HUD Fair Market Rent · FY 2026 · effective Oct 1, 2025 to Sep 30, 2026
Fair Market Rent in Mahaska County, Iowa (FY 2026)
A two-bedroom in Mahaska County carries a FY 2026 Fair Market Rent of $947 a month, effective October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026. Everything Section 8 pays in Mahaska keys off that figure.
2 bedroom FMR
$947
FY 2026, utilities included
Payment standard range
$852 to $1,042
90% to 110% of FMR
Income to afford 2BR
$37,880
per year, at 30% of income
Rank in Iowa
40th of 99
by 2BR FMR
HUD has already published FY 2027. On October 1, 2026 the two-bedroom rate in Mahaska moves to $946. That's unchanged. The full FY 2027 table is in the history section below.
HUD's number is one input. What does a two-bedroom in Mahaska actually rent for?
Search any address in Mahaska 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 | $717 | $645 to $789 | $28,680 | $13.79/hr | +16.4% |
| 1 bedroom | $722 | $650 to $794 | $28,880 | $13.88/hr | +5.4% |
| 2 bedroom | $947 | $852 to $1,042 | $37,880 | $18.21/hr | +5.3% |
| 3 bedroom | $1,135 | $1,022 to $1,249 | $45,400 | $21.83/hr | +4.8% |
| 4 bedroom | $1,254 | $1,129 to $1,379 | $50,160 | $24.12/hr | +5.2% |
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 | $1,442 | $1,298 to $1,586 |
| 6 bedroom Estimate | $1,630 | $1,467 to $1,793 |
| 7 bedroom Estimate | $1,818 | $1,636 to $2,000 |
| 8 bedroom Estimate | $2,006 | $1,805 to $2,207 |
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 Mahaska, that runs from $717 for a studio up to $1,254 for four bedrooms, all five rates in the table above.
Because Mahaska 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, Barnes City included.
Among Iowa's 99 counties, Mahaska ranks 40th for two-bedroom FMR. That's about 3% above the state median of $919 and about 7% below the national median county at $1,018. About 22,059 people live here, 28th 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 50143 (Leighton) and $990 in 52577 (Oskaloosa), 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 Mahaska somewhere between $852 and $1,042. 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.
$947 a month is affordable, by HUD's 30% rule, on an income of roughly $37,880 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% ($852) | HAP at 100% ($947) | HAP at 110% ($1,042) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $2,500 | $750 | $102 | $197 | $292 |
| $4,000 | $1,200 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
Rate history
The two-bedroom rate went up 5% from FY 2025 ($899) to FY 2026 ($947). Since FY 2020 it's up 35% in total, about 5.1% 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 | $508 | $533 | $702 | $880 | $964 | — |
| FY 2021 | $558 | $561 | $717 | $894 | $1,002 | +2.1% |
| FY 2022 | $577 | $581 | $747 | $923 | $1,021 | +4.2% |
| FY 2023 | $629 | $642 | $798 | $971 | $1,072 | +6.8% |
| FY 2024 | $588 | $663 | $867 | $1,048 | $1,159 | +8.6% |
| FY 2025 | $616 | $685 | $899 | $1,083 | $1,192 | +3.7% |
| FY 2026 | $717 | $722 | $947 | $1,135 | $1,254 | +5.3% |
| FY 2027 | $718 | $723 | $946 | $1,157 | $1,243 | -0.1% |
Nearby counties
Questions people ask
$947 a month for FY 2026, which runs October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026. The other rates are $717 for a studio, $722 for one bedroom, $1,135 for three and $1,254 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 Mahaska actually go for?
HUD's number is one input. Search any address in Mahaska for a rent estimate built from nearby comps. 3 free searches, no card.
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