HUD Fair Market Rent · FY 2026 · effective Oct 1, 2025 to Sep 30, 2026
Fair Market Rent in Dawes County, Nebraska (FY 2026)
A two-bedroom in Dawes County carries a FY 2026 Fair Market Rent of $1,031 a month, effective October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026. Everything Section 8 pays in Dawes keys off that figure.
2 bedroom FMR
$1,031
FY 2026, utilities included
Payment standard range
$928 to $1,134
90% to 110% of FMR
Income to afford 2BR
$41,240
per year, at 30% of income
Rank in Nebraska
17th of 93
by 2BR FMR
HUD has already published FY 2027. On October 1, 2026 the two-bedroom rate in Dawes moves to $1,081. That's up 5%. The full FY 2027 table is in the history section below.
HUD's number is one input. What does a two-bedroom in Dawes actually rent for?
Search any address in Dawes 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 | $715 | $644 to $787 | $28,600 | $13.75/hr | +12.1% |
| 1 bedroom | $786 | $707 to $865 | $31,440 | $15.12/hr | +10.9% |
| 2 bedroom | $1,031 | $928 to $1,134 | $41,240 | $19.83/hr | +10.9% |
| 3 bedroom | $1,372 | $1,235 to $1,509 | $54,880 | $26.38/hr | +11.5% |
| 4 bedroom | $1,378 | $1,240 to $1,516 | $55,120 | $26.50/hr | +11.6% |
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 | $1,585 | $1,427 to $1,744 |
| 6 bedroom Estimate | $1,791 | $1,612 to $1,970 |
| 7 bedroom Estimate | $1,998 | $1,798 to $2,198 |
| 8 bedroom Estimate | $2,205 | $1,985 to $2,426 |
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 Dawes, that runs from $715 for a studio up to $1,378 for four bedrooms, all five rates in the table above.
Because Dawes 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, Chadron included.
Among Nebraska's 93 counties, Dawes ranks 17th for two-bedroom FMR. That's about 7% above the state median of $961 and within a couple percent of the national median county at $1,018. About 8,279 people live here, 36th 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 69339 (Crawford) and $1,040 in 69337 (Chadron), with the 4 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 Dawes somewhere between $928 and $1,134. 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.
$1,031 a month is affordable, by HUD's 30% rule, on an income of roughly $41,240 a year. Put another way, $20 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% ($928) | HAP at 100% ($1,031) | HAP at 110% ($1,134) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $2,500 | $750 | $178 | $281 | $384 |
| $4,000 | $1,200 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
Rate history
The two-bedroom rate went up 11% from FY 2025 ($930) to FY 2026 ($1,031). Since FY 2020 it's up 45% in total, about 6.4% 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 | $463 | $539 | $710 | $885 | $1,000 | — |
| FY 2021 | $492 | $565 | $745 | $927 | $1,036 | +4.9% |
| FY 2022 | $507 | $584 | $757 | $973 | $1,037 | +1.6% |
| FY 2023 | $584 | $661 | $859 | $1,142 | $1,167 | +13.5% |
| FY 2024 | $614 | $709 | $906 | $1,204 | $1,208 | +5.5% |
| FY 2025 | $638 | $709 | $930 | $1,230 | $1,235 | +2.6% |
| FY 2026 | $715 | $786 | $1,031 | $1,372 | $1,378 | +10.9% |
| FY 2027 | $783 | $826 | $1,081 | $1,331 | $1,489 | +4.8% |
Nearby counties
Questions people ask
$1,031 a month for FY 2026, which runs October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026. The other rates are $715 for a studio, $786 for one bedroom, $1,372 for three and $1,378 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 Dawes actually go for?
HUD's number is one input. Search any address in Dawes for a rent estimate built from nearby comps. 3 free searches, no card.
Free tier. No credit card.