County FMR · HUD FY2026
Atchison County Fair Market Rent
HUD's FY2026 Fair Market Rent for Atchison County, KS - 30% below the US average.
- $668
- 1-bedroom FMR
- $877
- 2-bedroom FMR
- +0.5%
- YoY change
- -30%
- vs US avg
The verdict
Atchison is the 3rd cheapest of 105 counties in Kansas by 2-bedroom FMR; nationally it ranks #221 most affordable of 3,145 HUD counties.
- #221
- most affordable of 3,145 US counties (2BR)
- #3
- cheapest of 105 in Kansas (2BR)
- -11%
- vs the state average
- $26,720
- income to afford it (30% rule)
Software Developers spend the smallest share of income on rent here (7.5%), while Fast Food and Counter Workers spend the most (29.7%); 15 of 15 common occupations here can afford a 1-bedroom at Fair Market Rent without exceeding the 30% threshold.
FY 2026 HUD Fair Market Rent for Atchison County, KS. Verify with HUD →
The Fair Market Rent for a 1-bedroom apartment in Atchison County, Kansas is $668 per month in FY 2026, according to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). A 2-bedroom costs $877/mo and a studio is $631/mo. This is 30% lower than the national average of $959 and 11% below the Kansas average of $753.
Rent increased0.5% from FY 2025 ($665), roughly tracking inflation. The 30% affordability floor is comparatively reachable here at $26,720/year.
FY 2026 HUD Fair Market Rents in Kansas. Population: 16,309. Population has held roughly steady over the past five years (-0.9%, Census ACS). That's slower than Kansas's statewide growth of +1.0% over the same period.
What these rents mean for Atchison County
HUD publishes one FMR schedule per FMR area (often the county). Local housing authorities use it as the Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher payment-standard baseline. See how FMR is calculated.
According to HUD's FY 2026 Fair Market Rent schedule, Atchison County's 2-bedroom of $877 ranks #221 most affordable of 3,145 US counties, in the lowest-rent tenth of HUD counties.
This is a below-average rent market: 1-bedroom FMR is 30% under the US average of $959 and 11% below Kansas's $753. HUD's 1-bedroom figure shifted from $665 (FY 2025) to $668 (FY 2026), a +0.5% move that keeps the below-average posture intact.
A 1-bedroom at $668 needs $26,720/year under the 30% rule against a county median of $62,164, and the median household clears that line with room to spare. A 2-bedroom at $877 is the next step up.
Fair Market Rents (2026)
Year-over-Year Comparison
| Bedrooms | FY 2025 | FY 2026 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Studio | $625 | $631 | +$6 (+1.0%) |
| 1 Bedroom | $665 | $668 | +$3 (+0.5%) |
| 2 Bedroom | $872 | $877 | +$5 (+0.6%) |
| 3 Bedroom | $1,222 | $1,220 | $-2 (-0.2%) |
| 4 Bedroom | $1,386 | $1,471 | +$85 (+6.1%) |
Affordability Snapshot
Based on the standard that rent should not exceed 30% of gross income:
Rent Burden Analysis
How much of household income goes to rent in Atchison County. The 30% threshold indicates cost burden.
How we calculate this
Rent burden = (FMR × 12) ÷ county median household income. Required income = (FMR × 12) ÷ 0.3, the federal 30%-of-gross-income rule HUD uses to define cost burden. Median household income is from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey; FMR is from HUD's FY2026 release. See methodology.
Where Atchison sits among every US county
2-bedroom Fair Market Rent vs. all 3,145 HUD counties
$877 higher than 7% of 3,145 counties
Each bar is a $0.2K-wide band; taller bars hold more counties. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Fair Market Rents · FY2026
How Atchison compares on 1-bedroom rent
1-bedroom FMR vs other Kansas counties
- Johnson
Johnson County
$1,197 1BR FMR / mo
- Wyandotte
Wyandotte County
$1,197 1BR FMR / mo
- Leavenworth
Leavenworth County
$1,197 1BR FMR / mo
- Douglas
Douglas County
$1,006 1BR FMR / mo
- Sedgwick
Sedgwick County
$849 1BR FMR / mo
- Shawnee
Shawnee County
$820 1BR FMR / mo
- Atchison
Atchison County
$668 1BR FMR / mo
What this shows Atchison is highlighted. Nearby Kansas counties by 1-bedroom FMR, highest to lowest: Johnson County ($1,197), Wyandotte County ($1,197), Leavenworth County ($1,197), Douglas County ($1,006), Sedgwick County ($849), Shawnee County ($820), Atchison County (this county) ($668).
