HUD Fair Market Rent · FY 2026 · effective Oct 1, 2025 to Sep 30, 2026
Fair Market Rent in Union County, Illinois (FY 2026)
HUD's FY 2026 Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom in Union 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
96th of 102
by 2BR FMR
HUD has already published FY 2027. On October 1, 2026 the two-bedroom rate in Union 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 Union actually rent for?
Search any address in Union 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 | $640 | $576 to $704 | $25,600 | $12.31/hr | -3.5% |
| 1 bedroom | $698 | $628 to $768 | $27,920 | $13.42/hr | +4.6% |
| 2 bedroom | $916 | $824 to $1,008 | $36,640 | $17.62/hr | +5.3% |
| 3 bedroom | $1,129 | $1,016 to $1,242 | $45,160 | $21.71/hr | +0.8% |
| 4 bedroom | $1,261 | $1,135 to $1,387 | $50,440 | $24.25/hr | +4.4% |
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 | $1,450 | $1,305 to $1,595 |
| 6 bedroom Estimate | $1,639 | $1,475 to $1,803 |
| 7 bedroom Estimate | $1,828 | $1,645 to $2,011 |
| 8 bedroom Estimate | $2,018 | $1,816 to $2,220 |
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 Union, that runs from $640 for a studio up to $1,261 for four bedrooms, all five rates in the table above.
Because Union 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, Alto Pass included.
Among Illinois's 102 counties, Union ranks 96th 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 17,122 people live here, 61st 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 62905 (Alto Pass) and $970 in 62998 (Wolf Lake), 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 Union 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 | $455 | $530 | $698 | $997 | $1,225 | — |
| FY 2021 | $462 | $533 | $700 | $1,002 | $1,212 | +0.3% |
| FY 2022 | $488 | $568 | $735 | $1,013 | $1,258 | +5.0% |
| FY 2023 | $578 | $593 | $774 | $1,029 | $1,200 | +5.3% |
| FY 2024 | $620 | $668 | $807 | $1,058 | $1,106 | +4.3% |
| FY 2025 | $663 | $667 | $870 | $1,120 | $1,208 | +7.8% |
| FY 2026 | $640 | $698 | $916 | $1,129 | $1,261 | +5.3% |
| FY 2027 | $648 | $711 | $930 | $1,146 | $1,292 | +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 $640 for a studio, $698 for one bedroom, $1,129 for three and $1,261 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 Union actually go for?
HUD's number is one input. Search any address in Union for a rent estimate built from nearby comps. 3 free searches, no card.
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