HUD Fair Market Rent · FY 2026 · effective Oct 1, 2025 to Sep 30, 2026
Fair Market Rent in Guthrie County, Iowa (FY 2026)
HUD's FY 2026 Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom in Guthrie County is $1,318 a month. That's the number the housing authority starts from when it sets Section 8 payment standards here.
2 bedroom FMR
$1,318
FY 2026, utilities included
Payment standard range
$1,186 to $1,450
90% to 110% of FMR
Income to afford 2BR
$52,720
per year, at 30% of income
Rank in Iowa
5th of 99
by 2BR FMR
HUD has already published FY 2027. On October 1, 2026 the two-bedroom rate in Guthrie moves to $1,360. That's up 3%. The full FY 2027 table is in the history section below.
HUD's number is one input. What does a two-bedroom in Guthrie actually rent for?
Search any address in Guthrie 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 | $1,063 | $957 to $1,169 | $42,520 | $20.44/hr | +11.4% |
| 1 bedroom | $1,109 | $998 to $1,220 | $44,360 | $21.33/hr | +9.0% |
| 2 bedroom | $1,318 | $1,186 to $1,450 | $52,720 | $25.35/hr | +8.4% |
| 3 bedroom | $1,794 | $1,615 to $1,973 | $71,760 | $34.50/hr | +9.9% |
| 4 bedroom | $1,841 | $1,657 to $2,025 | $73,640 | $35.40/hr | +12.4% |
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 | $2,117 | $1,905 to $2,329 |
| 6 bedroom Estimate | $2,393 | $2,154 to $2,632 |
| 7 bedroom Estimate | $2,669 | $2,402 to $2,936 |
| 8 bedroom Estimate | $2,946 | $2,651 to $3,241 |
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 Guthrie, that runs from $1,063 for a studio up to $1,841 for four bedrooms, all five rates in the table above.
This is a metro rate. The county doesn't get one of its own. HUD lumps Guthrie in with 4 other counties in the Des Moines-West Des Moines metro, Polk County, Dallas County, Warren County among them, and every one of them gets $1,318 for a two-bedroom. Where you are inside the metro doesn't change the county number. It does change the ZIP number, covered below.
Among Iowa's 99 counties, Guthrie ranks 5th for two-bedroom FMR. That's about 43% above the state median of $919 and about 29% above the national median county at $1,018. About 10,619 people live here, 70th in the state.
Counties sharing the Des Moines-West Des Moines metro rate
Rates by ZIP code
Zoom in and the picture changes. HUD's Small Area FMRs put a two-bedroom at $920 in 50128 (Jamaica) and $1,190 in 50216 (Panora), with the 9 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 Guthrie somewhere between $1,186 and $1,450. 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.
$1,318 a month is affordable, by HUD's 30% rule, on an income of roughly $52,720 a year. Put another way, $25 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% ($1,186) | HAP at 100% ($1,318) | HAP at 110% ($1,450) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $2,500 | $750 | $436 | $568 | $700 |
| $4,000 | $1,200 | $0 | $118 | $250 |
Rate history
The two-bedroom rate went up 8% from FY 2025 ($1,216) to FY 2026 ($1,318). Since FY 2020 it's up 46% in total, about 6.6% 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 | $603 | $730 | $900 | $1,215 | $1,323 | — |
| FY 2021 | $608 | $738 | $902 | $1,232 | $1,313 | +0.2% |
| FY 2022 | $658 | $770 | $935 | $1,284 | $1,357 | +3.7% |
| FY 2023 | $791 | $889 | $1,074 | $1,473 | $1,499 | +14.9% |
| FY 2024 | $833 | $899 | $1,080 | $1,477 | $1,481 | +0.6% |
| FY 2025 | $954 | $1,017 | $1,216 | $1,632 | $1,638 | +12.6% |
| FY 2026 | $1,063 | $1,109 | $1,318 | $1,794 | $1,841 | +8.4% |
| FY 2027 | $1,102 | $1,145 | $1,360 | $1,856 | $1,901 | +3.2% |
Nearby counties
Questions people ask
$1,318 a month for FY 2026, which runs October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026. The other rates are $1,063 for a studio, $1,109 for one bedroom, $1,794 for three and $1,841 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 Guthrie actually go for?
HUD's number is one input. Search any address in Guthrie for a rent estimate built from nearby comps. 3 free searches, no card.
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