County FMR · HUD FY2026

Barron County Fair Market Rent

HUD's FY2026 Fair Market Rent for Barron County, WI - 22% below the US average.

$750
1-bedroom FMR
$984
2-bedroom FMR
+0.5%
YoY change
-22%
vs US avg

The verdict

Barron is the 34th cheapest of 72 counties in Wisconsin by 2-bedroom FMR; nationally it ranks #1,353 most affordable of 3,145 HUD counties.

#1,353
most affordable of 3,145 US counties (2BR)
#34
cheapest of 72 in Wisconsin (2BR)
-14%
vs the state average
$30,000
income to afford it (30% rule)

General and Operations Managers spend the smallest share of income on rent here (8%), while Fast Food and Counter Workers spend the most (31.6%); 14 of 15 common occupations here can afford a 1-bedroom at Fair Market Rent without exceeding the 30% threshold; nearby Wisconsin counties range as much as 59% apart in 1-bedroom FMR, so the county line itself can matter for renters comparing options.

FY 2026 HUD Fair Market Rent for Barron County, WI. Verify with HUD →

HUD sets the FY 2026 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent for Barron County, Wisconsin at $750 per month - the federal rental-assistance benchmark for this county. A 2-bedroom costs $984/mo and a studio is $704/mo. This is 22% lower than the national average of $959 and 14% below the Wisconsin average of $872.

Rent increased0.5% from FY 2025 ($746), roughly tracking inflation. The 30% affordability floor is comparatively reachable here at $30,000/year.

FY 2026 HUD Fair Market Rents in Wisconsin. Population: 46,683. Population has held roughly steady over the past five years (+3.3%, Census ACS). That's in line with Wisconsin's statewide growth of +2.0% over the same period.

What these rents mean for Barron 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, Barron County's 2-bedroom of $984 ranks #1,353 most affordable of 3,145 US counties, in the middle half of HUD counties.

This is a below-average rent market: 1-bedroom FMR is 22% under the US average of $959 and 14% below Wisconsin's $872. HUD's 1-bedroom figure shifted from $746 (FY 2025) to $750 (FY 2026), a +0.5% move that keeps the below-average posture intact.

A 1-bedroom at $750 needs $30,000/year under the 30% rule against a county median of $64,619, and the median household clears that line with room to spare. A 2-bedroom at $984 is the next step up.

Fair Market Rents (2026)

Studio
State avg: $797 · US avg: $893
$704/mo
↑ 3.7% YoY -12% vs state -21% vs US
1 Bedroom
State avg: $872 · US avg: $959
$750/mo
↑ 0.5% YoY -14% vs state -22% vs US
2 Bedroom
State avg: $1,097 · US avg: $1,175
$984/mo
↑ 0.5% YoY -10% vs state -16% vs US
3 Bedroom
State avg: $1,405 · US avg: $1,525
$1,262/mo
↑ 4.2% YoY -10% vs state -17% vs US
4 Bedroom
State avg: $1,572 · US avg: $1,756
$1,590/mo
↑ 6.4% YoY +1% vs state -9% vs US

Year-over-Year Comparison

Bedrooms FY 2025 FY 2026 Change
Studio $679
$704
+$25 (+3.7%)
1 Bedroom $746
$750
+$4 (+0.5%)
2 Bedroom $979
$984
+$5 (+0.5%)
3 Bedroom $1,211
$1,262
+$51 (+4.2%)
4 Bedroom $1,494
$1,590
+$96 (+6.4%)

Affordability Snapshot

Based on the standard that rent should not exceed 30% of gross income:

Required annual income for 1 BR
$30,000
$2,500/month gross
Required annual income for 2 BR
$39,360
$3,280/month gross

Rent Burden Analysis

How much of household income goes to rent in Barron County. The 30% threshold indicates cost burden.

