County FMR · HUD FY2026
Brown County Fair Market Rent
HUD's FY2026 Fair Market Rent for Brown County, OH - 16% below the US average.
- $802
- 1-bedroom FMR
- $1,008
- 2-bedroom FMR
- +9.7%
- YoY change
- -16%
- vs US avg
The verdict
Brown is the 44th cheapest of 88 counties in Ohio by 2-bedroom FMR; nationally it ranks #1,479 most affordable of 3,145 HUD counties; rent here has climbed 9.7% since FY 2025, a modest shift relative to most counties.
- #1,479
- most affordable of 3,145 US counties (2BR)
- #44
- cheapest of 88 in Ohio (2BR)
- -8%
- vs the state average
- $32,080
- income to afford it (30% rule)
Software Developers spend the smallest share of income on rent here (8.9%), while Fast Food and Counter Workers spend the most (34.2%); 13 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 Brown County, OH. Verify with HUD →
The Fair Market Rent for a 1-bedroom apartment in Brown County, Ohio is $802 per month in FY 2026, according to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). A 2-bedroom costs $1,008/mo and a studio is $797/mo. This is 16% lower than the national average of $959 and 8% below the Ohio average of $873.
Rent increased9.7% from FY 2025 ($731), outpacing inflation. The 30% affordability floor is comparatively reachable here at $32,080/year.
FY 2026 HUD Fair Market Rents in Ohio. Population: 43,715. Population has held roughly steady over the past five years (+0.1%, Census ACS). That's in line with Ohio's statewide growth of +1.2% over the same period.
FMR filing desk
Area BROWN·COUNTY·OH·OH
Brown County, OH: $802/mo 1BR · #1479 of 3145 counties (2BR) · FY2026
- FMR-AREA OH
- 1BR-FMR $802
- 2BR-FMR $1,008
- RANK-MID #1,479
- YOY-SURGE +9.7%
- VSUS-BELOW -16%
- VS-ST-LOW -8% OH
- INC-ROOM 14%
- POP-SMALL 44K
- PHOTO-NEAR Franklin County
- VOUCH-90-110 $722–$882
- FY-2026 FY2026
Photo-finish peer: Franklin ($392 1BR gap)
Read with: Section 8 housing guide
Fair Market Rents (2026)
Year-over-Year Comparison
| Bedrooms | FY 2025 | FY 2026 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Studio | $726 | $797 | +$71 (+9.8%) |
| 1 Bedroom | $731 | $802 | +$71 (+9.7%) |
| 2 Bedroom | $947 | $1,008 | +$61 (+6.4%) |
| 3 Bedroom | $1,273 | $1,361 | +$88 (+6.9%) |
| 4 Bedroom | $1,548 | $1,691 | +$143 (+9.2%) |
Rent Burden Analysis
How much of household income goes to rent in Brown 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 Brown sits among every US county
2-bedroom Fair Market Rent vs. all 3,145 HUD counties
$1,008 higher than 47% 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 Brown compares on 1-bedroom rent
1-bedroom FMR vs other Ohio counties
- Franklin
Franklin County
$1,194 1BR FMR / mo
- Cuyahoga
Cuyahoga County
$1,058 1BR FMR / mo
- Hamilton
Hamilton County
$1,051 1BR FMR / mo
- Montgomery
Montgomery County
$1,009 1BR FMR / mo
- Summit
Summit County
$985 1BR FMR / mo
- Lucas
Lucas County
$820 1BR FMR / mo
- Brown
Brown County
$802 1BR FMR / mo
What this shows Brown is highlighted. Nearby Ohio counties by 1-bedroom FMR, highest to lowest: Franklin County ($1,194), Cuyahoga County ($1,058), Hamilton County ($1,051), Montgomery County ($1,009), Summit County ($985), Lucas County ($820), Brown County (this county) ($802).
Can Common Jobs Afford Rent Here?
With a below-average 1-bedroom at $802/mo, most of these Ohio occupations clear, or miss, the 30% affordability line.
| Occupation | OH Salary | Rent Burden | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|
| Software Developers | $107,690 | 8.9% | Affordable |
| General & Operations Managers | $94,990 | 10.1% | Affordable |
| Registered Nurses | $81,250 | 11.8% | Affordable |
| Accountants & Auditors | $77,640 | 12.4% | Affordable |
| Police & Sheriff's Patrol Officers | $77,050 | 12.5% | Affordable |
| Elementary School Teachers | $65,380 | 14.7% | Affordable |
| Electricians | $63,560 | 15.1% | Affordable |
| Paralegals & Legal Assistants | $58,870 | 16.3% | Affordable |
| Heavy & Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers | $58,080 | 16.6% | Affordable |
| Customer Service Representatives | $43,510 | 22.1% | Affordable |
| Pharmacy Technicians | $37,860 | 25.4% | Affordable |
| Teaching Assistants | $35,380 | 27.2% | Affordable |
| Janitors & Cleaners | $34,710 | 27.7% | Affordable |
| Retail Salespersons | $30,440 | 31.6% | Stretched |
| Fast Food & Counter Workers | $28,100 | 34.2% | Stretched |
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 48.2% overall, from $541 to $802. The increases have been fairly steady year to year, with no single jump exceeding 11.1% (FY 2023).
| Year | Studio | 1 BR | 2 BR |
|---|---|---|---|
| FY 2026 ↑9.7% | $797 | $802 | $1,008 |
| FY 2025 ↑8.8% | $726 | $731 | $947 |
| FY 2024 ↑0.3% | $668 | $672 | $883 |
| FY 2023 ↑11.1% | $666 | $670 | $882 |
| FY 2022 ↑7.7% | $527 | $603 | $793 |
| FY 2021 ↑3.5% | $487 | $560 | $738 |
| FY 2020 | $471 | $541 | $713 |
Part of the Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN Metro Area
Brown County is a outlying county of the Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN metropolitan statistical area, alongside 14 other metro-area counties.
Brown County ranks #15 of 15 counties in this metro area by 1-bedroom FMR. Every county sharing this metro, highest to lowest: Hamilton County ($1,051), Butler County ($1,051), Warren County ($1,051), Clermont County ($1,051), Kenton County ($1,051), Boone County ($1,051), Campbell County ($1,051), Dearborn County ($1,051), Pendleton County ($1,051), Gallatin County ($1,051), Bracken County ($1,051), Ohio County ($1,051), Grant County ($899), Franklin County ($861), Brown County (this county) ($802).
Show all 15 counties in this metro area
Nationwide peers by 2BR FMR & rent burden
Two PlainRent-derived comparison paths for Brown County, both outside Ohio 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 OH (FY2026).
Similar rent burden
Nearest 2BR FMR as a share of median household income (outside OH).
Nearby Counties in Ohio
Largest counties by population in Ohio
Showing the 8 largest of 87 other counties in Ohio.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the average rent in Brown County? ▼
How does Brown County rent compare to the national average? ▼
Where does Brown County rank nationally for Fair Market Rent? ▼
What income do I need to afford rent in Brown County? ▼
Is rent going up or down in Brown County? ▼
Which jobs can afford rent in Brown County? ▼
How much has rent changed in Brown County over time? ▼
How does Fair Market Rent affect Section 8 vouchers in Brown County? ▼
What does Fair Market Rent mean for Brown 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.