HUD Fair Market Rent · FY 2026 · effective Oct 1, 2025 to Sep 30, 2026
Fair Market Rent in Cass County, Iowa (FY 2026)
HUD's FY 2026 Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom in Cass County is $919 a month. That's the number the housing authority starts from when it sets Section 8 payment standards here.
2 bedroom FMR
$919
FY 2026, utilities included
Payment standard range
$827 to $1,011
90% to 110% of FMR
Income to afford 2BR
$36,760
per year, at 30% of income
Rank in Iowa
52nd of 99
by 2BR FMR
HUD has already published FY 2027. On October 1, 2026 the two-bedroom rate in Cass moves to $927. 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 Cass actually rent for?
Search any address in Cass 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 | $682 | $614 to $750 | $27,280 | $13.12/hr | +5.6% |
| 1 bedroom | $710 | $639 to $781 | $28,400 | $13.65/hr | +4.4% |
| 2 bedroom | $919 | $827 to $1,011 | $36,760 | $17.67/hr | +4.8% |
| 3 bedroom | $1,278 | $1,150 to $1,406 | $51,120 | $24.58/hr | +4.0% |
| 4 bedroom | $1,496 | $1,346 to $1,646 | $59,840 | $28.77/hr | +6.8% |
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 | $1,720 | $1,548 to $1,892 |
| 6 bedroom Estimate | $1,945 | $1,751 to $2,140 |
| 7 bedroom Estimate | $2,169 | $1,952 to $2,386 |
| 8 bedroom Estimate | $2,394 | $2,155 to $2,633 |
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 Cass, that runs from $682 for a studio up to $1,496 for four bedrooms, all five rates in the table above.
Because Cass 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, Anita included.
Among Iowa's 99 counties, Cass ranks 52nd for two-bedroom FMR. That's within a couple percent of the state median of $919 and about 10% below the national median county at $1,018. About 13,116 people live here, 58th 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 50843 (Cumberland) and $1,020 in 51535 (Griswold), 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 Cass somewhere between $827 and $1,011. 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.
$919 a month is affordable, by HUD's 30% rule, on an income of roughly $36,760 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% ($827) | HAP at 100% ($919) | HAP at 110% ($1,011) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $2,500 | $750 | $77 | $169 | $261 |
| $4,000 | $1,200 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
Rate history
The two-bedroom rate went up 5% from FY 2025 ($877) to FY 2026 ($919). Since FY 2020 it's up 34% in total, about 5.0% 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 | $602 | $687 | $895 | $931 | — |
| FY 2021 | $519 | $625 | $715 | $922 | $973 | +4.1% |
| FY 2022 | $534 | $647 | $739 | $944 | $1,059 | +3.4% |
| FY 2023 | $581 | $674 | $795 | $1,033 | $1,189 | +7.6% |
| FY 2024 | $630 | $697 | $862 | $1,163 | $1,342 | +8.4% |
| FY 2025 | $646 | $680 | $877 | $1,229 | $1,401 | +1.7% |
| FY 2026 | $682 | $710 | $919 | $1,278 | $1,496 | +4.8% |
| FY 2027 | $688 | $727 | $927 | $1,284 | $1,533 | +0.9% |
Nearby counties
Questions people ask
$919 a month for FY 2026, which runs October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026. The other rates are $682 for a studio, $710 for one bedroom, $1,278 for three and $1,496 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 Cass actually go for?
HUD's number is one input. Search any address in Cass for a rent estimate built from nearby comps. 3 free searches, no card.
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