HUD Fair Market Rent · FY 2026 · effective Oct 1, 2025 to Sep 30, 2026
Fair Market Rent in Clay County, Kansas (FY 2026)
$950 a month. That's HUD's FY 2026 Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom in Clay County, and it's the baseline every voucher in Clay is measured against.
2 bedroom FMR
$950
FY 2026, utilities included
Payment standard range
$855 to $1,045
90% to 110% of FMR
Income to afford 2BR
$38,000
per year, at 30% of income
Rank in Kansas
30th of 105
by 2BR FMR
HUD has already published FY 2027. On October 1, 2026 the two-bedroom rate in Clay moves to $1,074. That's up 13%. The full FY 2027 table is in the history section below.
HUD's number is one input. What does a two-bedroom in Clay actually rent for?
Search any address in Clay 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 | $696 | $626 to $766 | $27,840 | $13.38/hr | +11.4% |
| 1 bedroom | $724 | $652 to $796 | $28,960 | $13.92/hr | +8.9% |
| 2 bedroom | $950 | $855 to $1,045 | $38,000 | $18.27/hr | +8.9% |
| 3 bedroom | $1,253 | $1,128 to $1,378 | $50,120 | $24.10/hr | +6.4% |
| 4 bedroom | $1,258 | $1,132 to $1,384 | $50,320 | $24.19/hr | +6.3% |
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 | $1,447 | $1,302 to $1,592 |
| 6 bedroom Estimate | $1,635 | $1,472 to $1,799 |
| 7 bedroom Estimate | $1,824 | $1,642 to $2,006 |
| 8 bedroom Estimate | $2,013 | $1,812 to $2,214 |
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 Clay, that runs from $696 for a studio up to $1,258 for four bedrooms, all five rates in the table above.
Because Clay 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, Clay Center included.
Among Kansas's 105 counties, Clay ranks 30th for two-bedroom FMR. That's about 8% above the state median of $877 and about 7% below the national median county at $1,018. About 8,088 people live here, 47th 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 67468 (Morganville) and $960 in 67432 (Clay Center), with the 5 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 Clay somewhere between $855 and $1,045. 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.
$950 a month is affordable, by HUD's 30% rule, on an income of roughly $38,000 a year. Put another way, $18 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% ($855) | HAP at 100% ($950) | HAP at 110% ($1,045) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $2,500 | $750 | $105 | $200 | $295 |
| $4,000 | $1,200 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
Rate history
The two-bedroom rate went up 9% from FY 2025 ($872) to FY 2026 ($950). Since FY 2020 it's up 18% in total, about 2.8% a year. The Kansas median moved up 1% over the same year.
| Year | Studio | 1 BR | 2 BR | 3 BR | 4 BR | 2BR change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY 2020 | $606 | $610 | $803 | $1,056 | $1,260 | — |
| FY 2021 | $565 | $569 | $750 | $1,012 | $1,134 | -6.6% |
| FY 2022 | $566 | $570 | $742 | $1,054 | $1,128 | -1.1% |
| FY 2023 | $581 | $610 | $803 | $1,141 | $1,196 | +8.2% |
| FY 2024 | $636 | $674 | $886 | $1,249 | $1,260 | +10.3% |
| FY 2025 | $625 | $665 | $872 | $1,178 | $1,183 | -1.6% |
| FY 2026 | $696 | $724 | $950 | $1,253 | $1,258 | +8.9% |
| FY 2027 | $790 | $821 | $1,074 | $1,406 | $1,412 | +13.1% |
Nearby counties
Questions people ask
$950 a month for FY 2026, which runs October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026. The other rates are $696 for a studio, $724 for one bedroom, $1,253 for three and $1,258 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 Clay actually go for?
HUD's number is one input. Search any address in Clay for a rent estimate built from nearby comps. 3 free searches, no card.
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