HUD Fair Market Rent · FY 2026 · effective Oct 1, 2025 to Sep 30, 2026
Fair Market Rent in Monroe County, Illinois (FY 2026)
HUD's FY 2026 Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom in Monroe County is $1,218 a month. That's the number the housing authority starts from when it sets Section 8 payment standards here.
2 bedroom FMR
$1,218
FY 2026, utilities included
Payment standard range
$1,096 to $1,340
90% to 110% of FMR
Income to afford 2BR
$48,720
per year, at 30% of income
Rank in Illinois
16th of 102
by 2BR FMR
HUD has already published FY 2027. On October 1, 2026 the two-bedroom rate in Monroe moves to $1,349. That's up 11%. The full FY 2027 table is in the history section below.
HUD's number is one input. What does a two-bedroom in Monroe actually rent for?
Search any address in Monroe 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 | $955 | $860 to $1,051 | $38,200 | $18.37/hr | +0.4% |
| 1 bedroom | $995 | $896 to $1,095 | $39,800 | $19.13/hr | +1.1% |
| 2 bedroom | $1,218 | $1,096 to $1,340 | $48,720 | $23.42/hr | +0.2% |
| 3 bedroom | $1,568 | $1,411 to $1,725 | $62,720 | $30.15/hr | -0.1% |
| 4 bedroom | $1,812 | $1,631 to $1,993 | $72,480 | $34.85/hr | +0.3% |
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 | $2,084 | $1,876 to $2,292 |
| 6 bedroom Estimate | $2,356 | $2,120 to $2,592 |
| 7 bedroom Estimate | $2,627 | $2,364 to $2,890 |
| 8 bedroom Estimate | $2,899 | $2,609 to $3,189 |
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 Monroe, that runs from $955 for a studio up to $1,812 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 Monroe in with 13 other counties in the St. Louis metro, St. Louis County, St. Charles County, St. Louis city among them, and every one of them gets $1,218 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, Monroe ranks 16th for two-bedroom FMR. That's about 28% above the state median of $953 and about 20% above the national median county at $1,018. About 34,905 people live here, 40th in the state.
Counties sharing the St. Louis metro rate
St. Louis County
$1,218MO · pop 999,703
St. Charles County
$1,218MO · pop 406,262
St. Louis city
$1,218MO · pop 298,018
Madison County
$1,218IL · pop 265,512
St. Clair County
$1,218IL · pop 256,791
Jefferson County
$1,218MO · pop 226,984
Franklin County
$1,218MO · pop 104,858
Lincoln County
$1,218MO · pop 60,172
Clinton County
$1,218IL · pop 36,998
Warren County
$1,218MO · pop 35,729
Jersey County
$1,218IL · pop 21,462
Calhoun County
$1,218IL · pop 4,472
Rates by ZIP code
Zoom in and the picture changes. HUD's Small Area FMRs put a two-bedroom at $990 in 62248 (Hecker) and $1,460 in 62295 (Valmeyer), with the 7 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 Monroe somewhere between $1,096 and $1,340. 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.
$1,218 a month is affordable, by HUD's 30% rule, on an income of roughly $48,720 a year. Put another way, $23 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% ($1,096) | HAP at 100% ($1,218) | HAP at 110% ($1,340) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $2,500 | $750 | $346 | $468 | $590 |
| $4,000 | $1,200 | $0 | $18 | $140 |
Rate history
The two-bedroom rate went up 0% from FY 2025 ($1,215) to FY 2026 ($1,218). Since FY 2020 it's up 35% in total, about 5.1% 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 | $633 | $701 | $905 | $1,185 | $1,395 | — |
| FY 2021 | $671 | $731 | $938 | $1,224 | $1,440 | +3.6% |
| FY 2022 | $689 | $745 | $947 | $1,230 | $1,449 | +1.0% |
| FY 2023 | $748 | $795 | $999 | $1,294 | $1,512 | +5.5% |
| FY 2024 | $928 | $972 | $1,209 | $1,565 | $1,818 | +21.0% |
| FY 2025 | $951 | $984 | $1,215 | $1,570 | $1,806 | +0.5% |
| FY 2026 | $955 | $995 | $1,218 | $1,568 | $1,812 | +0.2% |
| FY 2027 | $1,064 | $1,104 | $1,349 | $1,731 | $1,997 | +10.8% |
Nearby counties
Questions people ask
$1,218 a month for FY 2026, which runs October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026. The other rates are $955 for a studio, $995 for one bedroom, $1,568 for three and $1,812 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 Monroe actually go for?
HUD's number is one input. Search any address in Monroe for a rent estimate built from nearby comps. 3 free searches, no card.
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