HUD Fair Market Rent · FY 2026 · effective Oct 1, 2025 to Sep 30, 2026
Fair Market Rent in St. Louis County, Missouri (FY 2026)
$1,218 a month. That's HUD's FY 2026 Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom in St. Louis County, and it's the baseline every voucher in St. Louis is measured against.
2 bedroom FMR
$1,218
FY 2026, utilities included
Payment standard range
$1,096 to $1,340
90% to 110% of FMR
Income to afford 2BR
$48,720
per year, at 30% of income
Rank in Missouri
14th of 116
by 2BR FMR
HUD has already published FY 2027. On October 1, 2026 the two-bedroom rate in St. Louis moves to $1,349. That's up 11%. The full FY 2027 table is in the history section below.
Market check
Two-bedrooms in St. Louis are asking $1,340. HUD says $1,218.
That's 10% above the county FMR. Median asking rent across 19 St. Louis ZIP codes with active 2BR listings. FMR includes utilities and asking rents usually don't, so the true gap is a little smaller.
Comps for a specific address
A rent estimate built from nearby listings, next to the HUD number.
FY 2026 Fair Market Rents
| Bedrooms | FMR | Payment standard | Income needed | Hourly wage | vs FY 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Studio | $955 | $860 to $1,051 | $38,200 | $18.37/hr | +0.4% |
| 1 bedroom | $995 | $896 to $1,095 | $39,800 | $19.13/hr | +1.1% |
| 2 bedroom | $1,218 | $1,096 to $1,340 | $48,720 | $23.42/hr | +0.2% |
| 3 bedroom | $1,568 | $1,411 to $1,725 | $62,720 | $30.15/hr | -0.1% |
| 4 bedroom | $1,812 | $1,631 to $1,993 | $72,480 | $34.85/hr | +0.3% |
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 | $2,084 | $1,876 to $2,292 |
| 6 bedroom Estimate | $2,356 | $2,120 to $2,592 |
| 7 bedroom Estimate | $2,627 | $2,364 to $2,890 |
| 8 bedroom Estimate | $2,899 | $2,609 to $3,189 |
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 St. Louis, that runs from $955 for a studio up to $1,812 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 St. Louis in with 13 other counties in the St. Louis metro, St. Charles County, St. Louis city, Madison County among them, and every one of them gets $1,218 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, St. Louis ranks 14th for two-bedroom FMR. That's about 37% above the state median of $888 and about 20% above the national median county at $1,018. About 999,703 people live here, 1st in the state.
Counties sharing the St. Louis metro rate
St. Charles County
$1,218MO · pop 406,262
St. Louis city
$1,218MO · pop 298,018
Madison County
$1,218IL · pop 265,512
St. Clair County
$1,218IL · pop 256,791
Jefferson County
$1,218MO · pop 226,984
Franklin County
$1,218MO · pop 104,858
Lincoln County
$1,218MO · pop 60,172
Clinton County
$1,218IL · pop 36,998
Warren County
$1,218MO · pop 35,729
Monroe County
$1,218IL · pop 34,905
Jersey County
$1,218IL · pop 21,462
Calhoun County
$1,218IL · pop 4,472
Rates by ZIP code
Zoom in and the picture changes. HUD's Small Area FMRs put a two-bedroom at $990 in 63140 (Saint Louis) and $1,830 in 63034 (Florissant), with the 50 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 63005 | Chesterfield | $1,670 | +37.1% |
| 63006 | Chesterfield | $1,300 | +6.7% |
| 63011 | Ballwin | $1,810 | +48.6% |
| 63017 | Chesterfield | $1,710 | +40.4% |
| 63021 | Ballwin | $1,440 | +18.2% |
| 63022 | Ballwin | $1,300 | +6.7% |