Studio
13.1%
Affordable
Need $28,160/yr for 30% rule
1 Bedroom
13.9%
Affordable
Need $30,000/yr for 30% rule
2 Bedroom
18.3%
Affordable
Need $39,360/yr for 30% rule
3 Bedroom
23.4%
Affordable
Need $50,480/yr for 30% rule
4 Bedroom
29.5%
Affordable
Need $63,600/yr for 30% rule
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.

0%100%National avg22%18.3%
Barron County 2-bedroom rent burden
County median income: $64,619 · National avg burden: 21.7% ·View Wisconsin rent burden →

Where Barron sits among every US county

2-bedroom Fair Market Rent vs. all 3,145 HUD counties

$984 higher than 43% of 3,145 counties

$600–$800: 23 counties (1%). Below this entry. $800–$1,000: 1,406 counties (45%). This entry sits in this band. $1,000–$1,200: 723 counties (23%). Above this entry. $1,200–$1,400: 417 counties (13%). Above this entry. $1,400–$1,600: 181 counties (6%). Above this entry. $1,600–$1,800: 172 counties (5%). Above this entry. $1,800–$2,000: 108 counties (3%). Above this entry. $2,000–$2,200: 29 counties (1%). Above this entry. $2,200–$2,400: 40 counties (1%). Above this entry. $2,400–$2,600: 13 counties (0%). Above this entry. $2,600–$2,800: 9 counties (0%). Above this entry. $2,800–$3,000: 15 counties (0%). Above this entry. $3,000–$3,200: 3 counties (0%). Above this entry. $3,200–$3,400: 1 counties (0%). Above this entry. $3,400–$3,600: 1 counties (0%). Above this entry. $3,600–$3,800: 3 counties (0%). Above this entry. $3,800–$4,000: 0 counties (0%). Above this entry. $4,000–$4,200: 0 counties (0%). Above this entry. $4,200–$4,400: 1 counties (0%). Above this entry. This county $600 $4,400 every US county, bucketed by value

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 Barron compares on 1-bedroom rent

1-bedroom FMR vs other Wisconsin counties

1BR FMR / mo

What this shows Barron is highlighted. Nearby Wisconsin counties by 1-bedroom FMR, highest to lowest: Dane County ($1,482), Milwaukee County ($1,119), Waukesha County ($1,119), Racine County ($988), Outagamie County ($960), Brown County ($931), Barron County (this county) ($750).

Source U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) As of FY2026

Can Common Jobs Afford Rent Here?

With a below-average 1-bedroom at $750/mo, most of these Wisconsin occupations clear, or miss, the 30% affordability line.

Occupation WI Salary Rent Burden Verdict
General & Operations Managers $113,170 8% Affordable
Software Developers $103,360 8.7% Affordable
Registered Nurses $86,070 10.5% Affordable
Police & Sheriff's Patrol Officers $78,980 11.4% Affordable
Accountants & Auditors $78,150 11.5% Affordable
Electricians $75,090 12% Affordable
Elementary School Teachers $60,690 14.8% Affordable
Heavy & Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers $57,380 15.7% Affordable
Paralegals & Legal Assistants $56,520 15.9% Affordable
Customer Service Representatives $45,980 19.6% Affordable
Pharmacy Technicians $43,620 20.6% Affordable
Teaching Assistants $36,050 25% Affordable
Janitors & Cleaners $35,850 25.1% Affordable
Retail Salespersons $33,640 26.8% Affordable
Fast Food & Counter Workers $28,500 31.6% Stretched
Salaries: BLS OES (Wisconsin) median · 30% = affordable threshold · Try the salary calculator →

Rent Trends (2020–2026)

7-year Fair Market Rent history for Barron County. Shows how HUD rental rates have changed over time.

Over the 6-year span HUD has tracked for Barron (FY 2020-2026), the 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent has risen 32.5% overall, from $566 to $750. The increases have been fairly steady year to year, with no single jump exceeding 10.6% (FY 2022).

