HUD Fair Market Rent · FY 2026 · effective Oct 1, 2025 to Sep 30, 2026
Fair Market Rent in Douglas County, Kansas (FY 2026)
$1,182 a month. That's HUD's FY 2026 Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom in Douglas County, and it's the baseline every voucher in Douglas is measured against.
2 bedroom FMR
$1,182
FY 2026, utilities included
Payment standard range
$1,064 to $1,300
90% to 110% of FMR
Income to afford 2BR
$47,280
per year, at 30% of income
Rank in Kansas
7th of 105
by 2BR FMR
HUD has already published FY 2027. On October 1, 2026 the two-bedroom rate in Douglas moves to $1,272. That's up 8%. The full FY 2027 table is in the history section below.
HUD's number is one input. What does a two-bedroom in Douglas actually rent for?
Search any address in Douglas 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 | $895 | $806 to $985 | $35,800 | $17.21/hr | +5.8% |
| 1 bedroom | $1,006 | $905 to $1,107 | $40,240 | $19.35/hr | +5.3% |
| 2 bedroom | $1,182 | $1,064 to $1,300 | $47,280 | $22.73/hr | +3.9% |
| 3 bedroom | $1,644 | $1,480 to $1,808 | $65,760 | $31.62/hr | +3.1% |
| 4 bedroom | $1,983 | $1,785 to $2,181 | $79,320 | $38.13/hr | +3.8% |
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 | $2,280 | $2,052 to $2,508 |
| 6 bedroom Estimate | $2,578 | $2,320 to $2,836 |
| 7 bedroom Estimate | $2,875 | $2,588 to $3,163 |
| 8 bedroom Estimate | $3,173 | $2,856 to $3,490 |
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 Douglas, that runs from $895 for a studio up to $1,983 for four bedrooms, all five rates in the table above.
Douglas is its own HUD metro area (Lawrence, KS), so the rate here is set from rents inside the county rather than a wider region.
Among Kansas's 105 counties, Douglas ranks 7th for two-bedroom FMR. That's about 35% above the state median of $877 and about 16% above the national median county at $1,018. About 119,094 people live here, 5th in the state.
Rates by ZIP code
Zoom in and the picture changes. HUD's Small Area FMRs put a two-bedroom at $1,030 in 66006 (Baldwin City) and $1,480 in 66025 (Eudora), with the 8 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 Douglas somewhere between $1,064 and $1,300. 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.
$1,182 a month is affordable, by HUD's 30% rule, on an income of roughly $47,280 a year. Put another way, $23 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% ($1,064) | HAP at 100% ($1,182) | HAP at 110% ($1,300) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $2,500 | $750 | $314 | $432 | $550 |
| $4,000 | $1,200 | $0 | $0 | $100 |
Rate history
The two-bedroom rate went up 4% from FY 2025 ($1,138) to FY 2026 ($1,182). Since FY 2020 it's up 27% in total, about 4.1% 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 | $693 | $733 | $930 | $1,342 | $1,633 | — |
| FY 2021 | $712 | $756 | $950 | $1,360 | $1,645 | +2.2% |
| FY 2022 | $702 | $753 | $937 | $1,331 | $1,565 | -1.4% |
| FY 2023 | $753 | $836 | $1,026 | $1,458 | $1,733 | +9.5% |
| FY 2024 | $772 | $869 | $1,054 | $1,485 | $1,789 | +2.7% |
| FY 2025 | $846 | $955 | $1,138 | $1,595 | $1,911 | +8.0% |
| FY 2026 | $895 | $1,006 | $1,182 | $1,644 | $1,983 | +3.9% |
| FY 2027 | $961 | $1,103 | $1,272 | $1,761 | $2,126 | +7.6% |
Nearby counties
Jefferson County
$1,05721 mi · pop 18,387
Leavenworth County
$1,35823 mi · pop 82,050
Shawnee County
$1,05726 mi · pop 178,625
Johnson County
$1,35827 mi · pop 610,742
Franklin County
$1,02028 mi · pop 25,968
Osage County
$1,05729 mi · pop 15,787
Wyandotte County
$1,35831 mi · pop 167,989
Miami County
$1,35834 mi · pop 34,312
Questions people ask
$1,182 a month for FY 2026, which runs October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026. The other rates are $895 for a studio, $1,006 for one bedroom, $1,644 for three and $1,983 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 Douglas actually go for?
HUD's number is one input. Search any address in Douglas for a rent estimate built from nearby comps. 3 free searches, no card.
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