HUD Fair Market Rent · FY 2026 · effective Oct 1, 2025 to Sep 30, 2026
Fair Market Rent in Stark County, Ohio (FY 2026)
A two-bedroom in Stark County carries a FY 2026 Fair Market Rent of $1,086 a month, effective October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026. Everything Section 8 pays in Stark keys off that figure.
2 bedroom FMR
$1,086
FY 2026, utilities included
Payment standard range
$977 to $1,195
90% to 110% of FMR
Income to afford 2BR
$43,440
per year, at 30% of income
Rank in Ohio
30th of 88
by 2BR FMR
HUD has already published FY 2027. On October 1, 2026 the two-bedroom rate in Stark moves to $1,049. 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 Stark actually rent for?
Search any address in Stark 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 | $749 | $674 to $824 | $29,960 | $14.40/hr | +11.6% |
| 1 bedroom | $846 | $761 to $931 | $33,840 | $16.27/hr | +12.1% |
| 2 bedroom | $1,086 | $977 to $1,195 | $43,440 | $20.88/hr | +11.0% |
| 3 bedroom | $1,371 | $1,234 to $1,508 | $54,840 | $26.37/hr | +11.6% |
| 4 bedroom | $1,451 | $1,306 to $1,596 | $58,040 | $27.90/hr | +11.9% |
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 | $1,669 | $1,502 to $1,836 |
| 6 bedroom Estimate | $1,886 | $1,697 to $2,075 |
| 7 bedroom Estimate | $2,104 | $1,894 to $2,314 |
| 8 bedroom Estimate | $2,322 | $2,090 to $2,554 |
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 Stark, that runs from $749 for a studio up to $1,451 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 Stark in with one other county in the Canton-Massillon metro, Carroll County among them, and every one of them gets $1,086 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, Stark ranks 30th for two-bedroom FMR. That's about 7% above the state median of $1,016 and about 7% above the national median county at $1,018. About 374,199 people live here, 8th in the state.
Counties sharing the Canton-Massillon metro rate
Rates by ZIP code
Zoom in and the picture changes. HUD's Small Area FMRs put a two-bedroom at $970 in 44702 (Canton) and $1,380 in 44640 (Limaville), with the 41 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 44601 | Alliance | $1,010 | -7.0% |
| 44608 | Beach City | $1,300 | +19.7% |
| 44613 | Brewster | $1,100 | +1.3% |
| 44614 | Canal Fulton | $1,170 | +7.7% |
| 44626 | East Sparta | $1,180 | +8.7% |
| 44630 | Greentown | $1,210 | +11.4% |
| 44632 | Hartville | $1,200 | +10.5% |
| 44640 | Limaville | $1,380 | +27.1% |
| 44641 | Louisville | $1,040 | -4.2% |
| 44643 | Magnolia | $1,060 | -2.4% |
| 44646 | Massillon | $1,080 | -0.6% |
| 44647 | Massillon | $1,180 | +8.7% |
| 44648 | Massillon | $1,090 | +0.4% |
| 44650 | Maximo | $1,090 | +0.4% |
| 44652 | Middlebranch | $1,040 | -4.2% |
| 44657 | Minerva | $1,020 | -6.1% |
| 44662 | Navarre | $1,020 | -6.1% |
| 44666 | North Lawrence | $1,050 | -3.3% |
| 44669 | Paris | $1,010 | -7.0% |
| 44670 | Robertsville | $1,030 | -5.2% |
| 44688 | Waynesburg | $1,020 | -6.1% |
| 44689 | Wilmot | $1,180 | +8.7% |
| 44701 | Canton | $1,086County rate | — |
| 44702 | Canton | $970 | -10.7% |
| 44703 | Canton | $1,030 | -5.2% |
| 44704 | Canton | $1,060 | -2.4% |
| 44705 | Canton | $1,100 | +1.3% |
| 44706 | Canton | $1,090 | +0.4% |
| 44707 | Canton | $1,020 | -6.1% |
| 44708 | Canton | $1,140 | +5.0% |
| 44709 | Canton | $1,030 | -5.2% |
| 44710 | Canton | $1,150 | +5.9% |
| 44711 | Canton | $1,090 | +0.4% |
| 44714 | Canton | $1,100 | +1.3% |
| 44718 | Canton | $1,080 | -0.6% |
| 44720 | North Canton | $1,210 | +11.4% |
| 44721 | Canton | $1,060 | -2.4% |
| 44730 | East Canton | $1,070 | -1.5% |
| 44735 | Canton | $1,090 | +0.4% |
| 44750 | Canton | $1,090 | +0.4% |
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 Stark somewhere between $977 and $1,195. 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.
$1,086 a month is affordable, by HUD's 30% rule, on an income of roughly $43,440 a year. Put another way, $21 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% ($977) | HAP at 100% ($1,086) | HAP at 110% ($1,195) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $2,500 | $750 | $227 | $336 | $445 |
| $4,000 | $1,200 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
Rate history
The two-bedroom rate went up 11% from FY 2025 ($978) to FY 2026 ($1,086). Since FY 2020 it's up 42% in total, about 6.1% 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 | $500 | $579 | $763 | $972 | $1,034 | — |
| FY 2021 | $495 | $570 | $751 | $958 | $1,018 | -1.6% |
| FY 2022 | $510 | $584 | $768 | $976 | $1,041 | +2.3% |
| FY 2023 | $576 | $654 | $861 | $1,086 | $1,157 | +12.1% |
| FY 2024 | $613 | $690 | $905 | $1,134 | $1,205 | +5.1% |
| FY 2025 | $671 | $755 | $978 | $1,229 | $1,297 | +8.1% |
| FY 2026 | $749 | $846 | $1,086 | $1,371 | $1,451 | +11.0% |
| FY 2027 | $734 | $827 | $1,049 | $1,327 | $1,421 | -3.4% |
Nearby counties
Carroll County
$1,08620 mi · pop 26,761
Summit County
$1,26822 mi · pop 539,361
Tuscarawas County
$1,02323 mi · pop 92,840
Wayne County
$1,04125 mi · pop 116,680
Portage County
$1,26827 mi · pop 161,217
Columbiana County
$97331 mi · pop 101,723
Holmes County
$97333 mi · pop 44,273
Medina County
$1,27934 mi · pop 182,347
Questions people ask
$1,086 a month for FY 2026, which runs October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026. The other rates are $749 for a studio, $846 for one bedroom, $1,371 for three and $1,451 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 Stark actually go for?
HUD's number is one input. Search any address in Stark for a rent estimate built from nearby comps. 3 free searches, no card.
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