County FMR · HUD FY2026
Benton County Fair Market Rent
HUD's FY2026 Fair Market Rent for Benton County, MO - 26% below the US average.
- $708
- 1-bedroom FMR
- $929
- 2-bedroom FMR
- +6.0%
- YoY change
- -26%
- vs US avg
The verdict
Benton is the 42nd most expensive of 116 counties in Missouri by 2-bedroom FMR; nationally it ranks #661 most affordable of 3,145 HUD counties; rent here has climbed 6.0% since FY 2025, a modest shift relative to most counties.
- #661
- most affordable of 3,145 US counties (2BR)
- #42
- most expensive of 116 in Missouri (2BR)
- -9%
- vs the state average
- $28,320
- income to afford it (30% rule)
Software Developers spend the smallest share of income on rent here (7.4%), while Teaching Assistants, Except Postsecondary spend the most (29.2%); 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 Benton County, MO. Verify with HUD →
Benton County, Missouri carries an FY 2026 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent of $708 per month, the federal benchmark HUD publishes for this county. A 2-bedroom costs $929/mo and a studio is $690/mo. That's 26% below the national benchmark of $959 and 9% below the Missouri average of $777.
Rent increased6.0% from FY 2025 ($668), outpacing inflation. The 30% affordability floor is comparatively reachable here at $28,320/year.
Observed renter burden: 41.1% of the 1,329 renter households counted by ACS paid at least 30% of income in gross rent. This ACS 2023 household measure is distinct from HUD's FY2026 Fair Market Rent benchmark above.
FY 2026 HUD Fair Market Rents in Missouri. Population: 19,616. Population has held roughly steady over the past five years (+4.7%, Census ACS). That's faster than Missouri's statewide growth of +1.3% over the same period.
FMR filing desk
Area BENTON·COUNTY·MO·MO
Benton County, MO: $708/mo 1BR · #661 of 3145 counties (2BR) · FY2026
- FMR-AREA MO
- 1BR-FMR $708
- 2BR-FMR $929
- RANK-MID #661
- YOY-SURGE +6.0%
- VSUS-LOW -26%
- VS-ST-LOW -9% MO
- INC-ROOM 16%
- POP-SMALL 20K
- PHOTO-NEAR St. Louis County
- VOUCH-90-110 $637–$779
- FY-2026 FY2026
Photo-finish peer: St. Louis ($287 1BR gap)
Read with: Section 8 housing guide
Fair Market Rents (2026)
Year-over-Year Comparison
| Bedrooms | FY 2025 | FY 2026 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Studio | $654 | $690 | +$36 (+5.5%) |
| 1 Bedroom | $668 | $708 | +$40 (+6.0%) |
| 2 Bedroom | $877 | $929 | +$52 (+5.9%) |
| 3 Bedroom | $1,086 | $1,194 | +$108 (+9.9%) |
| 4 Bedroom | $1,230 | $1,453 | +$223 (+18.1%) |
Rent Burden Analysis
How much of household income goes to rent in Benton 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 Benton sits among every US county
2-bedroom Fair Market Rent vs. all 3,145 HUD counties
$929 higher than 21% 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 Benton compares on 1-bedroom rent
1-bedroom FMR vs other Missouri counties
- Jackson
Jackson County
$1,197 1BR FMR / mo
- Clay
Clay County
$1,197 1BR FMR / mo
- St. Louis
St. Louis County
$995 1BR FMR / mo
- St. Charles
St. Charles County
$995 1BR FMR / mo
- St. Louis city
St. Louis city
$995 1BR FMR / mo
- Greene
Greene County
$883 1BR FMR / mo
- Benton
Benton County
$708 1BR FMR / mo
What this shows Benton is highlighted. Nearby Missouri counties by 1-bedroom FMR, highest to lowest: Jackson County ($1,197), Clay County ($1,197), St. Louis County ($995), St. Charles County ($995), St. Louis city ($995), Greene County ($883), Benton County (this county) ($708).
