HUD Fair Market Rent · FY 2027 · Effective Oct 1, 2026 to Sep 30, 2027
Fair Market Rent in Polk County, Iowa (FY 2027)
A two-bedroom in Polk County carries a FY 2027 Fair Market Rent of $1,360 a month, effective October 1, 2026 through September 30, 2027. Everything Section 8 pays in Polk keys off that figure.
Two-bedroom FMR
$1,360
+3.2% from FY 2026
Payment standard
$1,224–$1,496
90% to 110% of the FMR, two-bedroom
Income to afford
$54,400
a year, with rent at 30% of income
Rank in Iowa
7th 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 | $1,102 | $992–$1,212 | $44,080 | $21.19/hr | +3.7% |
| 1 bedroom | $1,145 | $1,031–$1,260 | $45,800 | $22.02/hr | +3.2% |
| 2 bedroom | $1,360 | $1,224–$1,496 | $54,400 | $26.15/hr | +3.2% |
| 3 bedroom | $1,856 | $1,670–$2,042 | $74,240 | $35.69/hr | +3.5% |
| 4 bedroom | $1,901 | $1,711–$2,091 | $76,040 | $36.56/hr | +3.3% |
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 | $2,186 | $1,967–$2,405 |
| 6 bedroom Estimate | $2,471 | $2,224–$2,718 |
| 7 bedroom Estimate | $2,756 | $2,480–$3,032 |
| 8 bedroom Estimate | $3,042 | $2,738–$3,346 |
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 Polk actually rent for?
Search any address in Polk 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 Polk somewhere between $1,224 and $1,496. 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.
$1,360 a month is affordable, by HUD's 30% rule, on an income of roughly $54,400 a year. Put another way, $26 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%$1,224 | Voucher pays at 100%$1,360 | Voucher pays at 110%$1,496 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $2,500 | $750 | $474 | $610 | $746 |
| $4,000 | $1,200 | $24 | $160 | $296 |
Rate history
The two-bedroom rate went up 3% from FY 2026 ($1,318) to FY 2027 ($1,360). Since FY 2020 it's up 51% in total, about 6.1% 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 | $603 | $730 | $900 | $1,215 | $1,323 | — |
| FY 2021 | $608 | $738 | $902 | $1,232 | $1,313 | +0.2% |
| FY 2022 | $658 | $770 | $935 | $1,284 | $1,357 | +3.7% |
| FY 2023 | $791 | $889 | $1,074 | $1,473 | $1,499 | +14.9% |
| FY 2024 | $833 | $899 | $1,080 | $1,477 | $1,481 | +0.6% |
| FY 2025 | $954 | $1,017 | $1,216 | $1,632 | $1,638 | +12.6% |
| FY 2026 | $1,063 | $1,109 | $1,318 | $1,794 | $1,841 | +8.4% |
| FY 2027In effect | $1,102 | $1,145 | $1,360 | $1,856 | $1,901 | +3.2% |
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 Polk, that runs from $1,102 for a studio up to $1,901 for four bedrooms, all five rates in the table above.
This is a metro rate. The county doesn't get one of its own. HUD lumps Polk in with 4 other counties in the Des Moines-West Des Moines metro, Dallas County, Warren County, Madison County among them, and every one of them gets $1,360 for a two-bedroom. Where you are inside the metro doesn't change the county number. It does change the ZIP number, covered below.
Among Iowa's 99 counties, Polk ranks 7th for two-bedroom FMR. That's about 47% above the state median of $927 and about 28% above the national median county at $1,063. About 503,175 people live here, 1st 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 50226 (Polk City) and $1,790 in 50323 (Urbandale), with the 44 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 50007 | Alleman | $1,180 | -13.2% |
| 50009 | Altoona | $1,440 | +5.9% |
| 50021 | Ankeny | $1,690 | +24.3% |
| 50023 | Ankeny | $1,460 | +7.4% |
| 50032 | Berwick | $1,430 | +5.1% |
| 50035 | Bondurant | $1,400 | +2.9% |
| 50073 | Elkhart | $1,340 | -1.5% |
| 50111 | Grimes | $1,380 | +1.5% |
| 50131 | Johnston | $1,540 | +13.2% |
| 50169 | Mitchellville | $960 | -29.4% |
| 50226 | Polk City | $930 | -31.6% |
| 50237 | Runnells | $930 | -31.6% |
| 50243 | Sheldahl | $1,300 | -4.4% |
| 50265 | West Des Moines | $1,320 | -2.9% |
| 50266 | West Des Moines | $1,640 | +20.6% |
| 50301 | Des Moines | $1,340 | -1.5% |
| 50302 | Des Moines | $1,340 | -1.5% |
| 50303 | Des Moines | $1,340 | -1.5% |
| 50304 | Des Moines | $1,340 | -1.5% |
| 50305 | Des Moines | $1,340 | -1.5% |
| 50306 | Des Moines | $1,360County rate | — |
| 50307 | Des Moines | $1,360County rate | — |
| 50308 | Des Moines | $1,360County rate | — |
| 50309 | Des Moines | $1,430 | +5.1% |
| 50310 | Des Moines | $1,270 | -6.6% |
| 50311 | Des Moines | $1,200 | -11.8% |
| 50312 | Des Moines | $1,260 | -7.4% |
| 50313 | Des Moines | $1,290 | -5.1% |
| 50314 | Des Moines | $1,160 | -14.7% |
| 50315 | Des Moines | $1,290 | -5.1% |
| 50316 | Des Moines | $1,180 | -13.2% |
| 50317 | Des Moines | $1,260 | -7.4% |
| 50318 | Des Moines | $1,340 | -1.5% |
| 50319 | Des Moines | $1,340 | -1.5% |
| 50320 | Des Moines | $1,320 | -2.9% |
| 50321 | Des Moines | $1,330 | -2.2% |
| 50322 | Urbandale | $1,400 | +2.9% |
| 50323 | Urbandale | $1,790 | +31.6% |
| 50324 | Windsor Heights | $1,610 | +18.4% |
| 50325 | Clive | $1,310 | -3.7% |
Counties sharing the Des Moines-West Des Moines metro rate
HUD sets one rate for the whole metro, so every county here carries the same $1,360 two-bedroom figure as Polk.
Nearby counties
Two-bedroom FMR, with how each compares to Polk.
Warren County
21 mi · 54,409 people
$1,360
same rate
Dallas County
22 mi · 107,968 people
$1,360
same rate
Story County
26 mi · 100,466 people
$1,061
-22%
Jasper County
27 mi · 37,954 people
$989
-27%
Madison County
30 mi · 16,926 people
$1,360
same rate
Boone County
33 mi · 26,668 people
$967
-29%
Marion County
36 mi · 33,642 people
$1,021
-25%
Marshall County
39 mi · 40,114 people
$940
-31%
Questions people ask
$1,360 a month for FY 2027, which runs October 1, 2026 through September 30, 2027. The other rates are $1,102 for a studio, $1,145 for one bedroom, $1,856 for three and $1,901 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 Polk actually go for?
HUD's number is one input. Search any address in Polk for a rent estimate built from nearby comps. Free to start, no card.
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