HUD Fair Market Rent · FY 2026 · effective Oct 1, 2025 to Sep 30, 2026
Fair Market Rent in Marion County, Iowa (FY 2026)
HUD's FY 2026 Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom in Marion County is $1,016 a month. That's the number the housing authority starts from when it sets Section 8 payment standards here.
2 bedroom FMR
$1,016
FY 2026, utilities included
Payment standard range
$914 to $1,118
90% to 110% of FMR
Income to afford 2BR
$40,640
per year, at 30% of income
Rank in Iowa
24th of 99
by 2BR FMR
HUD has already published FY 2027. On October 1, 2026 the two-bedroom rate in Marion moves to $1,021. 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 Marion actually rent for?
Search any address in Marion 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 | $701 | $631 to $771 | $28,040 | $13.48/hr | +4.8% |
| 1 bedroom | $808 | $727 to $889 | $32,320 | $15.54/hr | +5.1% |
| 2 bedroom | $1,016 | $914 to $1,118 | $40,640 | $19.54/hr | +4.1% |
| 3 bedroom | $1,218 | $1,096 to $1,340 | $48,720 | $23.42/hr | +3.6% |
| 4 bedroom | $1,356 | $1,220 to $1,492 | $54,240 | $26.08/hr | +4.8% |
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 | $1,559 | $1,403 to $1,715 |
| 6 bedroom Estimate | $1,763 | $1,587 to $1,939 |
| 7 bedroom Estimate | $1,966 | $1,769 to $2,163 |
| 8 bedroom Estimate | $2,170 | $1,953 to $2,387 |
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 Marion, that runs from $701 for a studio up to $1,356 for four bedrooms, all five rates in the table above.
Because Marion 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, Melcher Dallas included.
Among Iowa's 99 counties, Marion ranks 24th for two-bedroom FMR. That's about 11% above the state median of $919 and within a couple percent of the national median county at $1,018. About 33,487 people live here, 21st 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 50044 (Bussey) and $1,170 in 50219 (Pella), with the 12 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 Marion somewhere between $914 and $1,118. 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.
$1,016 a month is affordable, by HUD's 30% rule, on an income of roughly $40,640 a year. Put another way, $20 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% ($914) | HAP at 100% ($1,016) | HAP at 110% ($1,118) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $2,500 | $750 | $164 | $266 | $368 |
| $4,000 | $1,200 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
Rate history
The two-bedroom rate went up 4% from FY 2025 ($976) to FY 2026 ($1,016). Since FY 2020 it's up 38% in total, about 5.6% 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 | $566 | $569 | $734 | $915 | $1,027 | — |
| FY 2021 | $531 | $627 | $805 | $1,001 | $1,117 | +9.7% |
| FY 2022 | $555 | $647 | $835 | $1,032 | $1,161 | +3.7% |
| FY 2023 | $571 | $665 | $854 | $1,039 | $1,147 | +2.3% |
| FY 2024 | $638 | $737 | $941 | $1,138 | $1,253 | +10.2% |
| FY 2025 | $669 | $769 | $976 | $1,176 | $1,294 | +3.7% |
| FY 2026 | $701 | $808 | $1,016 | $1,218 | $1,356 | +4.1% |
| FY 2027 | $711 | $826 | $1,021 | $1,217 | $1,378 | +0.5% |
Nearby counties
Questions people ask
$1,016 a month for FY 2026, which runs October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026. The other rates are $701 for a studio, $808 for one bedroom, $1,218 for three and $1,356 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 Marion actually go for?
HUD's number is one input. Search any address in Marion for a rent estimate built from nearby comps. 3 free searches, no card.
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