HUD Fair Market Rent · FY 2026 · effective Oct 1, 2025 to Sep 30, 2026
Fair Market Rent in Benton County, Missouri (FY 2026)
$929 a month. That's HUD's FY 2026 Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom in Benton County, and it's the baseline every voucher in Benton is measured against.
2 bedroom FMR
$929
FY 2026, utilities included
Payment standard range
$836 to $1,022
90% to 110% of FMR
Income to afford 2BR
$37,160
per year, at 30% of income
Rank in Missouri
42nd of 116
by 2BR FMR
HUD has already published FY 2027. On October 1, 2026 the two-bedroom rate in Benton moves to $1,003. 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 Benton actually rent for?
Search any address in Benton 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 | $690 | $621 to $759 | $27,600 | $13.27/hr | +5.5% |
| 1 bedroom | $708 | $637 to $779 | $28,320 | $13.62/hr | +6.0% |
| 2 bedroom | $929 | $836 to $1,022 | $37,160 | $17.87/hr | +5.9% |
| 3 bedroom | $1,194 | $1,075 to $1,313 | $47,760 | $22.96/hr | +9.9% |
| 4 bedroom | $1,453 | $1,308 to $1,598 | $58,120 | $27.94/hr | +18.1% |
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 | $1,671 | $1,504 to $1,838 |
| 6 bedroom Estimate | $1,889 | $1,700 to $2,078 |
| 7 bedroom Estimate | $2,107 | $1,896 to $2,318 |
| 8 bedroom Estimate | $2,325 | $2,093 to $2,558 |
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 Benton, that runs from $690 for a studio up to $1,453 for four bedrooms, all five rates in the table above.
Because Benton 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, Cole Camp included.
Among Missouri's 116 counties, Benton ranks 42nd for two-bedroom FMR. That's about 5% above the state median of $888 and about 9% below the national median county at $1,018. About 19,616 people live here, 56th in the state.
Rates by ZIP code
Zoom in and the picture changes. HUD's Small Area FMRs put a two-bedroom at $910 in 65325 (Cole Camp) and $1,030 in 65326 (Edwards), 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 Benton somewhere between $836 and $1,022. 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.
$929 a month is affordable, by HUD's 30% rule, on an income of roughly $37,160 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% ($836) | HAP at 100% ($929) | HAP at 110% ($1,022) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $2,500 | $750 | $86 | $179 | $272 |
| $4,000 | $1,200 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
Rate history
The two-bedroom rate went up 6% from FY 2025 ($877) to FY 2026 ($929). Since FY 2020 it's up 47% in total, about 6.6% a year. The Missouri median moved up 8% over the same year.
| Year | Studio | 1 BR | 2 BR | 3 BR | 4 BR | 2BR change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY 2020 | $478 | $481 | $634 | $915 | $1,113 | — |
| FY 2021 | $499 | $502 | $662 | $944 | $1,146 | +4.4% |
| FY 2022 | $517 | $521 | $685 | $948 | $1,172 | +3.5% |
| FY 2023 | $563 | $567 | $746 | $990 | $1,256 | +8.9% |
| FY 2024 | $616 | $622 | $817 | $1,071 | $1,227 | +9.5% |
| FY 2025 | $654 | $668 | $877 | $1,086 | $1,230 | +7.3% |
| FY 2026 | $690 | $708 | $929 | $1,194 | $1,453 | +5.9% |
| FY 2027 | $739 | $767 | $1,003 | $1,318 | $1,436 | +8.0% |
Nearby counties
Questions people ask
$929 a month for FY 2026, which runs October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026. The other rates are $690 for a studio, $708 for one bedroom, $1,194 for three and $1,453 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 Benton actually go for?
HUD's number is one input. Search any address in Benton for a rent estimate built from nearby comps. 3 free searches, no card.
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