HUD Fair Market Rent · FY 2026 · effective Oct 1, 2025 to Sep 30, 2026
Fair Market Rent in Mercer County, Ohio (FY 2026)
$987 a month. That's HUD's FY 2026 Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom in Mercer County, and it's the baseline every voucher in Mercer is measured against.
2 bedroom FMR
$987
FY 2026, utilities included
Payment standard range
$888 to $1,086
90% to 110% of FMR
Income to afford 2BR
$39,480
per year, at 30% of income
Rank in Ohio
50th of 88
by 2BR FMR
HUD has already published FY 2027. On October 1, 2026 the two-bedroom rate in Mercer moves to $1,008. That's up 2%. The full FY 2027 table is in the history section below.
HUD's number is one input. What does a two-bedroom in Mercer actually rent for?
Search any address in Mercer 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 | $747 | $672 to $822 | $29,880 | $14.37/hr | +12.5% |
| 1 bedroom | $788 | $709 to $867 | $31,520 | $15.15/hr | +10.4% |
| 2 bedroom | $987 | $888 to $1,086 | $39,480 | $18.98/hr | +11.7% |
| 3 bedroom | $1,287 | $1,158 to $1,416 | $51,480 | $24.75/hr | +10.2% |
| 4 bedroom | $1,307 | $1,176 to $1,438 | $52,280 | $25.13/hr | +11.5% |
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 | $1,503 | $1,353 to $1,653 |
| 6 bedroom Estimate | $1,699 | $1,529 to $1,869 |
| 7 bedroom Estimate | $1,895 | $1,706 to $2,085 |
| 8 bedroom Estimate | $2,091 | $1,882 to $2,300 |
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 Mercer, that runs from $747 for a studio up to $1,307 for four bedrooms, all five rates in the table above.
Because Mercer 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, Burkettsville included.
Among Ohio's 88 counties, Mercer ranks 50th for two-bedroom FMR. That's about 3% below the state median of $1,016 and about 3% below the national median county at $1,018. About 42,321 people live here, 58th 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 45826 (Chickasaw) and $1,100 in 45310 (Burkettsville), 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 Mercer somewhere between $888 and $1,086. 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.
$987 a month is affordable, by HUD's 30% rule, on an income of roughly $39,480 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% ($888) | HAP at 100% ($987) | HAP at 110% ($1,086) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $2,500 | $750 | $138 | $237 | $336 |
| $4,000 | $1,200 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
Rate history
The two-bedroom rate went up 12% from FY 2025 ($884) to FY 2026 ($987). Since FY 2020 it's up 42% in total, about 6.0% 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 | $525 | $528 | $696 | $896 | $944 | — |
| FY 2021 | $553 | $557 | $734 | $955 | $995 | +5.5% |
| FY 2022 | $557 | $561 | $738 | $984 | $1,001 | +0.5% |
| FY 2023 | $599 | $603 | $794 | $1,063 | $1,067 | +7.6% |
| FY 2024 | $639 | $676 | $860 | $1,141 | $1,145 | +8.3% |
| FY 2025 | $664 | $714 | $884 | $1,168 | $1,172 | +2.8% |
| FY 2026 | $747 | $788 | $987 | $1,287 | $1,307 | +11.7% |
| FY 2027 | $762 | $807 | $1,008 | $1,258 | $1,394 | +2.1% |
Nearby counties
Questions people ask
$987 a month for FY 2026, which runs October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026. The other rates are $747 for a studio, $788 for one bedroom, $1,287 for three and $1,307 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 Mercer actually go for?
HUD's number is one input. Search any address in Mercer for a rent estimate built from nearby comps. 3 free searches, no card.
Free tier. No credit card.