HUD Fair Market Rent · FY 2026 · effective Oct 1, 2025 to Sep 30, 2026
Fair Market Rent in Butler County, Nebraska (FY 2026)
HUD's FY 2026 Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom in Butler County is $961 a month. That's the number the housing authority starts from when it sets Section 8 payment standards here.
2 bedroom FMR
$961
FY 2026, utilities included
Payment standard range
$865 to $1,057
90% to 110% of FMR
Income to afford 2BR
$38,440
per year, at 30% of income
Rank in Nebraska
38th of 93
by 2BR FMR
HUD has already published FY 2027. On October 1, 2026 the two-bedroom rate in Butler moves to $1,014. 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 Butler actually rent for?
Search any address in Butler 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 | $666 | $599 to $733 | $26,640 | $12.81/hr | +7.1% |
| 1 bedroom | $732 | $659 to $805 | $29,280 | $14.08/hr | +4.9% |
| 2 bedroom | $961 | $865 to $1,057 | $38,440 | $18.48/hr | +6.0% |
| 3 bedroom | $1,268 | $1,141 to $1,395 | $50,720 | $24.38/hr | +5.8% |
| 4 bedroom | $1,272 | $1,145 to $1,399 | $50,880 | $24.46/hr | +5.7% |
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 | $1,463 | $1,317 to $1,609 |
| 6 bedroom Estimate | $1,654 | $1,489 to $1,819 |
| 7 bedroom Estimate | $1,844 | $1,660 to $2,028 |
| 8 bedroom Estimate | $2,035 | $1,832 to $2,239 |
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 Butler, that runs from $666 for a studio up to $1,272 for four bedrooms, all five rates in the table above.
Because Butler 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, Abie included.
Among Nebraska's 93 counties, Butler ranks 38th for two-bedroom FMR. That's within a couple percent of the state median of $961 and about 6% below the national median county at $1,018. About 8,373 people live here, 34th in the state.
Rates by ZIP code
Zoom in and the picture changes. HUD's Small Area FMRs put a two-bedroom at $960 in 68632 (David City) and $1,410 in 68036 (Linwood), with the 10 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 Butler somewhere between $865 and $1,057. 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.
$961 a month is affordable, by HUD's 30% rule, on an income of roughly $38,440 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% ($865) | HAP at 100% ($961) | HAP at 110% ($1,057) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $2,500 | $750 | $115 | $211 | $307 |
| $4,000 | $1,200 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
Rate history
The two-bedroom rate went up 6% from FY 2025 ($907) to FY 2026 ($961). Since FY 2020 it's up 36% in total, about 5.3% a year. The Nebraska median moved up 6% over the same year.
| Year | Studio | 1 BR | 2 BR | 3 BR | 4 BR | 2BR change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY 2020 | $460 | $536 | $706 | $891 | $994 | — |
| FY 2021 | $502 | $577 | $761 | $947 | $1,058 | +7.8% |
| FY 2022 | $515 | $597 | $770 | $952 | $1,049 | +1.2% |
| FY 2023 | $577 | $694 | $849 | $1,033 | $1,141 | +10.3% |
| FY 2024 | $591 | $693 | $872 | $1,112 | $1,161 | +2.7% |
| FY 2025 | $622 | $698 | $907 | $1,198 | $1,203 | +4.0% |
| FY 2026 | $666 | $732 | $961 | $1,268 | $1,272 | +6.0% |
| FY 2027 | $734 | $775 | $1,014 | $1,374 | $1,380 | +5.5% |
Nearby counties
Questions people ask
$961 a month for FY 2026, which runs October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026. The other rates are $666 for a studio, $732 for one bedroom, $1,268 for three and $1,272 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 Butler actually go for?
HUD's number is one input. Search any address in Butler for a rent estimate built from nearby comps. 3 free searches, no card.
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