| 63024 | Ballwin | $1,300 | +6.7% |
| 63025 | Eureka | $1,370 | +12.5% |
| 63026 | Fenton | $1,220 | +0.2% |
| 63031 | Florissant | $1,440 | +18.2% |
| 63032 | Florissant | $1,300 | +6.7% |
| 63033 | Florissant | $1,250 | +2.6% |
| 63034 | Florissant | $1,830 | +50.2% |
| 63038 | Glencoe | $1,500 | +23.2% |
| 63040 | Grover | $1,620 | +33.0% |
| 63042 | Hazelwood | $1,110 | -8.9% |
| 63043 | Maryland Heights | $1,340 | +10.0% |
| 63044 | Bridgeton | $1,150 | -5.6% |
| 63045 | Earth City | $1,300 | +6.7% |
| 63074 | Saint Ann | $1,090 | -10.5% |
| 63088 | Valley Park | $1,420 | +16.6% |
| 63099 | Fenton | $1,218County rate | — |
| 63105 | Saint Louis | $1,730 | +42.0% |
| 63114 | Saint Louis | $1,260 | +3.4% |
| 63117 | Saint Louis | $1,360 | +11.7% |
| 63119 | Saint Louis | $1,280 | +5.1% |
| 63121 | Saint Louis | $1,110 | -8.9% |
| 63122 | Saint Louis | $1,420 | +16.6% |
| 63123 | Saint Louis | $1,230 | +1.0% |
| 63124 | Saint Louis | $1,830 | +50.2% |
| 63125 | Saint Louis | $1,110 | -8.9% |
| 63126 | Saint Louis | $1,250 | +2.6% |
| 63127 | Saint Louis | $1,290 | +5.9% |
| 63128 | Saint Louis | $1,220 | +0.2% |
| 63129 | Saint Louis | $1,200 | -1.5% |
| 63130 | Saint Louis | $1,360 | +11.7% |
| 63131 | Saint Louis | $1,830 | +50.2% |
| 63132 | Saint Louis | $1,460 | +19.9% |
| 63133 | Saint Louis | $1,160 | -4.8% |
| 63134 | Saint Louis | $1,270 | +4.3% |
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 St. Louis somewhere between $1,096 and $1,340. 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.
$1,218 a month is affordable, by HUD's 30% rule, on an income of roughly $48,720 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% ($1,096) | HAP at 100% ($1,218) | HAP at 110% ($1,340) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $2,500 | $750 | $346 | $468 | $590 |
| $4,000 | $1,200 | $0 | $18 | $140 |
Rate history
The two-bedroom rate went up 0% from FY 2025 ($1,215) to FY 2026 ($1,218). Since FY 2020 it's up 35% in total, about 5.1% 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 | $633 | $701 | $905 | $1,185 | $1,395 | — |
| FY 2021 | $671 | $731 | $938 | $1,224 | $1,440 | +3.6% |
| FY 2022 | $689 | $745 | $947 | $1,230 | $1,449 | +1.0% |
| FY 2023 | $748 | $795 | $999 | $1,294 | $1,512 | +5.5% |
| FY 2024 | $928 | $972 | $1,209 | $1,565 | $1,818 | +21.0% |
| FY 2025 | $951 | $984 | $1,215 | $1,570 | $1,806 | +0.5% |
| FY 2026 | $955 | $995 | $1,218 | $1,568 | $1,812 | +0.2% |
| FY 2027 | $1,064 | $1,104 | $1,349 | $1,731 | $1,997 | +10.8% |
Nearby counties
St. Louis city
$1,2189 mi · pop 298,018
St. Charles County
$1,21816 mi · pop 406,262
Jefferson County
$1,21825 mi · pop 226,984
Franklin County
$1,21835 mi · pop 104,858
Warren County
$1,21838 mi · pop 35,729
Lincoln County
$1,21841 mi · pop 60,172
Ste. Genevieve County
$92253 mi · pop 18,494
Washington County
$88853 mi · pop 23,580
Questions people ask
$1,218 a month for FY 2026, which runs October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026. The other rates are $955 for a studio, $995 for one bedroom, $1,568 for three and $1,812 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 St. Louis actually go for?
HUD's number is one input. Search any address in St. Louis for a rent estimate built from nearby comps. 3 free searches, no card.
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