HUD Fair Market Rent · FY 2026 · Effective Oct 1, 2025 to Sep 30, 2026
Fair Market Rent in Clayton County, Iowa (FY 2026)
$919 a month. That's HUD's FY 2026 Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom in Clayton County, and it's the baseline every voucher in Clayton is measured against.
Two-bedroom FMR
$919
+4.8% from FY 2025
Payment standard
$827–$1,011
90% to 110% of the FMR, two-bedroom
Income to afford
$36,760
a year, with rent at 30% of income
Rank in Iowa
57th of 99
by two-bedroom FMR, highest first
HUD has already published FY 2027. On October 1, 2026 the two-bedroom rate in Clayton moves to $927. That's up 1%. The full FY 2027 table is in the history section below.
FY 2026 Fair Market Rents
Payment standard is the 90% to 110% band a housing authority can set. Income needed puts rent at 30% of gross income, and the hourly wage assumes a 40-hour week.
| Bedrooms | FMR | Payment standard | Income needed | Hourly wage | vs FY 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Studio | $682 | $614–$750 | $27,280 | $13.12/hr | +5.6% |
| 1 bedroom | $700 | $630–$770 | $28,000 | $13.46/hr | +4.8% |
| 2 bedroom | $919 | $827–$1,011 | $36,760 | $17.67/hr | +4.8% |
| 3 bedroom | $1,127 | $1,014–$1,240 | $45,080 | $21.67/hr | +5.7% |
| 4 bedroom | $1,304 | $1,174–$1,434 | $52,160 | $25.08/hr | +12.1% |
Five to eight 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 | $1,500 | $1,350–$1,650 |
| 6 bedroom Estimate | $1,695 | $1,526–$1,865 |
| 7 bedroom Estimate | $1,891 | $1,702–$2,080 |
| 8 bedroom Estimate | $2,086 | $1,877–$2,295 |
Source: HUD Office of Policy Development and Research, FY 2026 Fair Market Rents. Rents include utilities. huduser.gov
Market check
HUD's number is one input. What does a two-bedroom in Clayton actually rent for?
Search any address in Clayton for a rent estimate built from nearby comps, with the HUD figure right next to it.
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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 Clayton 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 renting at the payment standard. The tenant pays 30% of monthly income and the voucher covers the rest.
| Monthly household income | Tenant pays (30%) | Voucher pays at 90%$827 | Voucher pays at 100%$919 | Voucher pays 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.
| Fiscal year | Studio | 1 BR | 2 BR | 3 BR | 4 BR | 2BR change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY 2020 | $482 | $522 | $687 | $856 | $931 | — |
| FY 2021 | $473 | $544 | $717 | $892 | $972 | +4.4% |
| FY 2022 | $496 | $568 | $747 | $923 | $1,013 | +4.2% |
| FY 2023 | $532 | $604 | $795 | $992 | $1,068 | +6.4% |
| FY 2024 | $584 | $656 | $862 | $1,067 | $1,148 | +8.4% |
| FY 2025 | $646 | $668 | $877 | $1,066 | $1,163 | +1.7% |
| FY 2026In effect | $682 | $700 | $919 | $1,127 | $1,304 | +4.8% |
| FY 2027From Oct 1, 2026 | $688 | $721 | $927 | $1,169 | $1,383 | +0.9% |
About this rate
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 Clayton, that runs from $682 for a studio up to $1,304 for four bedrooms, all five rates in the table above.
Because Clayton 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, Edgewood included.
Among Iowa's 99 counties, Clayton ranks 57th 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 17,123 people live here, 41st 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 52044 (Elkport) and $1,150 in 52156 (Luana), with the 15 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.
| ZIP | City | 2BR rate | vs county |
|---|---|---|---|
| 52042 | Edgewood | $940 | +2.3% |
| 52043 | Elkader | $1,000 | +8.8% |
| 52044 | Elkport | $920 | +0.1% |
| 52047 | Farmersburg | $920 | +0.1% |
| 52048 | Garber | $950 | +3.4% |
| 52049 | Garnavillo | $980 | +6.6% |
| 52052 | Guttenberg | $950 | +3.4% |
| 52066 | North Buena Vista | $970 | +5.5% |
| 52072 | Saint Olaf | $920 | +0.1% |
| 52076 | Strawberry Point | $920 | +0.1% |
| 52077 | Volga | $920 | +0.1% |
| 52156 | Luana | $1,150 | +25.1% |
| 52157 | Mc Gregor | $920 | +0.1% |
| 52158 | Marquette | $920 | +0.1% |
| 52159 | Monona | $1,060 | +15.3% |
Nearby counties
Two-bedroom FMR, with how each compares to Clayton.
Delaware County
25 mi · 17,523 people
$919
same rate
Fayette County
27 mi · 19,519 people
$919
same rate
Allamakee County
29 mi · 14,046 people
$919
same rate
Dubuque County
34 mi · 98,812 people
$1,077
+17%
Buchanan County
36 mi · 20,631 people
$942
+3%
Winneshiek County
37 mi · 20,050 people
$919
same rate
Bremer County
52 mi · 25,012 people
$978
+6%
Jones County
54 mi · 20,733 people
$919
same rate
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, $700 for one bedroom, $1,127 for three and $1,304 for four.
Tools for this county
Fair Market Rent lookup
Any ZIP code's Small Area FMR by bedroom count
Section 8 rent calculator
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
The income a household needs for a given rent
What does a rental in Clayton actually go for?
HUD's number is one input. Search any address in Clayton for a rent estimate built from nearby comps. 3 free searches, no card.
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