HUD Fair Market Rent · FY 2026 · effective Oct 1, 2025 to Sep 30, 2026
Fair Market Rent in Racine County, Wisconsin (FY 2026)
HUD's FY 2026 Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom in Racine County is $1,235 a month. That's the number the housing authority starts from when it sets Section 8 payment standards here.
2 bedroom FMR
$1,235
FY 2026, utilities included
Payment standard range
$1,112 to $1,359
90% to 110% of FMR
Income to afford 2BR
$49,400
per year, at 30% of income
Rank in Wisconsin
12th of 72
by 2BR FMR
HUD has already published FY 2027. On October 1, 2026 the two-bedroom rate in Racine moves to $1,283. 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 Racine actually rent for?
Search any address in Racine 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 | $851 | $766 to $936 | $34,040 | $16.37/hr | +8.0% |
| 1 bedroom | $988 | $889 to $1,087 | $39,520 | $19.00/hr | +9.7% |
| 2 bedroom | $1,235 | $1,112 to $1,359 | $49,400 | $23.75/hr | +7.5% |
| 3 bedroom | $1,592 | $1,433 to $1,751 | $63,680 | $30.62/hr | +6.8% |
| 4 bedroom | $1,962 | $1,766 to $2,158 | $78,480 | $37.73/hr | +8.2% |
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 | $2,256 | $2,030 to $2,482 |
| 6 bedroom Estimate | $2,551 | $2,296 to $2,806 |
| 7 bedroom Estimate | $2,845 | $2,561 to $3,130 |
| 8 bedroom Estimate | $3,139 | $2,825 to $3,453 |
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 Racine, that runs from $851 for a studio up to $1,962 for four bedrooms, all five rates in the table above.
Racine is its own HUD metro area (Racine-Mount Pleasant, WI), so the rate here is set from rents inside the county rather than a wider region.
Among Wisconsin's 72 counties, Racine ranks 12th for two-bedroom FMR. That's about 22% above the state median of $1,010 and about 21% above the national median county at $1,018. About 197,068 people live here, 5th in the state.
Rates by ZIP code
Zoom in and the picture changes. HUD's Small Area FMRs put a two-bedroom at $1,150 in 53167 (Rochester) and $1,610 in 53139 (Kansasville), with the 15 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 53105 | Burlington | $1,310 | +6.1% |
| 53108 | Caledonia | $1,390 | +12.6% |
| 53126 | Franksville | $1,280 | +3.6% |
| 53139 | Kansasville | $1,610 | +30.4% |
| 53167 | Rochester | $1,150 | -6.9% |
| 53177 | Sturtevant | $1,540 | +24.7% |
| 53182 | Union Grove | $1,310 | +6.1% |
| 53185 | Waterford | $1,420 | +15.0% |
| 53401 | Racine | $1,240 | +0.4% |
| 53402 | Racine | $1,270 | +2.8% |
| 53403 | Racine | $1,310 | +6.1% |
| 53404 | Racine | $1,150 | -6.9% |
| 53405 | Racine | $1,190 | -3.6% |
| 53406 | Racine | $1,200 | -2.8% |
| 53407 | Racine | $1,235County rate | — |
| 53408 | Racine | $1,240 | +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 Racine somewhere between $1,112 and $1,359. 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.
$1,235 a month is affordable, by HUD's 30% rule, on an income of roughly $49,400 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% ($1,112) | HAP at 100% ($1,235) | HAP at 110% ($1,359) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $2,500 | $750 | $362 | $485 | $609 |
| $4,000 | $1,200 | $0 | $35 | $159 |
Rate history
The two-bedroom rate went up 7% from FY 2025 ($1,149) to FY 2026 ($1,235). Since FY 2020 it's up 43% in total, about 6.1% a year. The Wisconsin median moved up 1% over the same year.
| Year | Studio | 1 BR | 2 BR | 3 BR | 4 BR | 2BR change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY 2020 | $564 | $663 | $866 | $1,154 | $1,209 | — |
| FY 2021 | $598 | $688 | $907 | $1,195 | $1,306 | +4.7% |
| FY 2022 | $619 | $708 | $931 | $1,219 | $1,336 | +2.6% |
| FY 2023 | $683 | $778 | $1,021 | $1,329 | $1,490 | +9.7% |
| FY 2024 | $740 | $842 | $1,092 | $1,429 | $1,662 | +7.0% |
| FY 2025 | $788 | $901 | $1,149 | $1,490 | $1,814 | +5.2% |
| FY 2026 | $851 | $988 | $1,235 | $1,592 | $1,962 | +7.5% |
| FY 2027 | $926 | $1,036 | $1,283 | $1,639 | $1,984 | +3.9% |
Nearby counties
Kenosha County
$1,40214 mi · pop 168,693
Milwaukee County
$1,33821 mi · pop 933,063
Waukesha County
$1,33827 mi · pop 407,290
Walworth County
$1,20631 mi · pop 105,127
Ozaukee County
$1,33843 mi · pop 91,745
Washington County
$1,33845 mi · pop 136,842
Jefferson County
$1,15647 mi · pop 85,932
Rock County
$1,24658 mi · pop 163,817
Questions people ask
$1,235 a month for FY 2026, which runs October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026. The other rates are $851 for a studio, $988 for one bedroom, $1,592 for three and $1,962 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 Racine actually go for?
HUD's number is one input. Search any address in Racine for a rent estimate built from nearby comps. 3 free searches, no card.
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