Can Common Jobs Afford Rent Here?
With a below-average 1-bedroom at $708/mo, most of these Missouri occupations clear, or miss, the 30% affordability line.
| Occupation | MO Salary | Rent Burden | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|
| Software Developers | $114,550 | 7.4% | Affordable |
| Registered Nurses | $79,770 | 10.7% | Affordable |
| General & Operations Managers | $77,410 | 11% | Affordable |
| Accountants & Auditors | $73,210 | 11.6% | Affordable |
| Electricians | $70,950 | 12% | Affordable |
| Police & Sheriff's Patrol Officers | $60,720 | 14% | Affordable |
| Paralegals & Legal Assistants | $58,730 | 14.5% | Affordable |
| Heavy & Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers | $50,540 | 16.8% | Affordable |
| Elementary School Teachers | $48,250 | 17.6% | Affordable |
| Customer Service Representatives | $41,850 | 20.3% | Affordable |
| Pharmacy Technicians | $37,990 | 22.4% | Affordable |
| Janitors & Cleaners | $34,080 | 24.9% | Affordable |
| Retail Salespersons | $31,250 | 27.2% | Affordable |
| Fast Food & Counter Workers | $29,310 | 29% | Affordable |
| Teaching Assistants | $29,060 | 29.2% | Affordable |
Rent Trends (2020–2026)
7-year Fair Market Rent history for Benton County. Shows how HUD rental rates have changed over time.
Over the 6-year span HUD has tracked for Benton (FY 2020-2026), the 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent has risen 47.2% overall, from $481 to $708. The increases have been fairly steady year to year, with no single jump exceeding 9.7% (FY 2024).
| Year | Studio | 1 BR | 2 BR |
|---|---|---|---|
| FY 2026 ↑6.0% | $690 | $708 | $929 |
| FY 2025 ↑7.4% | $654 | $668 | $877 |
| FY 2024 ↑9.7% | $616 | $622 | $817 |
| FY 2023 ↑8.8% | $563 | $567 | $746 |
| FY 2022 ↑3.8% | $517 | $521 | $685 |
| FY 2021 ↑4.4% | $499 | $502 | $662 |
| FY 2020 | $478 | $481 | $634 |
Where Benton County Ranks in Missouri
Benton County is not part of any federally-designated metropolitan or micropolitan statistical area -- an independent rental market not administratively tied to a larger urban core. By 2-bedroom FMR, it ranks #75 of 116 counties in Missouri. Nearest by rank: Cole County ($910), Osage County ($910), Pike County ($918), Moniteau County ($922), Ste. Genevieve County ($922), Stone County ($923), Vernon County ($923), Bates County ($927), Benton County (this county) ($929), Scott County ($930), Phelps County ($933), Madison County ($935), Macon County ($936), Camden County ($939), Jasper County ($947), Newton County ($947), Marion County ($952).
Nationwide peers by 2BR FMR & rent burden
Two PlainRent-derived comparison paths for Benton County, both outside Missouri so the link neighborhoods are not the same-state geography lattice above. Axes stay disjoint: burden peers exclude the FMR peer set.
Similar 2-bedroom FMR
Nearest HUD 2BR Fair Market Rents outside MO (FY2026).
Similar rent burden
Nearest 2BR FMR as a share of median household income (outside MO).
Nearby Counties in Missouri
Largest counties by population in Missouri
Showing the 8 largest of 115 other counties in Missouri.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the average rent in Benton County? ▼
How does Benton County rent compare to the national average? ▼
Where does Benton County rank nationally for Fair Market Rent? ▼
What income do I need to afford rent in Benton County? ▼
Is rent going up or down in Benton County? ▼
Which jobs can afford rent in Benton County? ▼
How much has rent changed in Benton County over time? ▼
How does Fair Market Rent affect Section 8 vouchers in Benton County? ▼
What does Fair Market Rent mean for Benton County? ▼
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.