HUD Fair Market Rent · FY 2026 · effective Oct 1, 2025 to Sep 30, 2026
Fair Market Rent in Boone County, Iowa (FY 2026)
A two-bedroom in Boone County carries a FY 2026 Fair Market Rent of $1,026 a month, effective October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026. Everything Section 8 pays in Boone keys off that figure.
2 bedroom FMR
$1,026
FY 2026, utilities included
Payment standard range
$923 to $1,129
90% to 110% of FMR
Income to afford 2BR
$41,040
per year, at 30% of income
Rank in Iowa
23rd of 99
by 2BR FMR
HUD has already published FY 2027. On October 1, 2026 the two-bedroom rate in Boone moves to $967. That's down 6%. The full FY 2027 table is in the history section below.
HUD's number is one input. What does a two-bedroom in Boone actually rent for?
Search any address in Boone 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 | $783 | $705 to $861 | $31,320 | $15.06/hr | +9.7% |
| 1 bedroom | $788 | $709 to $867 | $31,520 | $15.15/hr | +9.6% |
| 2 bedroom | $1,026 | $923 to $1,129 | $41,040 | $19.73/hr | +10.3% |
| 3 bedroom | $1,427 | $1,284 to $1,570 | $57,080 | $27.44/hr | +9.5% |
| 4 bedroom | $1,500 | $1,350 to $1,650 | $60,000 | $28.85/hr | +14.1% |
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 | $1,725 | $1,553 to $1,898 |
| 6 bedroom Estimate | $1,950 | $1,755 to $2,145 |
| 7 bedroom Estimate | $2,175 | $1,958 to $2,393 |
| 8 bedroom Estimate | $2,400 | $2,160 to $2,640 |
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 Boone, that runs from $783 for a studio up to $1,500 for four bedrooms, all five rates in the table above.
Boone is its own HUD metro area (Boone County, IA), so the rate here is set from rents inside the county rather than a wider region.
Among Iowa's 99 counties, Boone ranks 23rd for two-bedroom FMR. That's about 12% above the state median of $919 and within a couple percent of the national median county at $1,018. About 26,700 people live here, 23rd 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 50223 (Pilot Mound) and $1,030 in 50036 (Boone), 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 Boone somewhere between $923 and $1,129. 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.
$1,026 a month is affordable, by HUD's 30% rule, on an income of roughly $41,040 a year. Put another way, $20 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% ($923) | HAP at 100% ($1,026) | HAP at 110% ($1,129) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $2,500 | $750 | $173 | $276 | $379 |
| $4,000 | $1,200 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
Rate history
The two-bedroom rate went up 10% from FY 2025 ($930) to FY 2026 ($1,026). Since FY 2020 it's up 38% in total, about 5.5% 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 | $538 | $607 | $744 | $997 | $1,121 | — |
| FY 2021 | $572 | $626 | $788 | $1,037 | $1,226 | +5.9% |
| FY 2022 | $616 | $620 | $810 | $1,069 | $1,344 | +2.8% |
| FY 2023 | $602 | $671 | $883 | $1,246 | $1,379 | +9.0% |
| FY 2024 | $614 | $685 | $900 | $1,268 | $1,348 | +1.9% |
| FY 2025 | $714 | $719 | $930 | $1,303 | $1,315 | +3.3% |
| FY 2026 | $783 | $788 | $1,026 | $1,427 | $1,500 | +10.3% |
| FY 2027 | $763 | $768 | $967 | $1,339 | $1,453 | -5.8% |
Nearby counties
Questions people ask
$1,026 a month for FY 2026, which runs October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026. The other rates are $783 for a studio, $788 for one bedroom, $1,427 for three and $1,500 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 Boone actually go for?
HUD's number is one input. Search any address in Boone for a rent estimate built from nearby comps. 3 free searches, no card.
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