HUD Fair Market Rent · FY 2026 · effective Oct 1, 2025 to Sep 30, 2026
Fair Market Rent in Jefferson County, Iowa (FY 2026)
HUD's FY 2026 Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom in Jefferson County is $1,084 a month. That's the number the housing authority starts from when it sets Section 8 payment standards here.
2 bedroom FMR
$1,084
FY 2026, utilities included
Payment standard range
$976 to $1,192
90% to 110% of FMR
Income to afford 2BR
$43,360
per year, at 30% of income
Rank in Iowa
14th of 99
by 2BR FMR
HUD has already published FY 2027. On October 1, 2026 the two-bedroom rate in Jefferson moves to $1,096. 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 Jefferson actually rent for?
Search any address in Jefferson 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 | $821 | $739 to $903 | $32,840 | $15.79/hr | +5.1% |
| 1 bedroom | $826 | $743 to $909 | $33,040 | $15.88/hr | +5.0% |
| 2 bedroom | $1,084 | $976 to $1,192 | $43,360 | $20.85/hr | +5.0% |
| 3 bedroom | $1,300 | $1,170 to $1,430 | $52,000 | $25.00/hr | +4.6% |
| 4 bedroom | $1,435 | $1,292 to $1,579 | $57,400 | $27.60/hr | +4.9% |
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 | $1,650 | $1,485 to $1,815 |
| 6 bedroom Estimate | $1,866 | $1,679 to $2,053 |
| 7 bedroom Estimate | $2,081 | $1,873 to $2,289 |
| 8 bedroom Estimate | $2,296 | $2,066 to $2,526 |
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 Jefferson, that runs from $821 for a studio up to $1,435 for four bedrooms, all five rates in the table above.
Because Jefferson 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, Fairfield included.
Among Iowa's 99 counties, Jefferson ranks 14th for two-bedroom FMR. That's about 18% above the state median of $919 and about 6% above the national median county at $1,018. About 15,785 people live here, 48th in the state.
Rates by ZIP code
Zoom in and the picture changes. HUD's Small Area FMRs put a two-bedroom at $930 in 52580 (Packwood) and $1,270 in 52635 (Lockridge), with the 6 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 Jefferson somewhere between $976 and $1,192. 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.
$1,084 a month is affordable, by HUD's 30% rule, on an income of roughly $43,360 a year. Put another way, $21 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% ($976) | HAP at 100% ($1,084) | HAP at 110% ($1,192) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $2,500 | $750 | $226 | $334 | $442 |
| $4,000 | $1,200 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
Rate history
The two-bedroom rate went up 5% from FY 2025 ($1,032) to FY 2026 ($1,084). Since FY 2020 it's up 46% in total, about 6.5% 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 | $484 | $564 | $743 | $926 | $1,278 | — |
| FY 2021 | $546 | $571 | $752 | $1,025 | $1,302 | +1.2% |
| FY 2022 | $563 | $592 | $779 | $1,107 | $1,325 | +3.6% |
| FY 2023 | $646 | $650 | $856 | $1,170 | $1,299 | +9.9% |
| FY 2024 | $738 | $743 | $976 | $1,180 | $1,300 | +14.0% |
| FY 2025 | $781 | $787 | $1,032 | $1,243 | $1,368 | +5.7% |
| FY 2026 | $821 | $826 | $1,084 | $1,300 | $1,435 | +5.0% |
| FY 2027 | $832 | $838 | $1,096 | $1,306 | $1,440 | +1.1% |
Nearby counties
Questions people ask
$1,084 a month for FY 2026, which runs October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026. The other rates are $821 for a studio, $826 for one bedroom, $1,300 for three and $1,435 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 Jefferson actually go for?
HUD's number is one input. Search any address in Jefferson for a rent estimate built from nearby comps. 3 free searches, no card.
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