HUD Fair Market Rent · FY 2026 · effective Oct 1, 2025 to Sep 30, 2026
Fair Market Rent in Cole County, Missouri (FY 2026)
$910 a month. That's HUD's FY 2026 Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom in Cole County, and it's the baseline every voucher in Cole is measured against.
2 bedroom FMR
$910
FY 2026, utilities included
Payment standard range
$819 to $1,001
90% to 110% of FMR
Income to afford 2BR
$36,400
per year, at 30% of income
Rank in Missouri
49th of 116
by 2BR FMR
HUD has already published FY 2027. On October 1, 2026 the two-bedroom rate in Cole moves to $962. That's up 6%. The full FY 2027 table is in the history section below.
HUD's number is one input. What does a two-bedroom in Cole actually rent for?
Search any address in Cole 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 | $689 | $620 to $758 | $27,560 | $13.25/hr | +1.8% |
| 1 bedroom | $694 | $625 to $763 | $27,760 | $13.35/hr | +1.9% |
| 2 bedroom | $910 | $819 to $1,001 | $36,400 | $17.50/hr | +2.1% |
| 3 bedroom | $1,266 | $1,139 to $1,393 | $50,640 | $24.35/hr | +1.4% |
| 4 bedroom | $1,379 | $1,241 to $1,517 | $55,160 | $26.52/hr | +4.3% |
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 | $1,586 | $1,427 to $1,745 |
| 6 bedroom Estimate | $1,793 | $1,614 to $1,972 |
| 7 bedroom Estimate | $2,000 | $1,800 to $2,200 |
| 8 bedroom Estimate | $2,206 | $1,985 to $2,427 |
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 Cole, that runs from $689 for a studio up to $1,379 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 Cole in with one other county in the Jefferson City metro, Osage County among them, and every one of them gets $910 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 Missouri's 116 counties, Cole ranks 49th for two-bedroom FMR. That's about 2% above the state median of $888 and about 11% below the national median county at $1,018. About 76,890 people live here, 16th in the state.
Counties sharing the Jefferson City metro rate
Rates by ZIP code
Zoom in and the picture changes. HUD's Small Area FMRs put a two-bedroom at $890 in 65053 (Lohman) and $1,060 in 65023 (Centertown), with the 13 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 65023 | Centertown | $1,060 | +16.5% |
| 65032 | Eugene | $940 | +3.3% |
| 65040 | Henley | $920 | +1.1% |
| 65053 | Lohman | $890 | -2.2% |
| 65074 | Russellville | $900 | -1.1% |
| 65076 | Saint Thomas | $1,010 | +11.0% |
| 65101 | Jefferson City | $900 | -1.1% |
| 65102 | Jefferson City | $920 | +1.1% |
| 65103 | Jefferson City | $920 | +1.1% |
| 65104 | Jefferson City | $920 | +1.1% |
| 65105 | Jefferson City | $920 | +1.1% |
| 65106 | Jefferson City | $910County rate | — |
| 65107 | Jefferson City | $910County rate | — |
| 65108 | Jefferson City | $910County rate | — |
| 65109 | Jefferson City | $950 | +4.4% |
| 65110 | Jefferson City | $920 | +1.1% |
| 65111 | Jefferson City | $910County 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 Cole somewhere between $819 and $1,001. 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.
$910 a month is affordable, by HUD's 30% rule, on an income of roughly $36,400 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% ($819) | HAP at 100% ($910) | HAP at 110% ($1,001) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $2,500 | $750 | $69 | $160 | $251 |
| $4,000 | $1,200 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
Rate history
The two-bedroom rate went up 2% from FY 2025 ($891) to FY 2026 ($910). Since FY 2020 it's up 36% in total, about 5.2% 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 | $437 | $525 | $670 | $967 | $975 | — |
| FY 2021 | $447 | $546 | $678 | $964 | $967 | +1.2% |
| FY 2022 | $516 | $565 | $694 | $986 | $995 | +2.4% |
| FY 2023 | $607 | $611 | $748 | $1,063 | $1,064 | +7.8% |
| FY 2024 | $646 | $650 | $824 | $1,161 | $1,207 | +10.2% |
| FY 2025 | $677 | $681 | $891 | $1,249 | $1,322 | +8.1% |
| FY 2026 | $689 | $694 | $910 | $1,266 | $1,379 | +2.1% |
| FY 2027 | $731 | $735 | $962 | $1,332 | $1,548 | +5.7% |
Nearby counties
Questions people ask
$910 a month for FY 2026, which runs October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026. The other rates are $689 for a studio, $694 for one bedroom, $1,266 for three and $1,379 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 Cole actually go for?
HUD's number is one input. Search any address in Cole for a rent estimate built from nearby comps. 3 free searches, no card.
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