HUD Fair Market Rent · FY 2026 · effective Oct 1, 2025 to Sep 30, 2026
Fair Market Rent in Jefferson County, Kansas (FY 2026)
$1,057 a month. That's HUD's FY 2026 Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom in Jefferson County, and it's the baseline every voucher in Jefferson is measured against.
2 bedroom FMR
$1,057
FY 2026, utilities included
Payment standard range
$951 to $1,163
90% to 110% of FMR
Income to afford 2BR
$42,280
per year, at 30% of income
Rank in Kansas
17th of 105
by 2BR FMR
HUD has already published FY 2027. On October 1, 2026 the two-bedroom rate in Jefferson moves to $1,172. That's up 11%. The full FY 2027 table is in the history section below.
HUD's number is one input. What does a two-bedroom in Jefferson actually rent for?
Search any address in Jefferson 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 | $792 | $713 to $871 | $31,680 | $15.23/hr | +6.0% |
| 1 bedroom | $820 | $738 to $902 | $32,800 | $15.77/hr | +9.0% |
| 2 bedroom | $1,057 | $951 to $1,163 | $42,280 | $20.33/hr | +7.3% |
| 3 bedroom | $1,392 | $1,253 to $1,531 | $55,680 | $26.77/hr | +8.8% |
| 4 bedroom | $1,411 | $1,270 to $1,552 | $56,440 | $27.13/hr | +4.4% |
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 | $1,623 | $1,461 to $1,785 |
| 6 bedroom Estimate | $1,834 | $1,651 to $2,017 |
| 7 bedroom Estimate | $2,046 | $1,841 to $2,251 |
| 8 bedroom Estimate | $2,258 | $2,032 to $2,484 |
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 Jefferson, that runs from $792 for a studio up to $1,411 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 Jefferson in with 4 other counties in the Topeka metro, Shawnee County, Osage County, Jackson County among them, and every one of them gets $1,057 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 Kansas's 105 counties, Jefferson ranks 17th for two-bedroom FMR. That's about 21% above the state median of $877 and about 4% above the national median county at $1,018. About 18,387 people live here, 30th in the state.
Counties sharing the Topeka metro rate
Rates by ZIP code
Zoom in and the picture changes. HUD's Small Area FMRs put a two-bedroom at $890 in 66088 (Valley Falls) and $1,160 in 66054 (Mc Louth), 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 Jefferson somewhere between $951 and $1,163. 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.
$1,057 a month is affordable, by HUD's 30% rule, on an income of roughly $42,280 a year. Put another way, $20 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% ($951) | HAP at 100% ($1,057) | HAP at 110% ($1,163) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $2,500 | $750 | $201 | $307 | $413 |
| $4,000 | $1,200 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
Rate history
The two-bedroom rate went up 7% from FY 2025 ($985) to FY 2026 ($1,057). Since FY 2020 it's up 34% in total, about 5.0% 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 | $590 | $598 | $788 | $1,020 | $1,211 | — |
| FY 2021 | $604 | $608 | $801 | $1,027 | $1,219 | +1.6% |
| FY 2022 | $638 | $643 | $844 | $1,075 | $1,275 | +5.4% |
| FY 2023 | $688 | $692 | $911 | $1,160 | $1,346 | +7.9% |
| FY 2024 | $726 | $731 | $960 | $1,231 | $1,372 | +5.4% |
| FY 2025 | $747 | $752 | $985 | $1,280 | $1,351 | +2.6% |
| FY 2026 | $792 | $820 | $1,057 | $1,392 | $1,411 | +7.3% |
| FY 2027 | $866 | $913 | $1,172 | $1,564 | $1,586 | +10.9% |
Nearby counties
Douglas County
$1,18221 mi · pop 119,094
Leavenworth County
$1,35821 mi · pop 82,050
Atchison County
$87722 mi · pop 16,309
Shawnee County
$1,05722 mi · pop 178,625
Jackson County
$1,05724 mi · pop 13,274
Wyandotte County
$1,35837 mi · pop 167,989
Brown County
$87740 mi · pop 9,486
Johnson County
$1,35840 mi · pop 610,742
Questions people ask
$1,057 a month for FY 2026, which runs October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026. The other rates are $792 for a studio, $820 for one bedroom, $1,392 for three and $1,411 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 Jefferson actually go for?
HUD's number is one input. Search any address in Jefferson for a rent estimate built from nearby comps. 3 free searches, no card.
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