HUD Fair Market Rent · FY 2026 · effective Oct 1, 2025 to Sep 30, 2026
Fair Market Rent in Starke County, Indiana (FY 2026)
$956 a month. That's HUD's FY 2026 Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom in Starke County, and it's the baseline every voucher in Starke is measured against.
2 bedroom FMR
$956
FY 2026, utilities included
Payment standard range
$860 to $1,052
90% to 110% of FMR
Income to afford 2BR
$38,240
per year, at 30% of income
Rank in Indiana
87th of 92
by 2BR FMR
HUD has already published FY 2027. On October 1, 2026 the two-bedroom rate in Starke moves to $1,014. That's up 6%. The full FY 2027 table is in the history section below.
HUD's number is one input. What does a two-bedroom in Starke actually rent for?
Search any address in Starke 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 | $685 | $617 to $754 | $27,400 | $13.17/hr | +5.1% |
| 1 bedroom | $729 | $656 to $802 | $29,160 | $14.02/hr | +3.1% |
| 2 bedroom | $956 | $860 to $1,052 | $38,240 | $18.38/hr | +3.0% |
| 3 bedroom | $1,151 | $1,036 to $1,266 | $46,040 | $22.13/hr | +3.0% |
| 4 bedroom | $1,517 | $1,365 to $1,669 | $60,680 | $29.17/hr | +5.9% |
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 | $1,745 | $1,571 to $1,920 |
| 6 bedroom Estimate | $1,972 | $1,775 to $2,169 |
| 7 bedroom Estimate | $2,200 | $1,980 to $2,420 |
| 8 bedroom Estimate | $2,427 | $2,184 to $2,670 |
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 Starke, that runs from $685 for a studio up to $1,517 for four bedrooms, all five rates in the table above.
Because Starke 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, North Judson included.
Among Indiana's 92 counties, Starke ranks 87th 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 23,308 people live here, 66th 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 46534 (Knox) and $1,380 in 46531 (Grovertown), with the 6 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 Starke somewhere between $860 and $1,052. 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.
$956 a month is affordable, by HUD's 30% rule, on an income of roughly $38,240 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% ($860) | HAP at 100% ($956) | HAP at 110% ($1,052) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $2,500 | $750 | $110 | $206 | $302 |
| $4,000 | $1,200 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
Rate history
The two-bedroom rate went up 3% from FY 2025 ($928) to FY 2026 ($956). Since FY 2020 it's up 34% in total, about 5.0% 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 | $500 | $548 | $714 | $958 | $967 | — |
| FY 2021 | $512 | $562 | $732 | $975 | $993 | +2.5% |
| FY 2022 | $515 | $577 | $738 | $976 | $1,001 | +0.8% |
| FY 2023 | $576 | $642 | $826 | $1,042 | $1,110 | +11.9% |
| FY 2024 | $600 | $687 | $863 | $1,059 | $1,175 | +4.5% |
| FY 2025 | $652 | $707 | $928 | $1,118 | $1,432 | +7.5% |
| FY 2026 | $685 | $729 | $956 | $1,151 | $1,517 | +3.0% |
| FY 2027 | $759 | $775 | $1,014 | $1,244 | $1,579 | +6.1% |
Nearby counties
Pulaski County
$95616 mi · pop 12,498
LaPorte County
$1,15219 mi · pop 112,215
Marshall County
$1,00820 mi · pop 46,208
Fulton County
$96225 mi · pop 20,420
Porter County
$1,31727 mi · pop 173,355
Jasper County
$1,17429 mi · pop 33,045
St. Joseph County
$1,29233 mi · pop 272,388
White County
$1,03036 mi · pop 24,630
Questions people ask
$956 a month for FY 2026, which runs October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026. The other rates are $685 for a studio, $729 for one bedroom, $1,151 for three and $1,517 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 Starke actually go for?
HUD's number is one input. Search any address in Starke for a rent estimate built from nearby comps. 3 free searches, no card.
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