HUD Fair Market Rent · FY 2026 · effective Oct 1, 2025 to Sep 30, 2026
Fair Market Rent in Madison County, Nebraska (FY 2026)
HUD's FY 2026 Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom in Madison County is $992 a month. That's the number the housing authority starts from when it sets Section 8 payment standards here.
2 bedroom FMR
$992
FY 2026, utilities included
Payment standard range
$893 to $1,091
90% to 110% of FMR
Income to afford 2BR
$39,680
per year, at 30% of income
Rank in Nebraska
23rd of 93
by 2BR FMR
HUD has already published FY 2027. On October 1, 2026 the two-bedroom rate in Madison moves to $1,082. That's up 9%. The full FY 2027 table is in the history section below.
HUD's number is one input. What does a two-bedroom in Madison actually rent for?
Search any address in Madison 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 | $684 | $616 to $752 | $27,360 | $13.15/hr | +7.5% |
| 1 bedroom | $758 | $682 to $834 | $30,320 | $14.58/hr | +7.2% |
| 2 bedroom | $992 | $893 to $1,091 | $39,680 | $19.08/hr | +6.9% |
| 3 bedroom | $1,285 | $1,157 to $1,414 | $51,400 | $24.71/hr | +7.8% |
| 4 bedroom | $1,524 | $1,372 to $1,676 | $60,960 | $29.31/hr | +5.0% |
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 | $1,753 | $1,578 to $1,928 |
| 6 bedroom Estimate | $1,981 | $1,783 to $2,179 |
| 7 bedroom Estimate | $2,210 | $1,989 to $2,431 |
| 8 bedroom Estimate | $2,438 | $2,194 to $2,682 |
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 Madison, that runs from $684 for a studio up to $1,524 for four bedrooms, all five rates in the table above.
Because Madison 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, Norfolk included.
Among Nebraska's 93 counties, Madison ranks 23rd for two-bedroom FMR. That's about 3% above the state median of $961 and about 3% below the national median county at $1,018. About 35,538 people live here, 8th 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 68758 (Newman Grove) and $1,020 in 68701 (Norfolk), with the 7 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 Madison somewhere between $893 and $1,091. 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.
$992 a month is affordable, by HUD's 30% rule, on an income of roughly $39,680 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% ($893) | HAP at 100% ($992) | HAP at 110% ($1,091) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $2,500 | $750 | $143 | $242 | $341 |
| $4,000 | $1,200 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
Rate history
The two-bedroom rate went up 7% from FY 2025 ($928) to FY 2026 ($992). Since FY 2020 it's up 39% in total, about 5.6% 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 | $466 | $543 | $715 | $965 | $969 | — |
| FY 2021 | $494 | $568 | $749 | $1,012 | $1,016 | +4.8% |
| FY 2022 | $520 | $594 | $782 | $1,057 | $1,060 | +4.4% |
| FY 2023 | $592 | $672 | $885 | $1,203 | $1,256 | +13.2% |
| FY 2024 | $630 | $708 | $930 | $1,227 | $1,378 | +5.1% |
| FY 2025 | $636 | $707 | $928 | $1,192 | $1,452 | -0.2% |
| FY 2026 | $684 | $758 | $992 | $1,285 | $1,524 | +6.9% |
| FY 2027 | $753 | $866 | $1,082 | $1,400 | $1,665 | +9.1% |
Nearby counties
Questions people ask
$992 a month for FY 2026, which runs October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026. The other rates are $684 for a studio, $758 for one bedroom, $1,285 for three and $1,524 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 Madison actually go for?
HUD's number is one input. Search any address in Madison for a rent estimate built from nearby comps. 3 free searches, no card.
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