,169 | — |
| FY 2021 | $517 | $626 | $784 | $1,047 | $1,183 | +0.8% |
| FY 2022 | $535 | $650 | $805 | $1,070 | $1,209 | +2.7% |
| FY 2023 | $606 | $733 | $906 | $1,193 | $1,353 | +12.5% |
| FY 2024 | $646 | $773 | $953 | $1,247 | $1,437 | +5.2% |
| FY 2025 | $707 | $831 | $1,025 | $1,336 | $1,578 | +7.6% |
| FY 2026 | $817 | $928 | $1,143 | $1,498 | $1,819 | +11.5% |
| FY 2027In effect | $787 | $852 | $1,056 | $1,396 | $1,697 | -7.6% |
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 Mercer, that runs from $787 for a studio up to $1,697 for four bedrooms, all five rates in the table above.
This is a metro rate. The county doesn't get one of its own. HUD lumps Mercer in with 3 other counties in the Davenport-Moline-Rock Island metro, Scott County, Rock Island County, Henry County among them, and every one of them gets $1,056 for a two-bedroom. Where you are inside the metro doesn't change the county number. It does change the ZIP number, covered below.
Among Illinois's 102 counties, Mercer ranks 35th for two-bedroom FMR. That's about 10% above the state median of $958 and within a couple percent of the national median county at $1,063. About 15,495 people live here, 69th in the state.
Rates by ZIP code
Zoom in and the picture changes. HUD's Small Area FMRs put a two-bedroom at $1,030 in 61231 (Aledo) and $1,240 in 61476 (Seaton), with the 12 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 61231 | Aledo | $1,030 | -2.5% |
| 61260 | Joy | $1,030 | -2.5% |
| 61263 | Matherville | $1,030 | -2.5% |
| 61272 | New Boston | $1,030 | -2.5% |
| 61276 | Preemption | $1,030 | -2.5% |
| 61281 | Sherrard | $1,030 | -2.5% |
| 61412 | Alexis | $1,050 | -0.6% |
| 61442 | Keithsburg | $1,030 | -2.5% |
| 61465 | New Windsor | $1,030 | -2.5% |
| 61466 | North Henderson | $1,030 | -2.5% |
| 61476 | Seaton | $1,240 | +17.4% |
| 61486 | Viola | $1,040 | -1.5% |
Counties sharing the Davenport-Moline-Rock Island metro rate
HUD sets one rate for the whole metro, so every county here carries the same $1,056 two-bedroom figure as Mercer.
Nearby counties
Two-bedroom FMR, with how each compares to Mercer.
Warren County
22 mi · 16,447 people
$930
-12%
Rock Island County
23 mi · 142,757 people
$1,056
same rate
Henry County
27 mi · 48,643 people
$1,056
same rate
Knox County
28 mi · 49,046 people
$930
-12%
Henderson County
31 mi · 6,193 people
$935
-11%
McDonough County
48 mi · 26,920 people
$930
-12%
Stark County
48 mi · 5,308 people
$1,212
+15%
Fulton County
53 mi · 33,020 people
$930
-12%
Questions people ask
$1,056 a month for FY 2027, which runs October 1, 2026 through September 30, 2027. The other rates are $787 for a studio, $852 for one bedroom, $1,396 for three and $1,697 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 Mercer actually go for?
HUD's number is one input. Search any address in Mercer for a rent estimate built from nearby comps. Free to start, no card.
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