HUD Fair Market Rent · FY 2026 · effective Oct 1, 2025 to Sep 30, 2026
Fair Market Rent in Cedar County, Iowa (FY 2026)
$966 a month. That's HUD's FY 2026 Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom in Cedar County, and it's the baseline every voucher in Cedar is measured against.
2 bedroom FMR
$966
FY 2026, utilities included
Payment standard range
$869 to $1,063
90% to 110% of FMR
Income to afford 2BR
$38,640
per year, at 30% of income
Rank in Iowa
33rd of 99
by 2BR FMR
HUD has already published FY 2027. On October 1, 2026 the two-bedroom rate in Cedar moves to $969. That's unchanged. The full FY 2027 table is in the history section below.
HUD's number is one input. What does a two-bedroom in Cedar actually rent for?
Search any address in Cedar 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 | $717 | $645 to $789 | $28,680 | $13.79/hr | +4.7% |
| 1 bedroom | $736 | $662 to $810 | $29,440 | $14.15/hr | +3.8% |
| 2 bedroom | $966 | $869 to $1,063 | $38,640 | $18.58/hr | +3.9% |
| 3 bedroom | $1,259 | $1,133 to $1,385 | $50,360 | $24.21/hr | +7.6% |
| 4 bedroom | $1,279 | $1,151 to $1,407 | $51,160 | $24.60/hr | +3.7% |
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 | $1,471 | $1,324 to $1,618 |
| 6 bedroom Estimate | $1,663 | $1,497 to $1,829 |
| 7 bedroom Estimate | $1,855 | $1,670 to $2,041 |
| 8 bedroom Estimate | $2,046 | $1,841 to $2,251 |
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 Cedar, that runs from $717 for a studio up to $1,279 for four bedrooms, all five rates in the table above.
Because Cedar 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, Clarence included.
Among Iowa's 99 counties, Cedar ranks 33rd for two-bedroom FMR. That's about 5% above the state median of $919 and about 5% below the national median county at $1,018. About 18,479 people live here, 38th 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 52772 (Tipton) and $1,140 in 52306 (Mechanicsville), 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 Cedar somewhere between $869 and $1,063. 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.
$966 a month is affordable, by HUD's 30% rule, on an income of roughly $38,640 a year. Put another way, $19 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% ($869) | HAP at 100% ($966) | HAP at 110% ($1,063) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $2,500 | $750 | $119 | $216 | $313 |
| $4,000 | $1,200 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
Rate history
The two-bedroom rate went up 4% from FY 2025 ($930) to FY 2026 ($966). Since FY 2020 it's up 30% in total, about 4.4% 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 | $565 | $744 | $959 | $1,008 | — |
| FY 2021 | $575 | $601 | $792 | $996 | $1,074 | +6.5% |
| FY 2022 | $592 | $622 | $819 | $1,037 | $1,111 | +3.4% |
| FY 2023 | $630 | $655 | $862 | $1,079 | $1,158 | +5.3% |
| FY 2024 | $673 | $702 | $922 | $1,153 | $1,228 | +7.0% |
| FY 2025 | $685 | $709 | $930 | $1,170 | $1,233 | +0.9% |
| FY 2026 | $717 | $736 | $966 | $1,259 | $1,279 | +3.9% |
| FY 2027 | $720 | $741 | $969 | $1,269 | $1,274 | +0.3% |
Nearby counties
Questions people ask
$966 a month for FY 2026, which runs October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026. The other rates are $717 for a studio, $736 for one bedroom, $1,259 for three and $1,279 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 Cedar actually go for?
HUD's number is one input. Search any address in Cedar for a rent estimate built from nearby comps. 3 free searches, no card.
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