HUD Fair Market Rent · FY 2026 · effective Oct 1, 2025 to Sep 30, 2026
Fair Market Rent in Ionia County, Michigan (FY 2026)
HUD's FY 2026 Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom in Ionia County is $1,209 a month. That's the number the housing authority starts from when it sets Section 8 payment standards here.
2 bedroom FMR
$1,209
FY 2026, utilities included
Payment standard range
$1,088 to $1,330
90% to 110% of FMR
Income to afford 2BR
$48,360
per year, at 30% of income
Rank in Michigan
21st of 83
by 2BR FMR
HUD has already published FY 2027. On October 1, 2026 the two-bedroom rate in Ionia moves to $1,238. That's up 2%. The full FY 2027 table is in the history section below.
HUD's number is one input. What does a two-bedroom in Ionia actually rent for?
Search any address in Ionia 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 | $834 | $751 to $917 | $33,360 | $16.04/hr | +3.5% |
| 1 bedroom | $921 | $829 to $1,013 | $36,840 | $17.71/hr | +2.8% |
| 2 bedroom | $1,209 | $1,088 to $1,330 | $48,360 | $23.25/hr | +2.9% |
| 3 bedroom | $1,481 | $1,333 to $1,629 | $59,240 | $28.48/hr | +3.6% |
| 4 bedroom | $1,931 | $1,738 to $2,124 | $77,240 | $37.13/hr | +8.9% |
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 | $2,221 | $1,999 to $2,443 |
| 6 bedroom Estimate | $2,510 | $2,259 to $2,761 |
| 7 bedroom Estimate | $2,800 | $2,520 to $3,080 |
| 8 bedroom Estimate | $3,090 | $2,781 to $3,399 |
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 Ionia, that runs from $834 for a studio up to $1,931 for four bedrooms, all five rates in the table above.
Ionia is its own HUD metro area (Ionia County, MI), so the rate here is set from rents inside the county rather than a wider region.
Among Michigan's 83 counties, Ionia ranks 21st for two-bedroom FMR. That's about 17% above the state median of $1,033 and about 19% above the national median county at $1,018. About 66,663 people live here, 29th in the state.
Rates by ZIP code
Zoom in and the picture changes. HUD's Small Area FMRs put a two-bedroom at $1,060 in 48845 (Hubbardston) and $1,450 in 48875 (Portland), with the 12 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 48809 | Belding | $1,300 | +7.5% |
| 48815 | Clarksville | $1,300 | +7.5% |
| 48845 | Hubbardston | $1,060 | -12.3% |
| 48846 | Ionia | $1,160 | -4.1% |
| 48849 | Lake Odessa | $1,150 | -4.9% |
| 48851 | Lyons | $1,290 | +6.7% |
| 48860 | Muir | $1,060 | -12.3% |
| 48865 | Orleans | $1,120 | -7.4% |
| 48870 | Palo | $1,300 | +7.5% |
| 48873 | Pewamo | $1,060 | -12.3% |
| 48875 | Portland | $1,450 | +19.9% |
| 48881 | Saranac | $1,060 | -12.3% |
| 48887 | Smyrna | $1,209County rate | — |
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 Ionia somewhere between $1,088 and $1,330. 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.
$1,209 a month is affordable, by HUD's 30% rule, on an income of roughly $48,360 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% ($1,088) | HAP at 100% ($1,209) | HAP at 110% ($1,330) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $2,500 | $750 | $338 | $459 | $580 |
| $4,000 | $1,200 | $0 | $9 | $130 |
Rate history
The two-bedroom rate went up 3% from FY 2025 ($1,175) to FY 2026 ($1,209). Since FY 2020 it's up 58% in total, about 7.9% a year. The Michigan median moved up 7% over the same year.
| Year | Studio | 1 BR | 2 BR | 3 BR | 4 BR | 2BR change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY 2020 | $579 | $582 | $767 | $975 | $1,094 | — |
| FY 2021 | $636 | $640 | $844 | $1,050 | $1,197 | +10.0% |
| FY 2022 | $667 | $672 | $884 | $1,097 | $1,302 | +4.7% |
| FY 2023 | $772 | $777 | $1,023 | $1,292 | $1,506 | +15.7% |
| FY 2024 | $795 | $843 | $1,108 | $1,369 | $1,683 | +8.3% |
| FY 2025 | $806 | $896 | $1,175 | $1,429 | $1,773 | +6.0% |
| FY 2026 | $834 | $921 | $1,209 | $1,481 | $1,931 | +2.9% |
| FY 2027 | $862 | $946 | $1,238 | $1,579 | $1,930 | +2.4% |
Nearby counties
Questions people ask
$1,209 a month for FY 2026, which runs October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026. The other rates are $834 for a studio, $921 for one bedroom, $1,481 for three and $1,931 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 Ionia actually go for?
HUD's number is one input. Search any address in Ionia for a rent estimate built from nearby comps. 3 free searches, no card.
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