HUD Fair Market Rent · FY 2026 · effective Oct 1, 2025 to Sep 30, 2026
Fair Market Rent in Portage County, Ohio (FY 2026)
A two-bedroom in Portage County carries a FY 2026 Fair Market Rent of $1,268 a month, effective October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026. Everything Section 8 pays in Portage keys off that figure.
2 bedroom FMR
$1,268
FY 2026, utilities included
Payment standard range
$1,141 to $1,395
90% to 110% of FMR
Income to afford 2BR
$50,720
per year, at 30% of income
Rank in Ohio
21st of 88
by 2BR FMR
HUD has already published FY 2027. On October 1, 2026 the two-bedroom rate in Portage moves to $1,231. That's down 3%. The full FY 2027 table is in the history section below.
HUD's number is one input. What does a two-bedroom in Portage actually rent for?
Search any address in Portage 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 | $904 | $814 to $994 | $36,160 | $17.38/hr | +13.1% |
| 1 bedroom | $985 | $887 to $1,084 | $39,400 | $18.94/hr | +11.9% |
| 2 bedroom | $1,268 | $1,141 to $1,395 | $50,720 | $24.38/hr | +12.1% |
| 3 bedroom | $1,547 | $1,392 to $1,702 | $61,880 | $29.75/hr | +10.7% |
| 4 bedroom | $1,681 | $1,513 to $1,849 | $67,240 | $32.33/hr | +11.8% |
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 | $1,933 | $1,740 to $2,126 |
| 6 bedroom Estimate | $2,185 | $1,967 to $2,404 |
| 7 bedroom Estimate | $2,437 | $2,193 to $2,681 |
| 8 bedroom Estimate | $2,690 | $2,421 to $2,959 |
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 Portage, that runs from $904 for a studio up to $1,681 for four bedrooms, all five rates in the table above.
This is a metro rate. The county doesn't get one of its own. HUD lumps Portage in with one other county in the Akron metro, Summit County among them, and every one of them gets $1,268 for a two-bedroom. Where you are inside the metro doesn't change the county number. It does change the ZIP number, covered below.
Among Ohio's 88 counties, Portage ranks 21st for two-bedroom FMR. That's about 25% above the state median of $1,016 and about 25% above the national median county at $1,018. About 161,217 people live here, 19th in the state.
Counties sharing the Akron metro rate
Rates by ZIP code
Zoom in and the picture changes. HUD's Small Area FMRs put a two-bedroom at $1,020 in 44412 (Diamond) and $1,900 in 44202 (Aurora), with the 17 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.
| ZIP | City | 2BR rate | vs county |
|---|---|---|---|
| 44201 | Atwater | $1,320 | +4.1% |
| 44202 | Aurora | $1,900 | +49.8% |
| 44211 | Brady Lake | $1,300 | +2.5% |
| 44231 | Garrettsville | $1,090 | -14.0% |
| 44234 | Hiram | $1,140 | -10.1% |
| 44240 | Kent | $1,280 | +0.9% |
| 44241 | Streetsboro | $1,630 | +28.5% |
| 44242 | Kent | $1,300 | +2.5% |
| 44243 | Kent | $1,280 | +0.9% |
| 44255 | Mantua | $1,260 | -0.6% |
| 44265 | Randolph | $1,300 | +2.5% |
| 44266 | Ravenna | $1,200 | -5.4% |
| 44272 | Rootstown | $1,270 | +0.2% |
| 44285 | Wayland | $1,200 | -5.4% |
| 44288 | Windham | $1,270 | +0.2% |
| 44411 | Deerfield | $1,380 | +8.8% |
| 44412 | Diamond | $1,020 | -19.6% |
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 Portage somewhere between $1,141 and $1,395. 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.
$1,268 a month is affordable, by HUD's 30% rule, on an income of roughly $50,720 a year. Put another way, $24 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% ($1,141) | HAP at 100% ($1,268) | HAP at 110% ($1,395) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $2,500 | $750 | $391 | $518 | $645 |
| $4,000 | $1,200 | $0 | $68 | $195 |
Rate history
The two-bedroom rate went up 12% from FY 2025 ($1,131) to FY 2026 ($1,268). Since FY 2020 it's up 50% in total, about 7.0% 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 | $557 | $659 | $847 | $1,065 | $1,147 | — |
| FY 2021 | $566 | $664 | $849 | $1,069 | $1,151 | +0.2% |
| FY 2022 | $610 | $702 | $890 | $1,126 | $1,207 | +4.8% |
| FY 2023 | $712 | $809 | $1,027 | $1,297 | $1,380 | +15.4% |
| FY 2024 | $728 | $816 | $1,039 | $1,301 | $1,389 | +1.2% |
| FY 2025 | $799 | $880 | $1,131 | $1,398 | $1,504 | +8.9% |
| FY 2026 | $904 | $985 | $1,268 | $1,547 | $1,681 | +12.1% |
| FY 2027 | $886 | $952 | $1,231 | $1,474 | $1,618 | -2.9% |
Nearby counties
Summit County
$1,26817 mi · pop 539,361
Geauga County
$1,27923 mi · pop 95,455
Trumbull County
$97326 mi · pop 201,749
Mahoning County
$97327 mi · pop 227,979
Stark County
$1,08627 mi · pop 374,199
Cuyahoga County
$1,27932 mi · pop 1,256,620
Columbiana County
$97335 mi · pop 101,723
Medina County
$1,27935 mi · pop 182,347
Questions people ask
$1,268 a month for FY 2026, which runs October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026. The other rates are $904 for a studio, $985 for one bedroom, $1,547 for three and $1,681 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 Portage actually go for?
HUD's number is one input. Search any address in Portage for a rent estimate built from nearby comps. 3 free searches, no card.
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