HUD Fair Market Rent · FY 2026 · effective Oct 1, 2025 to Sep 30, 2026
Fair Market Rent in Whiteside County, Illinois (FY 2026)
$916 a month. That's HUD's FY 2026 Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom in Whiteside County, and it's the baseline every voucher in Whiteside is measured against.
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
102nd of 102
by 2BR FMR
HUD has already published FY 2027. On October 1, 2026 the two-bedroom rate in Whiteside moves to $945. That's up 3%. The full FY 2027 table is in the history section below.
HUD's number is one input. What does a two-bedroom in Whiteside actually rent for?
Search any address in Whiteside 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 | $673 | $606 to $740 | $26,920 | $12.94/hr | +6.3% |
| 1 bedroom | $719 | $647 to $791 | $28,760 | $13.83/hr | +4.8% |
| 2 bedroom | $916 | $824 to $1,008 | $36,640 | $17.62/hr | +1.9% |
| 3 bedroom | $1,208 | $1,087 to $1,329 | $48,320 | $23.23/hr | +8.0% |
| 4 bedroom | $1,213 | $1,092 to $1,334 | $48,520 | $23.33/hr | +1.8% |
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 | $1,395 | $1,256 to $1,535 |
| 6 bedroom Estimate | $1,577 | $1,419 to $1,735 |
| 7 bedroom Estimate | $1,759 | $1,583 to $1,935 |
| 8 bedroom Estimate | $1,941 | $1,747 to $2,135 |
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 Whiteside, that runs from $673 for a studio up to $1,213 for four bedrooms, all five rates in the table above.
Because Whiteside 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, Galt included.
Among Illinois's 102 counties, Whiteside ranks 102nd 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 55,569 people live here, 24th 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 61037 (Galt) and $1,290 in 61261 (Lyndon), 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.
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 Whiteside 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 2% from FY 2025 ($899) to FY 2026 ($916). Since FY 2020 it's up 21% in total, about 3.3% 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 | $501 | $574 | $754 | $940 | $1,021 | — |
| FY 2021 | $495 | $570 | $751 | $934 | $1,018 | -0.4% |
| FY 2022 | $524 | $599 | $788 | $974 | $1,069 | +4.9% |
| FY 2023 | $557 | $628 | $826 | $1,005 | $1,110 | +4.8% |
| FY 2024 | $589 | $644 | $846 | $1,033 | $1,127 | +2.4% |
| FY 2025 | $633 | $686 | $899 | $1,119 | $1,192 | +6.3% |
| FY 2026 | $673 | $719 | $916 | $1,208 | $1,213 | +1.9% |
| FY 2027 | $696 | $755 | $945 | $1,237 | $1,242 | +3.2% |
Nearby counties
Questions people ask
$916 a month for FY 2026, which runs October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026. The other rates are $673 for a studio, $719 for one bedroom, $1,208 for three and $1,213 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 Whiteside actually go for?
HUD's number is one input. Search any address in Whiteside for a rent estimate built from nearby comps. 3 free searches, no card.
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