HUD Fair Market Rent · FY 2026 · effective Oct 1, 2025 to Sep 30, 2026
Fair Market Rent in DeKalb County, Indiana (FY 2026)
HUD's FY 2026 Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom in DeKalb County is $960 a month. That's the number the housing authority starts from when it sets Section 8 payment standards here.
2 bedroom FMR
$960
FY 2026, utilities included
Payment standard range
$864 to $1,056
90% to 110% of FMR
Income to afford 2BR
$38,400
per year, at 30% of income
Rank in Indiana
62nd of 92
by 2BR FMR
HUD has already published FY 2027. On October 1, 2026 the two-bedroom rate in DeKalb moves to $1,023. That's up 7%. The full FY 2027 table is in the history section below.
HUD's number is one input. What does a two-bedroom in DeKalb actually rent for?
Search any address in DeKalb 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 | $688 | $619 to $757 | $27,520 | $13.23/hr | +5.5% |
| 1 bedroom | $732 | $659 to $805 | $29,280 | $14.08/hr | +3.5% |
| 2 bedroom | $960 | $864 to $1,056 | $38,400 | $18.46/hr | +3.4% |
| 3 bedroom | $1,195 | $1,076 to $1,315 | $47,800 | $22.98/hr | +2.8% |
| 4 bedroom | $1,271 | $1,144 to $1,398 | $50,840 | $24.44/hr | +3.3% |
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 | $1,462 | $1,316 to $1,608 |
| 6 bedroom Estimate | $1,652 | $1,487 to $1,817 |
| 7 bedroom Estimate | $1,843 | $1,659 to $2,027 |
| 8 bedroom Estimate | $2,034 | $1,831 to $2,237 |
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 DeKalb, that runs from $688 for a studio up to $1,271 for four bedrooms, all five rates in the table above.
Because DeKalb 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, Ashley included.
Among Indiana's 92 counties, DeKalb ranks 62nd for two-bedroom FMR. That's about 5% below the state median of $1,009 and about 6% below the national median county at $1,018. About 43,312 people live here, 36th in the state.
Rates by ZIP code
Zoom in and the picture changes. HUD's Small Area FMRs put a two-bedroom at $960 in 46705 (Ashley) and $1,180 in 46788 (Spencerville), with the 8 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 DeKalb somewhere between $864 and $1,056. 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.
$960 a month is affordable, by HUD's 30% rule, on an income of roughly $38,400 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% ($864) | HAP at 100% ($960) | HAP at 110% ($1,056) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $2,500 | $750 | $114 | $210 | $306 |
| $4,000 | $1,200 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
Rate history
The two-bedroom rate went up 3% from FY 2025 ($928) to FY 2026 ($960). Since FY 2020 it's up 27% in total, about 4.0% a year. The Indiana median moved up 2% over the same year.
| Year | Studio | 1 BR | 2 BR | 3 BR | 4 BR | 2BR change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY 2020 | $531 | $585 | $758 | $998 | $1,027 | — |
| FY 2021 | $527 | $572 | $754 | $962 | $1,022 | -0.5% |
| FY 2022 | $516 | $562 | $739 | $914 | $1,019 | -2.0% |
| FY 2023 | $576 | $628 | $826 | $1,005 | $1,120 | +11.8% |
| FY 2024 | $600 | $657 | $863 | $1,066 | $1,149 | +4.5% |
| FY 2025 | $652 | $707 | $928 | $1,163 | $1,230 | +7.5% |
| FY 2026 | $688 | $732 | $960 | $1,195 | $1,271 | +3.4% |
| FY 2027 | $765 | $814 | $1,023 | $1,270 | $1,344 | +6.6% |
Nearby counties
Questions people ask
$960 a month for FY 2026, which runs October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026. The other rates are $688 for a studio, $732 for one bedroom, $1,195 for three and $1,271 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 DeKalb actually go for?
HUD's number is one input. Search any address in DeKalb for a rent estimate built from nearby comps. 3 free searches, no card.
Free tier. No credit card.