HUD Fair Market Rent · FY 2026 · effective Oct 1, 2025 to Sep 30, 2026
Fair Market Rent in Dawson County, Nebraska (FY 2026)
HUD's FY 2026 Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom in Dawson County is $995 a month. That's the number the housing authority starts from when it sets Section 8 payment standards here.
2 bedroom FMR
$995
FY 2026, utilities included
Payment standard range
$896 to $1,095
90% to 110% of FMR
Income to afford 2BR
$39,800
per year, at 30% of income
Rank in Nebraska
21st of 93
by 2BR FMR
HUD has already published FY 2027. On October 1, 2026 the two-bedroom rate in Dawson moves to $1,074. 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 Dawson actually rent for?
Search any address in Dawson 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 | +9.4% |
| 1 bedroom | $881 | $793 to $969 | $35,240 | $16.94/hr | +6.0% |
| 2 bedroom | $995 | $896 to $1,095 | $39,800 | $19.13/hr | +8.2% |
| 3 bedroom | $1,267 | $1,140 to $1,394 | $50,680 | $24.37/hr | +9.1% |
| 4 bedroom | $1,317 | $1,185 to $1,449 | $52,680 | $25.33/hr | +8.0% |
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 | $1,515 | $1,364 to $1,667 |
| 6 bedroom Estimate | $1,712 | $1,541 to $1,883 |
| 7 bedroom Estimate | $1,910 | $1,719 to $2,101 |
| 8 bedroom Estimate | $2,107 | $1,896 to $2,318 |
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 Dawson, that runs from $690 for a studio up to $1,317 for four bedrooms, all five rates in the table above.
Because Dawson 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, Eddyville included.
Among Nebraska's 93 counties, Dawson ranks 21st for two-bedroom FMR. That's about 4% above the state median of $961 and about 2% below the national median county at $1,018. About 24,037 people live here, 13th 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 68863 (Overton) and $1,040 in 68850 (Lexington), with the 8 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 Dawson somewhere between $896 and $1,095. 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.
$995 a month is affordable, by HUD's 30% rule, on an income of roughly $39,800 a year. Put another way, $19 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% ($896) | HAP at 100% ($995) | HAP at 110% ($1,095) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $2,500 | $750 | $146 | $245 | $345 |
| $4,000 | $1,200 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
Rate history
The two-bedroom rate went up 8% from FY 2025 ($920) to FY 2026 ($995). Since FY 2020 it's up 42% in total, about 6.0% 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 | $457 | $552 | $701 | $932 | $1,043 | — |
| FY 2021 | $501 | $579 | $760 | $985 | $1,115 | +8.4% |
| FY 2022 | $522 | $616 | $780 | $977 | $1,106 | +2.6% |
| FY 2023 | $592 | $733 | $871 | $1,090 | $1,216 | +11.7% |
| FY 2024 | $612 | $804 | $903 | $1,139 | $1,203 | +3.7% |
| FY 2025 | $631 | $831 | $920 | $1,161 | $1,220 | +1.9% |
| FY 2026 | $690 | $881 | $995 | $1,267 | $1,317 | +8.2% |
| FY 2027 | $778 | $883 | $1,074 | $1,355 | $1,412 | +7.9% |
Nearby counties
Questions people ask
$995 a month for FY 2026, which runs October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026. The other rates are $690 for a studio, $881 for one bedroom, $1,267 for three and $1,317 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 Dawson actually go for?
HUD's number is one input. Search any address in Dawson for a rent estimate built from nearby comps. 3 free searches, no card.
Free tier. No credit card.