HUD Fair Market Rent · FY 2026 · effective Oct 1, 2025 to Sep 30, 2026
Fair Market Rent in Plymouth County, Iowa (FY 2026)
HUD's FY 2026 Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom in Plymouth County is $980 a month. That's the number the housing authority starts from when it sets Section 8 payment standards here.
2 bedroom FMR
$980
FY 2026, utilities included
Payment standard range
$882 to $1,078
90% to 110% of FMR
Income to afford 2BR
$39,200
per year, at 30% of income
Rank in Iowa
29th of 99
by 2BR FMR
HUD has already published FY 2027. On October 1, 2026 the two-bedroom rate in Plymouth moves to $1,018. That's up 4%. The full FY 2027 table is in the history section below.
HUD's number is one input. What does a two-bedroom in Plymouth actually rent for?
Search any address in Plymouth 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 | $767 | $690 to $844 | $30,680 | $14.75/hr | +14.1% |
| 1 bedroom | $772 | $695 to $849 | $30,880 | $14.85/hr | +5.8% |
| 2 bedroom | $980 | $882 to $1,078 | $39,200 | $18.85/hr | +8.9% |
| 3 bedroom | $1,287 | $1,158 to $1,416 | $51,480 | $24.75/hr | +4.9% |
| 4 bedroom | $1,366 | $1,229 to $1,503 | $54,640 | $26.27/hr | +8.4% |
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 | $1,571 | $1,414 to $1,728 |
| 6 bedroom Estimate | $1,776 | $1,598 to $1,954 |
| 7 bedroom Estimate | $1,981 | $1,783 to $2,179 |
| 8 bedroom Estimate | $2,186 | $1,967 to $2,405 |
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 Plymouth, that runs from $767 for a studio up to $1,366 for four bedrooms, all five rates in the table above.
Because Plymouth 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, Akron included.
Among Iowa's 99 counties, Plymouth ranks 29th for two-bedroom FMR. That's about 7% above the state median of $919 and about 4% below the national median county at $1,018. About 25,621 people live here, 25th in the state.
Rates by ZIP code
Zoom in and the picture changes. HUD's Small Area FMRs put a two-bedroom at $960 in 51001 (Akron) and $1,110 in 51024 (Hinton), 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 Plymouth somewhere between $882 and $1,078. 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.
$980 a month is affordable, by HUD's 30% rule, on an income of roughly $39,200 a year. Put another way, $19 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% ($882) | HAP at 100% ($980) | HAP at 110% ($1,078) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $2,500 | $750 | $132 | $230 | $328 |
| $4,000 | $1,200 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
Rate history
The two-bedroom rate went up 9% from FY 2025 ($900) to FY 2026 ($980). Since FY 2020 it's up 43% in total, about 6.1% 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 | $448 | $564 | $687 | $991 | $996 | — |
| FY 2021 | $472 | $592 | $715 | $1,023 | $1,053 | +4.1% |
| FY 2022 | $534 | $610 | $739 | $1,050 | $1,088 | +3.4% |
| FY 2023 | $597 | $652 | $795 | $1,116 | $1,120 | +7.6% |
| FY 2024 | $653 | $701 | $862 | $1,199 | $1,203 | +8.4% |
| FY 2025 | $672 | $730 | $900 | $1,227 | $1,260 | +4.4% |
| FY 2026 | $767 | $772 | $980 | $1,287 | $1,366 | +8.9% |
| FY 2027 | $756 | $778 | $1,018 | $1,315 | $1,385 | +3.9% |
Nearby counties
Questions people ask
$980 a month for FY 2026, which runs October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026. The other rates are $767 for a studio, $772 for one bedroom, $1,287 for three and $1,366 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 Plymouth actually go for?
HUD's number is one input. Search any address in Plymouth for a rent estimate built from nearby comps. 3 free searches, no card.
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