$500$550$600$650$700$750$800 FY2020FY2021FY2022FY2023FY2024FY2025FY2026 $750
Barron County 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent, FY2020–FY2026
Year Studio 1 BR 2 BR
FY 2026 ↑0.5% $704 $750 $984
FY 2025 ↑3.9% $679 $746 $979
FY 2024 ↑7.0% $648 $718 $943
FY 2023 ↑8.9% $613 $671 $883
FY 2022 ↑10.6% $574 $616 $811
FY 2021 ↓1.6% $529 $557 $734
FY 2020 $554 $566 $745
Total change (6yr): +32.5%
Annualized: +4.8%/yr
1 BR: $566 → $750

Part of the Rice Lake, WI Micro Area

Barron County is a central county of the Rice Lake, WI micropolitan statistical area.

Nearby Counties in Wisconsin

Largest counties by population in Wisconsin

Milwaukee County
1 BR: $1,119/mo Pop: 933,063
Dane County
1 BR: $1,482/mo Pop: 559,891
Waukesha County
1 BR: $1,119/mo Pop: 407,290
Brown County
1 BR: $931/mo Pop: 268,393
Racine County
1 BR: $988/mo Pop: 197,068
Outagamie County
1 BR: $960/mo Pop: 190,611
Winnebago County
1 BR: $889/mo Pop: 171,197
Kenosha County
1 BR: $1,092/mo Pop: 168,693
View all counties in Wisconsin →

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the average rent in Barron County? ▼
The FY 2026 Fair Market Rent for a 1-bedroom in Barron County is $750 per month. A 2-bedroom is $984 and a studio is $704.
How does Barron County rent compare to the national average? ▼
Rent in Barron County is 22% below the national average. A 1-bedroom here costs $750 compared to $959 nationally.
Where does Barron County rank nationally for Fair Market Rent? ▼
According to HUD's FY 2026 Fair Market Rent schedule, Barron County's 2-bedroom FMR of $984 ranks #1,353 most affordable among 3,145 HUD counties, placing it in the middle half of HUD counties.
What income do I need to afford rent in Barron County? ▼
Based on the 30% affordability rule, you need an annual income of at least $30,000 ($2,500/month) to afford a 1-bedroom at Fair Market Rent in Barron County.
Is rent going up or down in Barron County? ▼
The 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent in Barron County increased by 0.5% from FY 2025 to FY 2026, going from $746 to $750.
Which jobs can afford rent in Barron County? ▼
Based on Wisconsin BLS salary data and the 30% affordability rule, jobs like General and Operations Managers, Software Developers, Registered Nurses can afford a 1-bedroom at $750/mo. 14 of 15 common occupations are affordable here.
How much has rent changed in Barron County over time? ▼
The 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent in Barron County went from $566 in FY 2020 to $750 in FY 2026, a total change of +32.5% over 6 years.
How does Fair Market Rent affect Section 8 vouchers in Barron County? ▼
In Barron County, the FY 2026 FMR of $750/mo for a 1-bedroom sets the baseline that local housing authorities use for Section 8 payment standards.
What does Fair Market Rent mean for Barron County? ▼
For Barron County, it's the specific 40th-percentile rent HUD publishes each year ($750/mo for a 1-bedroom in FY 2026).

What this means for renters

Treat Barron'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 $750 implies about $30,000/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 Barron 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.

All federal data sources used on this page
  • HUD Fair Market Rents (FMR) - county-level fair-market rent estimates by bedroom count. huduser.gov/datasets/fmr
  • HUD Income Limits - area median income for affordability calculations. huduser.gov/datasets/il
  • HUD Comprehensive Housing Affordability Strategy (CHAS) - rent burden and housing-cost distribution. huduser.gov/datasets/cp
  • U.S. Census Bureau ACS - county and metro housing characteristics + median rent. census.gov/programs-surveys/acs
  • BLS Consumer Price Index, Rent of Primary Residence - rent inflation by metro. bls.gov/cpi
  • IRS Migration Data (SOI) - interstate migration aggregates affecting county demand. irs.gov/statistics/migration
  • BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics - state-level median wages by occupation, used for job affordability analysis. bls.gov/oes

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.