HUD Fair Market Rent · FY 2026 · effective Oct 1, 2025 to Sep 30, 2026
Fair Market Rent in Mercer County, Illinois (FY 2026)
A two-bedroom in Mercer County carries a FY 2026 Fair Market Rent of $1,143 a month, effective October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026. Everything Section 8 pays in Mercer keys off that figure.
2 bedroom FMR
$1,143
FY 2026, utilities included
Payment standard range
$1,029 to $1,257
90% to 110% of FMR
Income to afford 2BR
$45,720
per year, at 30% of income
Rank in Illinois
23rd of 102
by 2BR FMR
HUD has already published FY 2027. On October 1, 2026 the two-bedroom rate in Mercer moves to $1,056. That's down 8%. The full FY 2027 table is in the history section below.
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.
FY 2026 Fair Market Rents
| Bedrooms | FMR | Payment standard | Income needed | Hourly wage | vs FY 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Studio | $817 | $735 to $899 | $32,680 | $15.71/hr | +15.6% |
| 1 bedroom | $928 | $835 to $1,021 | $37,120 | $17.85/hr | +11.7% |
| 2 bedroom | $1,143 | $1,029 to $1,257 | $45,720 | $21.98/hr | +11.5% |
| 3 bedroom | $1,498 | $1,348 to $1,648 | $59,920 | $28.81/hr | +12.1% |
| 4 bedroom | $1,819 | $1,637 to $2,001 | $72,760 | $34.98/hr | +15.3% |
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 | $2,092 | $1,883 to $2,301 |
| 6 bedroom Estimate | $2,365 | $2,129 to $2,602 |
| 7 bedroom Estimate | $2,638 | $2,374 to $2,902 |
| 8 bedroom Estimate | $2,910 | $2,619 to $3,201 |
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 Mercer, that runs from $817 for a studio up to $1,819 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 $1,143 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 23rd for two-bedroom FMR. That's about 20% above the state median of $953 and about 12% above the national median county at $1,018. About 15,692 people live here, 68th in the state.
Counties sharing the Davenport-Moline-Rock Island metro rate
Rates by ZIP code
Zoom in and the picture changes. HUD's Small Area FMRs put a two-bedroom at $930 in 61260 (Joy) and $1,070 in 61272 (New Boston), 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 | -9.9% |
| 61260 | Joy | $930 | -18.6% |
| 61263 | Matherville | $980 | -14.3% |
| 61272 | New Boston | $1,070 | -6.4% |
| 61276 | Preemption | $1,040 | -9.0% |
| 61281 | Sherrard | $1,000 | -12.5% |
| 61412 | Alexis | $960 | -16.0% |
| 61442 | Keithsburg | $930 | -18.6% |
| 61465 | New Windsor | $930 | -18.6% |
| 61466 | North Henderson | $1,010 | -11.6% |
| 61476 | Seaton | $970 | -15.1% |
| 61486 | Viola | $1,060 | -7.3% |
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 $1,029 and $1,257. 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.
$1,143 a month is affordable, by HUD's 30% rule, on an income of roughly $45,720 a year. Put another way, $22 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% ($1,029) | HAP at 100% ($1,143) | HAP at 110% ($1,257) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $2,500 | $750 | $279 | $393 | $507 |
| $4,000 | $1,200 | $0 | $0 | $57 |
Rate history
The two-bedroom rate went up 12% from FY 2025 ($1,025) to FY 2026 ($1,143). Since FY 2020 it's up 47% in total, about 6.6% 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 | $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 2027 | $787 | $852 | $1,056 | $1,396 | $1,697 | -7.6% |
Nearby counties
Questions people ask
$1,143 a month for FY 2026, which runs October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026. The other rates are $817 for a studio, $928 for one bedroom, $1,498 for three and $1,819 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 Mercer actually go for?
HUD's number is one input. Search any address in Mercer for a rent estimate built from nearby comps. 3 free searches, no card.
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