HUD Fair Market Rent · FY 2027 · Effective Oct 1, 2026 to Sep 30, 2027
Fair Market Rent in Johnson County, Iowa (FY 2027)
$1,180 a month. That's HUD's FY 2027 Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom in Johnson County, and it's the baseline every voucher in Johnson is measured against.
Two-bedroom FMR
$1,180
+3.4% from FY 2026
Payment standard
$1,062–$1,298
90% to 110% of the FMR, two-bedroom
Income to afford
$47,200
a year, with rent at 30% of income
Rank in Iowa
10th of 99
by two-bedroom FMR, highest first
FY 2027 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 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Studio | $942 | $848–$1,036 | $37,680 | $18.12/hr | +7.0% |
| 1 bedroom | $1,002 | $902–$1,102 | $40,080 | $19.27/hr | +4.3% |
| 2 bedroom | $1,180 | $1,062–$1,298 | $47,200 | $22.69/hr | +3.4% |
| 3 bedroom | $1,634 | $1,471–$1,797 | $65,360 | $31.42/hr | +3.0% |
| 4 bedroom | $1,972 | $1,775–$2,169 | $78,880 | $37.92/hr | +3.0% |
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 | $2,268 | $2,041–$2,495 |
| 6 bedroom Estimate | $2,564 | $2,308–$2,820 |
| 7 bedroom Estimate | $2,859 | $2,573–$3,145 |
| 8 bedroom Estimate | $3,155 | $2,840–$3,471 |
Source: HUD Office of Policy Development and Research, FY 2027 Fair Market Rents. Rents include utilities. huduser.gov
Market check
HUD's number is one input. What does a two-bedroom in Johnson actually rent for?
Search any address in Johnson 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 Johnson somewhere between $1,062 and $1,298. 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.
$1,180 a month is affordable, by HUD's 30% rule, on an income of roughly $47,200 a year. Put another way, $23 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%$1,062 | Voucher pays at 100%$1,180 | Voucher pays at 110%$1,298 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $2,500 | $750 | $312 | $430 | $548 |
| $4,000 | $1,200 | $0 | $0 | $98 |
Rate history
The two-bedroom rate went up 3% from FY 2026 ($1,141) to FY 2027 ($1,180). Since FY 2020 it's up 17% in total, about 2.2% a year. The Iowa median moved up 1% over the same year.
| Fiscal year | Studio | 1 BR | 2 BR | 3 BR | 4 BR | 2BR change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY 2020 | $705 | $774 | $1,011 | $1,458 | $1,775 | — |
| FY 2021 | $735 | $803 | $1,036 | $1,483 | $1,794 | +2.5% |
| FY 2022 | $757 | $848 | $1,063 | $1,510 | $1,819 | +2.6% |
| FY 2023 | $810 | $922 | $1,127 | $1,602 | $1,920 | +6.0% |
| FY 2024 | $783 | $902 | $1,082 | $1,525 | $1,836 | -4.0% |
| FY 2025 | $816 | $921 | $1,105 | $1,548 | $1,856 | +2.1% |
| FY 2026 | $880 | $961 | $1,141 | $1,587 | $1,914 | +3.3% |
| FY 2027In effect | $942 | $1,002 | $1,180 | $1,634 | $1,972 | +3.4% |
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 2027 that's October 1, 2026 through September 30, 2027. In Johnson, that runs from $942 for a studio up to $1,972 for four bedrooms, all five rates in the table above.
Johnson is its own HUD metro area (Iowa City, IA), so the rate here is set from rents inside the county rather than a wider region.
Among Iowa's 99 counties, Johnson ranks 10th for two-bedroom FMR. That's about 27% above the state median of $927 and about 11% above the national median county at $1,063. About 156,639 people live here, 4th in the state.
Rates by ZIP code
Zoom in and the picture changes. HUD's Small Area FMRs put a two-bedroom at $1,030 in 52322 (Oxford) and $1,330 in 52245 (Iowa City), with the 13 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 52235 | Hills | $1,210 | +2.5% |
| 52240 | Iowa City | $1,260 | +6.8% |
| 52241 | Coralville | $1,180 | 0.0% |
| 52242 | Iowa City | $1,230 | +4.2% |
| 52243 | Iowa City | $1,180County rate | — |
| 52244 | Iowa City | $1,180 | 0.0% |
| 52245 | Iowa City | $1,330 | +12.7% |
| 52246 | Iowa City | $1,200 | +1.7% |
| 52317 | North Liberty | $1,310 | +11.0% |
| 52322 | Oxford | $1,030 | -12.7% |
| 52333 | Solon | $1,280 | +8.5% |
| 52338 | Swisher | $1,170 | -0.8% |
| 52340 | Tiffin | $1,320 | +11.9% |
| 52755 | Lone Tree | $1,030 | -12.7% |
Nearby counties
Two-bedroom FMR, with how each compares to Johnson.
Iowa County
23 mi · 16,507 people
$927
-21%
Washington County
23 mi · 22,561 people
$1,002
-15%
Cedar County
26 mi · 18,349 people
$969
-18%
Muscatine County
27 mi · 42,559 people
$1,093
-7%
Linn County
28 mi · 230,004 people
$1,054
-11%
Benton County
34 mi · 25,724 people
$982
-17%
Jones County
36 mi · 20,896 people
$927
-21%
Louisa County
36 mi · 10,678 people
$927
-21%
Questions people ask
$1,180 a month for FY 2027, which runs October 1, 2026 through September 30, 2027. The other rates are $942 for a studio, $1,002 for one bedroom, $1,634 for three and $1,972 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 Johnson actually go for?
HUD's number is one input. Search any address in Johnson for a rent estimate built from nearby comps. Free to start, no card.
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