County FMR · HUD FY2026

Brown County Fair Market Rent

HUD's FY2026 Fair Market Rent for Brown County, IN - 32% above the US average.

$1,267
1-bedroom FMR
$1,473
2-bedroom FMR
+15.5%
YoY change
+32%
vs US avg

The verdict

Brown is the 8th most expensive of 92 counties in Indiana by 2-bedroom FMR; nationally it ranks #503 most expensive of 3,145 HUD counties; rent here has climbed 15.5% since FY 2025, a sharp move relative to most counties.

#503
most expensive of 3,145 US counties (2BR)
#8
most expensive of 92 in Indiana (2BR)
+44%
vs the state average
$50,680
income to afford it (30% rule)

General and Operations Managers spend the smallest share of income on rent here (14%), while Fast Food and Counter Workers spend the most (53.7%).

FY 2026 HUD Fair Market Rent for Brown County, IN. Verify with HUD →

The Fair Market Rent for a 1-bedroom apartment in Brown County, Indiana is $1,267 per month in FY 2026, according to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). A 2-bedroom costs $1,473/mo and a studio is $1,118/mo. This is 32% higher than the national average of $959 and 44% above the Indiana average of $882.

Rent increased15.5% from FY 2025 ($1,097), outpacing inflation. A household needs about $50,680/year to stay under the 30% rent-to-income line.

FY 2026 HUD Fair Market Rents in Indiana. Population: 15,513. Population has held roughly steady over the past five years (+3.4%, Census ACS). That's in line with Indiana's statewide growth of +2.6% over the same period.

FMR filing desk

Area BROWN·COUNTY·IN·IN

Brown County, IN: $1,267/mo 1BR · #503 of 3145 counties (2BR) · FY2026

  • FMR-AREA IN
  • 1BR-FMR $1,267
  • 2BR-FMR $1,473
  • RANK-MID #503
  • YOY-SURGE +15.5%
  • VSUS-HIGH +32%
  • VS-ST-HIGH +44% IN
  • INC-MID 21%
  • POP-SMALL 16K
  • PHOTO-FINISH Marion County
  • VOUCH-90-110 $1,140–$1,394
  • FY-2026 FY2026

Photo-finish peer: Marion ($0 1BR gap)

Read with: Understanding rent burden

Fair Market Rents (2026)

Studio
State avg: $816 · US avg: $893
$1,118/mo
↑ 17.1% YoY +37% vs state +25% vs US
1 Bedroom
State avg: $882 · US avg: $959
$1,267/mo
↑ 15.5% YoY +44% vs state +32% vs US
2 Bedroom
State avg: $1,096 · US avg: $1,175
$1,473/mo
↑ 14.8% YoY +34% vs state +25% vs US
3 Bedroom
State avg: $1,391 · US avg: $1,525
$1,907/mo
↑ 14.3% YoY +37% vs state +25% vs US
4 Bedroom
State avg: $1,590 · US avg: $1,756
$2,338/mo
↑ 15.3% YoY +47% vs state +33% vs US

Year-over-Year Comparison

Bedrooms FY 2025 FY 2026 Change
Studio $955
$1,118
+$163 (+17.1%)
1 Bedroom $1,097
$1,267
+$170 (+15.5%)
2 Bedroom $1,283
$1,473
+$190 (+14.8%)
3 Bedroom $1,669
$1,907
+$238 (+14.3%)
4 Bedroom $2,028
$2,338
+$310 (+15.3%)

Rent Burden Analysis

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

Studio
18.5%
Affordable
Need $44,720/yr for 30% rule
1 Bedroom
20.9%
Affordable
Need $50,680/yr for 30% rule
2 Bedroom
24.3%
Affordable
Need $58,920/yr for 30% rule
3 Bedroom
31.5%
Burdened
Need $76,280/yr for 30% rule
4 Bedroom
38.6%
Burdened
Need $93,520/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%24.3%
Brown County 2-bedroom rent burden
County median income: $72,644 · National avg burden: 21.7% ·View Indiana rent burden →

Where Brown sits among every US county

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

$1,473 Top 16% higher than 84% of 3,145 counties

$600–$800: 23 counties (1%). Below this entry. $800–$1,000: 1,406 counties (45%). Below this entry. $1,000–$1,200: 723 counties (23%). Below this entry. $1,200–$1,400: 417 counties (13%). Below this entry. $1,400–$1,600: 181 counties (6%). This entry sits in this band. $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 Brown compares on 1-bedroom rent

1-bedroom FMR vs other Indiana counties

1BR FMR / mo

What this shows Brown is highlighted. Nearby Indiana counties by 1-bedroom FMR, highest to lowest: Brown County (this county) ($1,267), Marion County ($1,267), Hamilton County ($1,267), St. Joseph County ($1,105), Lake County ($1,082), Elkhart County ($992), Allen County ($916).

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

Can Common Jobs Afford Rent Here?

Against a high local FMR of $1,267/mo, which of 15 common occupations still clear the 30% line using Indiana BLS wages?

Occupation IN Salary Rent Burden Verdict
General & Operations Managers $108,410 14% Affordable
Software Developers $103,570 14.7% Affordable
Registered Nurses $80,740 18.8% Affordable
Accountants & Auditors $77,410 19.6% Affordable
Police & Sheriff's Patrol Officers $71,540 21.3% Affordable
Electricians $65,480 23.2% Affordable
Heavy & Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers $60,090 25.3% Affordable
Elementary School Teachers $58,370 26% Affordable
Paralegals & Legal Assistants $50,690 30% Affordable
Customer Service Representatives $41,600 36.5% Stretched
Pharmacy Technicians $40,020 38% Stretched
Janitors & Cleaners $35,240 43.1% Stretched
Teaching Assistants $30,460 49.9% Stretched
Retail Salespersons $30,300 50.2% Unaffordable
Fast Food & Counter Workers $28,290 53.7% Unaffordable
Salaries: BLS OES (Indiana) median · 30% = affordable threshold · Try the salary calculator →

Rent Trends (2020–2026)

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

Over the 6-year span HUD has tracked for Brown (FY 2020-2026), the 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent has risen 62.9% overall, from $778 to $1,267. The path there hasn't been smooth: year-over-year moves have swung by as much as 27.6% (FY 2024), a volatility pattern that makes single-year comparisons a poor guide to the underlying trend.

