HUD Fair Market Rent · FY 2026 · effective Oct 1, 2025 to Sep 30, 2026
Fair Market Rent in Emmet County, Iowa (FY 2026)
A two-bedroom in Emmet County carries a FY 2026 Fair Market Rent of $919 a month, effective October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026. Everything Section 8 pays in Emmet keys off that figure.
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
61st of 99
by 2BR FMR
HUD has already published FY 2027. On October 1, 2026 the two-bedroom rate in Emmet 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 Emmet actually rent for?
Search any address in Emmet 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 | $771 | $694 to $848 | $30,840 | $14.83/hr | +3.5% |
| 2 bedroom | $919 | $827 to $1,011 | $36,760 | $17.67/hr | +4.8% |
| 3 bedroom | $1,222 | $1,100 to $1,344 | $48,880 | $23.50/hr | -0.6% |
| 4 bedroom | $1,227 | $1,104 to $1,350 | $49,080 | $23.60/hr | -7.3% |
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 | $1,411 | $1,270 to $1,552 |
| 6 bedroom Estimate | $1,595 | $1,436 to $1,755 |
| 7 bedroom Estimate | $1,779 | $1,601 to $1,957 |
| 8 bedroom Estimate | $1,963 | $1,767 to $2,159 |
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 Emmet, that runs from $682 for a studio up to $1,227 for four bedrooms, all five rates in the table above.
Because Emmet 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, Armstrong included.
Among Iowa's 99 counties, Emmet ranks 61st 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 9,349 people live here, 80th 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 50514 (Armstrong) and $960 in 51334 (Estherville), with the 5 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 Emmet 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 | $522 | $687 | $946 | $949 | — |
| FY 2021 | $519 | $543 | $715 | $976 | $980 | +4.1% |
| FY 2022 | $534 | $562 | $739 | $991 | $1,007 | +3.4% |
| FY 2023 | $581 | $612 | $795 | $1,064 | $1,068 | +7.6% |
| FY 2024 | $630 | $704 | $862 | $1,144 | $1,148 | +8.4% |
| FY 2025 | $646 | $745 | $877 | $1,229 | $1,323 | +1.7% |
| FY 2026 | $682 | $771 | $919 | $1,222 | $1,227 | +4.8% |
| FY 2027 | $688 | $778 | $927 | $1,247 | $1,251 | +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, $771 for one bedroom, $1,222 for three and $1,227 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 Emmet actually go for?
HUD's number is one input. Search any address in Emmet for a rent estimate built from nearby comps. 3 free searches, no card.
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