HUD Fair Market Rent · FY 2026 · effective Oct 1, 2025 to Sep 30, 2026
Fair Market Rent in Muscatine County, Iowa (FY 2026)
$1,071 a month. That's HUD's FY 2026 Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom in Muscatine County, and it's the baseline every voucher in Muscatine is measured against.
2 bedroom FMR
$1,071
FY 2026, utilities included
Payment standard range
$964 to $1,178
90% to 110% of FMR
Income to afford 2BR
$42,840
per year, at 30% of income
Rank in Iowa
17th of 99
by 2BR FMR
HUD has already published FY 2027. On October 1, 2026 the two-bedroom rate in Muscatine moves to $1,093. That's up 2%. The full FY 2027 table is in the history section below.
HUD's number is one input. What does a two-bedroom in Muscatine actually rent for?
Search any address in Muscatine 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 | $795 | $716 to $875 | $31,800 | $15.29/hr | +4.6% |
| 1 bedroom | $858 | $772 to $944 | $34,320 | $16.50/hr | +5.8% |
| 2 bedroom | $1,071 | $964 to $1,178 | $42,840 | $20.60/hr | +3.9% |
| 3 bedroom | $1,374 | $1,237 to $1,511 | $54,960 | $26.42/hr | +2.8% |
| 4 bedroom | $1,605 | $1,445 to $1,766 | $64,200 | $30.87/hr | +3.2% |
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 | $1,846 | $1,661 to $2,031 |
| 6 bedroom Estimate | $2,087 | $1,878 to $2,296 |
| 7 bedroom Estimate | $2,327 | $2,094 to $2,560 |
| 8 bedroom Estimate | $2,568 | $2,311 to $2,825 |
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 Muscatine, that runs from $795 for a studio up to $1,605 for four bedrooms, all five rates in the table above.
Because Muscatine 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, Atalissa included.
Among Iowa's 99 counties, Muscatine ranks 17th for two-bedroom FMR. That's about 17% above the state median of $919 and about 5% above the national median county at $1,018. About 42,968 people live here, 14th 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 52778 (Wilton) and $1,180 in 52759 (Montpelier), with the 10 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 Muscatine somewhere between $964 and $1,178. 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.
$1,071 a month is affordable, by HUD's 30% rule, on an income of roughly $42,840 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% ($964) | HAP at 100% ($1,071) | HAP at 110% ($1,178) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $2,500 | $750 | $214 | $321 | $428 |
| $4,000 | $1,200 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
Rate history
The two-bedroom rate went up 4% from FY 2025 ($1,031) to FY 2026 ($1,071). Since FY 2020 it's up 29% in total, about 4.4% 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 | $540 | $629 | $829 | $1,049 | $1,292 | — |
| FY 2021 | $602 | $692 | $912 | $1,146 | $1,388 | +10.0% |
| FY 2022 | $628 | $718 | $945 | $1,197 | $1,412 | +3.6% |
| FY 2023 | $680 | $707 | $931 | $1,175 | $1,382 | -1.5% |
| FY 2024 | $736 | $767 | $1,008 | $1,293 | $1,514 | +8.3% |
| FY 2025 | $760 | $811 | $1,031 | $1,337 | $1,555 | +2.3% |
| FY 2026 | $795 | $858 | $1,071 | $1,374 | $1,605 | +3.9% |
| FY 2027 | $812 | $867 | $1,093 | $1,315 | $1,622 | +2.1% |
Nearby counties
Questions people ask
$1,071 a month for FY 2026, which runs October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026. The other rates are $795 for a studio, $858 for one bedroom, $1,374 for three and $1,605 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 Muscatine actually go for?
HUD's number is one input. Search any address in Muscatine for a rent estimate built from nearby comps. 3 free searches, no card.
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