$600$800$1,000$1,200$1,400 FY2020FY2021FY2022FY2023FY2024FY2025FY2026 $1,267
Brown County 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent, FY2020–FY2026
Year Studio 1 BR 2 BR
FY 2026 ↑15.5% $1,118 $1,267 $1,473
FY 2025 ↓4.2% $955 $1,097 $1,283
FY 2024 ↑27.6% $982 $1,145 $1,349
FY 2023 ↑14.7% $771 $897 $1,065
FY 2022 ↑0.1% $677 $782 $939
FY 2021 ↑0.4% $678 $781 $946
FY 2020 $674 $778 $946
Total change (6yr): +62.9%
Annualized: +8.5%/yr
1 BR: $778 → $1,267

Part of the Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood, IN Metro Area

Brown County is a outlying county of the Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood, IN metropolitan statistical area, alongside 10 other metro-area counties.

Brown County ranks #9 of 11 counties in this metro area by 1-bedroom FMR. Every county sharing this metro, highest to lowest: Marion County ($1,267), Hamilton County ($1,267), Hendricks County ($1,267), Johnson County ($1,267), Hancock County ($1,267), Morgan County ($1,267), Boone County ($1,267), Shelby County ($1,267), Brown County (this county) ($1,267), Madison County ($919), Tipton County ($845).

Marion County
1 BR: $1,267/mo
Hamilton County
1 BR: $1,267/mo
Hendricks County
1 BR: $1,267/mo
Johnson County
1 BR: $1,267/mo
Hancock County
1 BR: $1,267/mo
Morgan County
1 BR: $1,267/mo
Boone County
1 BR: $1,267/mo
Shelby County
1 BR: $1,267/mo
Brown County (this county)
1 BR: $1,267/mo
Madison County
1 BR: $919/mo
Tipton County
1 BR: $845/mo

Nationwide peers by 2BR FMR & rent burden

Two PlainRent-derived comparison paths for Brown County, both outside Indiana 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 IN (FY2026).

Tulare County
CA · 2 BR $1,474/mo
Esmeralda County
NV · 2 BR $1,472/mo
Knox County
TN · 2 BR $1,471/mo
Escambia County
FL · 2 BR $1,471/mo

Similar rent burden

Nearest 2BR FMR as a share of median household income (outside IN).

Northampton County
NC · 24.3% of income · 2 BR $972/mo
Washington County
AR · 24.3% of income · 2 BR $1,347/mo
Hidalgo County
TX · 24.3% of income · 2 BR $1,060/mo
Berks County
PA · 24.3% of income · 2 BR $1,575/mo

Nearby Counties in Indiana

Largest counties by population in Indiana

Showing the 8 largest of 91 other counties in Indiana.

Marion County
1 BR: $1,267/mo Pop: 971,737
Lake County
1 BR: $1,082/mo Pop: 497,682
Allen County
1 BR: $916/mo Pop: 385,456
Hamilton County
1 BR: $1,267/mo Pop: 349,527
St. Joseph County
1 BR: $1,105/mo Pop: 272,388
Elkhart County
1 BR: $992/mo Pop: 206,841
Tippecanoe County
1 BR: $1,032/mo Pop: 186,955
Vanderburgh County
1 BR: $860/mo Pop: 179,900
View all counties in Indiana →

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the average rent in Brown County? ▼
The FY 2026 Fair Market Rent for a 1-bedroom in Brown County is $1,267 per month. A 2-bedroom is $1,473 and a studio is $1,118.
How does Brown County rent compare to the national average? ▼
Rent in Brown County is 32% above the national average. A 1-bedroom here costs $1,267 compared to $959 nationally.
Where does Brown County rank nationally for Fair Market Rent? ▼
According to HUD's FY 2026 Fair Market Rent schedule, Brown County's 2-bedroom FMR of $1,473 ranks #503 most expensive among 3,145 HUD counties, placing it in the upper-rent quarter of HUD counties.
What income do I need to afford rent in Brown County? ▼
Based on the 30% affordability rule, you need an annual income of at least $50,680 ($4,223/month) to afford a 1-bedroom at Fair Market Rent in Brown County.
Is rent going up or down in Brown County? ▼
The 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent in Brown County increased by 15.5% from FY 2025 to FY 2026, going from $1,097 to $1,267.
Which jobs can afford rent in Brown County? ▼
Based on Indiana BLS salary data and the 30% affordability rule, jobs like General and Operations Managers, Software Developers, Registered Nurses can afford a 1-bedroom at $1,267/mo. 9 of 15 common occupations are affordable here.
How much has rent changed in Brown County over time? ▼
The 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent in Brown County went from $778 in FY 2020 to $1,267 in FY 2026, a total change of +62.9% over 6 years.
How does Fair Market Rent affect Section 8 vouchers in Brown County? ▼
In Brown County, the FY 2026 FMR of $1,267/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 Brown County? ▼
For Brown County, it's the specific 40th-percentile rent HUD publishes each year ($1,267/mo for a 1-bedroom in FY 2026).

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.