HUD Fair Market Rent · FY 2026 · effective Oct 1, 2025 to Sep 30, 2026
Fair Market Rent in Buchanan County, Iowa (FY 2026)
$942 a month. That's HUD's FY 2026 Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom in Buchanan County, and it's the baseline every voucher in Buchanan is measured against.
2 bedroom FMR
$942
FY 2026, utilities included
Payment standard range
$848 to $1,036
90% to 110% of FMR
Income to afford 2BR
$37,680
per year, at 30% of income
Rank in Iowa
41st of 99
by 2BR FMR
HUD has already published FY 2027. On October 1, 2026 the two-bedroom rate in Buchanan moves to $937. That's down 1%. The full FY 2027 table is in the history section below.
HUD's number is one input. What does a two-bedroom in Buchanan actually rent for?
Search any address in Buchanan 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 | $713 | $642 to $784 | $28,520 | $13.71/hr | +2.3% |
| 1 bedroom | $718 | $646 to $790 | $28,720 | $13.81/hr | +2.3% |
| 2 bedroom | $942 | $848 to $1,036 | $37,680 | $18.12/hr | +2.3% |
| 3 bedroom | $1,281 | $1,153 to $1,409 | $51,240 | $24.63/hr | +5.2% |
| 4 bedroom | $1,468 | $1,321 to $1,615 | $58,720 | $28.23/hr | +17.4% |
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 | $1,688 | $1,519 to $1,857 |
| 6 bedroom Estimate | $1,908 | $1,717 to $2,099 |
| 7 bedroom Estimate | $2,129 | $1,916 to $2,342 |
| 8 bedroom Estimate | $2,349 | $2,114 to $2,584 |
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 Buchanan, that runs from $713 for a studio up to $1,468 for four bedrooms, all five rates in the table above.
Because Buchanan 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, Aurora included.
Among Iowa's 99 counties, Buchanan ranks 41st for two-bedroom FMR. That's about 3% above the state median of $919 and about 7% below the national median county at $1,018. About 20,631 people live here, 32nd 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 50629 (Fairbank) and $1,080 in 50682 (Winthrop), with the 11 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 Buchanan somewhere between $848 and $1,036. 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.
$942 a month is affordable, by HUD's 30% rule, on an income of roughly $37,680 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% ($848) | HAP at 100% ($942) | HAP at 110% ($1,036) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $2,500 | $750 | $98 | $192 | $286 |
| $4,000 | $1,200 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
Rate history
The two-bedroom rate went up 2% from FY 2025 ($921) to FY 2026 ($942). Since FY 2020 it's up 35% 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 | $479 | $541 | $696 | $939 | $943 | — |
| FY 2021 | $510 | $585 | $741 | $968 | $1,005 | +6.5% |
| FY 2022 | $564 | $606 | $798 | $987 | $1,082 | +7.7% |
| FY 2023 | $643 | $647 | $852 | $1,058 | $1,145 | +6.8% |
| FY 2024 | $699 | $700 | $920 | $1,153 | $1,225 | +8.0% |
| FY 2025 | $697 | $702 | $921 | $1,218 | $1,250 | +0.1% |
| FY 2026 | $713 | $718 | $942 | $1,281 | $1,468 | +2.3% |
| FY 2027 | $712 | $716 | $937 | $1,297 | $1,522 | -0.5% |
Nearby counties
Questions people ask
$942 a month for FY 2026, which runs October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026. The other rates are $713 for a studio, $718 for one bedroom, $1,281 for three and $1,468 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 Buchanan actually go for?
HUD's number is one input. Search any address in Buchanan for a rent estimate built from nearby comps. 3 free searches, no card.
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