Can Common Jobs Afford Rent Here?
With a below-average 1-bedroom at $668/mo, most of these Kansas occupations clear, or miss, the 30% affordability line.
| Occupation | KS Salary | Rent Burden | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|
| Software Developers | $106,660 | 7.5% | Affordable |
| General & Operations Managers | $85,600 | 9.4% | Affordable |
| Registered Nurses | $78,060 | 10.3% | Affordable |
| Accountants & Auditors | $76,400 | 10.5% | Affordable |
| Electricians | $61,830 | 13% | Affordable |
| Heavy & Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers | $56,940 | 14.1% | Affordable |
| Police & Sheriff's Patrol Officers | $56,610 | 14.2% | Affordable |
| Elementary School Teachers | $50,820 | 15.8% | Affordable |
| Paralegals & Legal Assistants | $48,910 | 16.4% | Affordable |
| Pharmacy Technicians | $39,210 | 20.4% | Affordable |
| Customer Service Representatives | $38,330 | 20.9% | Affordable |
| Janitors & Cleaners | $32,690 | 24.5% | Affordable |
| Retail Salespersons | $31,670 | 25.3% | Affordable |
| Teaching Assistants | $27,960 | 28.7% | Affordable |
| Fast Food & Counter Workers | $27,000 | 29.7% | Affordable |
Rent Trends (2020–2026)
7-year Fair Market Rent history for Atchison County. Shows how HUD rental rates have changed over time.
Over the 6-year span HUD has tracked for Atchison (FY 2020-2026), the 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent has risen 23.2% overall, from $542 to $668. The increases have been fairly steady year to year, with no single jump exceeding 9.8% (FY 2024).
| Year | Studio | 1 BR | 2 BR |
|---|---|---|---|
| FY 2026 ↑0.5% | $631 | $668 | $877 |
| FY 2025 ↓0.9% | $625 | $665 | $872 |
| FY 2024 ↑9.8% | $633 | $671 | $882 |
| FY 2023 ↑8.3% | $555 | $611 | $804 |
| FY 2022 ↑3.5% | $512 | $564 | $742 |
| FY 2021 ↑0.6% | $543 | $545 | $718 |
| FY 2020 | $524 | $542 | $714 |
Part of the Atchison, KS Micro Area
Atchison County is a central county of the Atchison, KS micropolitan statistical area.
Nearby Counties in Kansas
Largest counties by population in Kansas
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the average rent in Atchison County? ▼
How does Atchison County rent compare to the national average? ▼
Where does Atchison County rank nationally for Fair Market Rent? ▼
What income do I need to afford rent in Atchison County? ▼
Is rent going up or down in Atchison County? ▼
Which jobs can afford rent in Atchison County? ▼
How much has rent changed in Atchison County over time? ▼
How does Fair Market Rent affect Section 8 vouchers in Atchison County? ▼
What does Fair Market Rent mean for Atchison County? ▼
What this means for renters
Treat Atchison's FY2026 Fair Market Rent as HUD's affordability benchmark, not a market quote.
- Budget to roughly 30% of income: the FY2026 1-bedroom FMR of $668 implies about $26,720/yr to rent without being cost-burdened. Run your numbers
- Compare this county against nearby metros and states before signing a lease. Compare areas
- See where it sits on the national rent map. View rankings
Fair Market Rent is HUD's 40th-percentile policy benchmark used to set Housing Choice Voucher payment standards. Actual asking rents in Atchison can run higher or lower, and HUD updates FMRs once a year. This page is informational and not financial or relocation advice.
Disclaimer: This information is provided for informational purposes only and does not constitute professional advice. Data is sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau and HUD Fair Market Rents. Consult a qualified professional before making decisions based on this data.
Every figure on PlainRent is rendered directly from HUD's published Fair Market Rent records, no number is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of FY 2026.