HUD Fair Market Rent · FY 2026 · effective Oct 1, 2025 to Sep 30, 2026
Fair Market Rent in Defiance County, Ohio (FY 2026)
HUD's FY 2026 Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom in Defiance County is $980 a month. That's the number the housing authority starts from when it sets Section 8 payment standards here.
2 bedroom FMR
$980
FY 2026, utilities included
Payment standard range
$882 to $1,078
90% to 110% of FMR
Income to afford 2BR
$39,200
per year, at 30% of income
Rank in Ohio
53rd of 88
by 2BR FMR
HUD has already published FY 2027. On October 1, 2026 the two-bedroom rate in Defiance moves to $1,017. That's up 4%. The full FY 2027 table is in the history section below.
HUD's number is one input. What does a two-bedroom in Defiance actually rent for?
Search any address in Defiance 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 | $754 | $679 to $829 | $30,160 | $14.50/hr | +13.0% |
| 1 bedroom | $799 | $719 to $879 | $31,960 | $15.37/hr | +14.5% |
| 2 bedroom | $980 | $882 to $1,078 | $39,200 | $18.85/hr | +9.6% |
| 3 bedroom | $1,239 | $1,115 to $1,363 | $49,560 | $23.83/hr | +6.6% |
| 4 bedroom | $1,408 | $1,267 to $1,549 | $56,320 | $27.08/hr | +12.4% |
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 | $1,619 | $1,457 to $1,781 |
| 6 bedroom Estimate | $1,830 | $1,647 to $2,013 |
| 7 bedroom Estimate | $2,042 | $1,838 to $2,246 |
| 8 bedroom Estimate | $2,253 | $2,028 to $2,478 |
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 Defiance, that runs from $754 for a studio up to $1,408 for four bedrooms, all five rates in the table above.
Because Defiance 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, Defiance included.
Among Ohio's 88 counties, Defiance ranks 53rd for two-bedroom FMR. That's about 4% below the state median of $1,016 and about 4% below the national median county at $1,018. About 38,300 people live here, 65th in the state.
Rates by ZIP code
Zoom in and the picture changes. HUD's Small Area FMRs put a two-bedroom at $970 in 43520 (Farmer) and $1,030 in 43519 (Evansport), 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 Defiance somewhere between $882 and $1,078. 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.
$980 a month is affordable, by HUD's 30% rule, on an income of roughly $39,200 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% ($882) | HAP at 100% ($980) | HAP at 110% ($1,078) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $2,500 | $750 | $132 | $230 | $328 |
| $4,000 | $1,200 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
Rate history
The two-bedroom rate went up 10% from FY 2025 ($894) to FY 2026 ($980). Since FY 2020 it's up 41% in total, about 5.9% a year. The Ohio median moved up 9% over the same year.
| Year | Studio | 1 BR | 2 BR | 3 BR | 4 BR | 2BR change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY 2020 | $523 | $528 | $696 | $960 | $1,027 | — |
| FY 2021 | $557 | $561 | $739 | $1,027 | $1,036 | +6.2% |
| FY 2022 | $572 | $576 | $758 | $1,054 | $1,096 | +2.6% |
| FY 2023 | $626 | $631 | $831 | $1,117 | $1,180 | +9.6% |
| FY 2024 | $642 | $667 | $876 | $1,171 | $1,231 | +5.4% |
| FY 2025 | $667 | $698 | $894 | $1,162 | $1,253 | +2.1% |
| FY 2026 | $754 | $799 | $980 | $1,239 | $1,408 | +9.6% |
| FY 2027 | $804 | $851 | $1,017 | $1,215 | $1,511 | +3.8% |
Nearby counties
Questions people ask
$980 a month for FY 2026, which runs October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026. The other rates are $754 for a studio, $799 for one bedroom, $1,239 for three and $1,408 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 Defiance actually go for?
HUD's number is one input. Search any address in Defiance for a rent estimate built from nearby comps. 3 free searches, no card.
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