HUD Fair Market Rent · FY 2026 · effective Oct 1, 2025 to Sep 30, 2026
Fair Market Rent in Cherokee County, Oklahoma (FY 2026)
A two-bedroom in Cherokee County carries a FY 2026 Fair Market Rent of $948 a month, effective October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026. Everything Section 8 pays in Cherokee keys off that figure.
2 bedroom FMR
$948
FY 2026, utilities included
Payment standard range
$853 to $1,043
90% to 110% of FMR
Income to afford 2BR
$37,920
per year, at 30% of income
Rank in Oklahoma
30th of 77
by 2BR FMR
HUD has already published FY 2027. On October 1, 2026 the two-bedroom rate in Cherokee moves to $943. That's down 1%. The full FY 2027 table is in the history section below.
HUD's number is one input. What does a two-bedroom in Cherokee actually rent for?
Search any address in Cherokee 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 | $764 | $688 to $840 | $30,560 | $14.69/hr | +3.4% |
| 1 bedroom | $769 | $692 to $846 | $30,760 | $14.79/hr | +3.4% |
| 2 bedroom | $948 | $853 to $1,043 | $37,920 | $18.23/hr | +1.9% |
| 3 bedroom | $1,215 | $1,094 to $1,337 | $48,600 | $23.37/hr | +2.0% |
| 4 bedroom | $1,255 | $1,130 to $1,381 | $50,200 | $24.13/hr | +1.8% |
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 | $1,443 | $1,299 to $1,587 |
| 6 bedroom Estimate | $1,632 | $1,469 to $1,795 |
| 7 bedroom Estimate | $1,820 | $1,638 to $2,002 |
| 8 bedroom Estimate | $2,008 | $1,807 to $2,209 |
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 Cherokee, that runs from $764 for a studio up to $1,255 for four bedrooms, all five rates in the table above.
Because Cherokee 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, Tahlequah included.
Among Oklahoma's 77 counties, Cherokee ranks 30th for two-bedroom FMR. That's within a couple percent of the state median of $937 and about 7% below the national median county at $1,018. About 47,412 people live here, 18th in the state.
Rates by ZIP code
Zoom in and the picture changes. HUD's Small Area FMRs put a two-bedroom at $940 in 74427 (Cookson) and $1,090 in 74451 (Park Hill), 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 Cherokee somewhere between $853 and $1,043. 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.
$948 a month is affordable, by HUD's 30% rule, on an income of roughly $37,920 a year. Put another way, $18 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% ($853) | HAP at 100% ($948) | HAP at 110% ($1,043) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $2,500 | $750 | $103 | $198 | $293 |
| $4,000 | $1,200 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
Rate history
The two-bedroom rate went up 2% from FY 2025 ($930) to FY 2026 ($948). Since FY 2020 it's up 38% in total, about 5.5% a year. The Oklahoma median moved up 3% over the same year.
| Year | Studio | 1 BR | 2 BR | 3 BR | 4 BR | 2BR change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY 2020 | $550 | $563 | $686 | $919 | $1,018 | — |
| FY 2021 | $583 | $586 | $728 | $940 | $1,060 | +6.1% |
| FY 2022 | $598 | $601 | $740 | $937 | $1,069 | +1.6% |
| FY 2023 | $644 | $648 | $814 | $1,023 | $1,134 | +10.0% |
| FY 2024 | $717 | $722 | $898 | $1,144 | $1,196 | +10.3% |
| FY 2025 | $739 | $744 | $930 | $1,191 | $1,233 | +3.6% |
| FY 2026 | $764 | $769 | $948 | $1,215 | $1,255 | +1.9% |
| FY 2027 | $746 | $750 | $943 | $1,187 | $1,239 | -0.5% |
Nearby counties
Questions people ask
$948 a month for FY 2026, which runs October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026. The other rates are $764 for a studio, $769 for one bedroom, $1,215 for three and $1,255 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 Cherokee actually go for?
HUD's number is one input. Search any address in Cherokee for a rent estimate built from nearby comps. 3 free searches, no card.
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