HUD Fair Market Rent · FY 2026 · effective Oct 1, 2025 to Sep 30, 2026
Fair Market Rent in Adams County, Iowa (FY 2026)
A two-bedroom in Adams County carries a FY 2026 Fair Market Rent of $933 a month, effective October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026. Everything Section 8 pays in Adams keys off that figure.
2 bedroom FMR
$933
FY 2026, utilities included
Payment standard range
$840 to $1,026
90% to 110% of FMR
Income to afford 2BR
$37,320
per year, at 30% of income
Rank in Iowa
44th of 99
by 2BR FMR
HUD has already published FY 2027. On October 1, 2026 the two-bedroom rate in Adams moves to $943. That's up 1%. The full FY 2027 table is in the history section below.
HUD's number is one input. What does a two-bedroom in Adams actually rent for?
Search any address in Adams 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 | $692 | $623 to $761 | $27,680 | $13.31/hr | +1.9% |
| 1 bedroom | $711 | $640 to $782 | $28,440 | $13.67/hr | +1.1% |
| 2 bedroom | $933 | $840 to $1,026 | $37,320 | $17.94/hr | +1.2% |
| 3 bedroom | $1,217 | $1,095 to $1,339 | $48,680 | $23.40/hr | +6.1% |
| 4 bedroom | $1,235 | $1,112 to $1,359 | $49,400 | $23.75/hr | +1.1% |
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 | $1,420 | $1,278 to $1,562 |
| 6 bedroom Estimate | $1,606 | $1,445 to $1,767 |
| 7 bedroom Estimate | $1,791 | $1,612 to $1,970 |
| 8 bedroom Estimate | $1,976 | $1,778 to $2,174 |
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 Adams, that runs from $692 for a studio up to $1,235 for four bedrooms, all five rates in the table above.
Because Adams 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, Carbon included.
Among Iowa's 99 counties, Adams ranks 44th for two-bedroom FMR. That's within a couple percent of the state median of $919 and about 8% below the national median county at $1,018. About 3,680 people live here, 99th 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 50839 (Carbon) and $1,110 in 50859 (Prescott), with the 4 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 Adams somewhere between $840 and $1,026. 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.
$933 a month is affordable, by HUD's 30% rule, on an income of roughly $37,320 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% ($840) | HAP at 100% ($933) | HAP at 110% ($1,026) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $2,500 | $750 | $90 | $183 | $276 |
| $4,000 | $1,200 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
Rate history
The two-bedroom rate went up 1% from FY 2025 ($922) to FY 2026 ($933). Since FY 2020 it's up 36% in total, about 5.2% a year. The Iowa median moved up 5% over the same year.
| Year | Studio | 1 BR | 2 BR | 3 BR | 4 BR | 2BR change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY 2020 | $497 | $522 | $687 | $962 | $1,114 | — |
| FY 2021 | $531 | $555 | $731 | $909 | $1,035 | +6.4% |
| FY 2022 | $604 | $635 | $835 | $1,032 | $1,132 | +14.2% |
| FY 2023 | $639 | $665 | $875 | $1,065 | $1,175 | +4.8% |
| FY 2024 | $676 | $705 | $926 | $1,120 | $1,233 | +5.8% |
| FY 2025 | $679 | $703 | $922 | $1,147 | $1,222 | -0.4% |
| FY 2026 | $692 | $711 | $933 | $1,217 | $1,235 | +1.2% |
| FY 2027 | $700 | $721 | $943 | $1,268 | $1,273 | +1.1% |
Nearby counties
Questions people ask
$933 a month for FY 2026, which runs October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026. The other rates are $692 for a studio, $711 for one bedroom, $1,217 for three and $1,235 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 Adams actually go for?
HUD's number is one input. Search any address in Adams for a rent estimate built from nearby comps. 3 free searches, no card.
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