HUD Fair Market Rent · FY 2027 · Effective Oct 1, 2026 to Sep 30, 2027
Fair Market Rent in Pottawattamie County, Iowa (FY 2027)
HUD's FY 2027 Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom in Pottawattamie County is $1,450 a month. That's the number the housing authority starts from when it sets Section 8 payment standards here.
Two-bedroom FMR
$1,450
+6.0% from FY 2026
Payment standard
$1,305–$1,595
90% to 110% of the FMR, two-bedroom
Income to afford
$58,000
a year, with rent at 30% of income
Rank in Iowa
3rd 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 | $1,167 | $1,050–$1,284 | $46,680 | $22.44/hr | +7.1% |
| 1 bedroom | $1,219 | $1,097–$1,341 | $48,760 | $23.44/hr | +6.2% |
| 2 bedroom | $1,450 | $1,305–$1,595 | $58,000 | $27.88/hr | +6.0% |
| 3 bedroom | $1,924 | $1,732–$2,116 | $76,960 | $37.00/hr | +6.1% |
| 4 bedroom | $2,179 | $1,961–$2,397 | $87,160 | $41.90/hr | +6.5% |
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 | $2,506 | $2,255–$2,757 |
| 6 bedroom Estimate | $2,833 | $2,550–$3,116 |
| 7 bedroom Estimate | $3,160 | $2,844–$3,476 |
| 8 bedroom Estimate | $3,486 | $3,137–$3,835 |
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 Pottawattamie actually rent for?
Search any address in Pottawattamie for a rent estimate built from nearby comps, with the HUD figure right next to it.
No card needed
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 Pottawattamie somewhere between $1,305 and $1,595. 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.
$1,450 a month is affordable, by HUD's 30% rule, on an income of roughly $58,000 a year. Put another way, $28 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%$1,305 | Voucher pays at 100%$1,450 | Voucher pays at 110%$1,595 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $2,500 | $750 | $555 | $700 | $845 |
| $4,000 | $1,200 | $105 | $250 | $395 |
Rate history
The two-bedroom rate went up 6% from FY 2026 ($1,368) to FY 2027 ($1,450). Since FY 2020 it's up 53% in total, about 6.3% 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 | $650 | $762 | $946 | $1,272 | $1,419 | — |
| FY 2021 | $695 | $798 | $987 | $1,325 | $1,478 | +4.3% |
| FY 2022 | $698 | $794 | $974 | $1,305 | $1,457 | -1.3% |
| FY 2023 | $801 | $888 | $1,083 | $1,449 | $1,611 | +11.2% |
| FY 2024 | $895 | $971 | $1,170 | $1,562 | $1,733 | +8.0% |
| FY 2025 | $990 | $1,052 | $1,261 | $1,675 | $1,864 | +7.8% |
| FY 2026 | $1,090 | $1,148 | $1,368 | $1,813 | $2,046 | +8.5% |
| FY 2027In effect | $1,167 | $1,219 | $1,450 | $1,924 | $2,179 | +6.0% |
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 Pottawattamie, that runs from $1,167 for a studio up to $2,179 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 Pottawattamie in with 6 other counties in the Omaha-Council Bluffs metro, Douglas County, Sarpy County, Cass County among them, and every one of them gets $1,450 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, Pottawattamie ranks 3rd for two-bedroom FMR. That's about 56% above the state median of $927 and about 36% above the national median county at $1,063. About 93,424 people live here, 10th in the state.
Rates by ZIP code
Zoom in and the picture changes. HUD's Small Area FMRs put a two-bedroom at $1,010 in 51525 (Carson) and $1,460 in 51510 (Carter Lake), with the 17 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 51501 | Council Bluffs | $1,310 | -9.7% |
| 51502 | Council Bluffs | $1,450County rate | — |
| 51503 | Council Bluffs | $1,230 | -15.2% |
| 51510 | Carter Lake | $1,460 | +0.7% |
| 51521 | Avoca | $1,070 | -26.2% |
| 51525 | Carson | $1,010 | -30.3% |
| 51526 | Crescent | $1,230 | -15.2% |
| 51536 | Hancock | $1,060 | -26.9% |
| 51542 | Honey Creek | $1,090 | -24.8% |
| 51548 | Mc Clelland | $1,200 | -17.2% |
| 51549 | Macedonia | $1,010 | -30.3% |
| 51553 | Minden | $1,010 | -30.3% |
| 51559 | Neola | $1,180 | -18.6% |
| 51560 | Oakland | $1,140 | -21.4% |
| 51570 | Shelby | $1,010 | -30.3% |
| 51575 | Treynor | $1,340 | -7.6% |
| 51576 | Underwood | $1,170 | -19.3% |
| 51577 | Walnut | $1,020 | -29.7% |
| 51593 | Harlan | $1,450County rate | — |
Counties sharing the Omaha-Council Bluffs metro rate
HUD sets one rate for the whole metro, so every county here carries the same $1,450 two-bedroom figure as Pottawattamie.
Nearby counties
Two-bedroom FMR, with how each compares to Pottawattamie.
Mills County
20 mi · 14,568 people
$1,450
same rate
Harrison County
27 mi · 14,632 people
$1,450
same rate
Shelby County
28 mi · 11,778 people
$927
-36%
Cass County
34 mi · 13,096 people
$927
-36%
Montgomery County
34 mi · 10,214 people
$927
-36%
Audubon County
39 mi · 5,599 people
$927
-36%
Fremont County
40 mi · 6,514 people
$927
-36%
Crawford County
49 mi · 16,277 people
$927
-36%
Questions people ask
$1,450 a month for FY 2027, which runs October 1, 2026 through September 30, 2027. The other rates are $1,167 for a studio, $1,219 for one bedroom, $1,924 for three and $2,179 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 Pottawattamie actually go for?
HUD's number is one input. Search any address in Pottawattamie for a rent estimate built from nearby comps. Free to start, no card.
Free tier. No credit card.