County FMR · HUD FY2026
Carroll County Fair Market Rent
HUD's FY2026 Fair Market Rent for Carroll County, IA - 18% below the US average.
- $788
- 1-bedroom FMR
- $919
- 2-bedroom FMR
- +8.5%
- YoY change
- -18%
- vs US avg
The verdict
Carroll is the 6th cheapest of 99 counties in Iowa by 2-bedroom FMR; nationally it ranks #504 most affordable of 3,145 HUD counties; rent here has climbed 8.5% since FY 2025, a modest shift relative to most counties.
- #504
- most affordable of 3,145 US counties (2BR)
- #6
- cheapest of 99 in Iowa (2BR)
- +0%
- vs the state average
- $31,520
- income to afford it (30% rule)
Software Developers spend the smallest share of income on rent here (8.6%), while Fast Food and Counter Workers spend the most (33.3%).
FY 2026 HUD Fair Market Rent for Carroll County, IA. Verify with HUD →
HUD sets the FY 2026 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent for Carroll County, Iowa at $788 per month - the federal rental-assistance benchmark for this county. A 2-bedroom costs $919/mo and a studio is $775/mo. This is 18% lower than the national average of $959 and 0% above the Iowa average of $788.
Rent increased8.5% from FY 2025 ($726), outpacing inflation. The 30% affordability floor is comparatively reachable here at $31,520/year.
Observed renter burden: 40.1% of the 2,187 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.
Market slack: The ACS rental vacancy rate here is 5.9%, close to the range where market rents and HUD's FMR benchmark tend to track each other.
Local labor market: The county's BLS unemployment rate has averaged 2.4% over the past 12 months, a tight labor market that typically supports steadier rent demand.
FY 2026 HUD Fair Market Rents in Iowa. Population: 20,728. Population has held roughly steady over the past five years (+1.6%, Census ACS). That's in line with Iowa's statewide growth of +2.0% over the same period.
FMR filing desk
Area CARROLL·COUNTY·IA·IA
Carroll County, IA: $788/mo 1BR · #504 of 3145 counties (2BR) · FY2026
- FMR-AREA IA
- 1BR-FMR $788
- 2BR-FMR $919
- RANK-MID #504
- YOY-SURGE +8.5%
- VSUS-BELOW -18%
- VS-ST-NEAR +0% IA
- INC-ROOM 14%
- POP-SMALL 21K
- PHOTO-NEAR Polk County
- VOUCH-90-110 $709–$867
- FY-2026 FY2026
Photo-finish peer: Polk ($321 1BR gap)
Read with: Section 8 housing guide
Fair Market Rents (2026)
Year-over-Year Comparison
| Bedrooms | FY 2025 | FY 2026 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Studio | $601 | $775 | +$174 (+29.0%) |
| 1 Bedroom | $726 | $788 | +$62 (+8.5%) |
| 2 Bedroom | $877 | $919 | +$42 (+4.8%) |
| 3 Bedroom | $1,104 | $1,162 | +$58 (+5.3%) |
| 4 Bedroom | $1,163 | $1,217 | +$54 (+4.6%) |
Rent Burden Analysis
How much of household income goes to rent in Carroll 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 Carroll sits among every US county
2-bedroom Fair Market Rent vs. all 3,145 HUD counties
$919 higher than 16% 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 Carroll compares on 1-bedroom rent
1-bedroom FMR vs other Iowa counties
- Polk
Polk County
$1,109 1BR FMR / mo
- Johnson
Johnson County
$961 1BR FMR / mo
- Scott
Scott County
$928 1BR FMR / mo
- Woodbury
Woodbury County
$925 1BR FMR / mo
- Linn
Linn County
$816 1BR FMR / mo
- Black Hawk
Black Hawk County
$801 1BR FMR / mo
- Carroll
Carroll County
$788 1BR FMR / mo
What this shows Carroll is highlighted. Nearby Iowa counties by 1-bedroom FMR, highest to lowest: Polk County ($1,109), Johnson County ($961), Scott County ($928), Woodbury County ($925), Linn County ($816), Black Hawk County ($801), Carroll County (this county) ($788).
Can Common Jobs Afford Rent Here?
With a below-average 1-bedroom at $788/mo, most of these Iowa occupations clear, or miss, the 30% affordability line.
| Occupation | IA Salary | Rent Burden | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|
| Software Developers | $109,850 | 8.6% | Affordable |
| General & Operations Managers | $80,620 | 11.7% | Affordable |
| Registered Nurses | $76,960 | 12.3% | Affordable |
| Accountants & Auditors | $74,290 | 12.7% | Affordable |
| Police & Sheriff's Patrol Officers | $73,900 | 12.8% | Affordable |
| Electricians | $62,880 | 15% | Affordable |
| Elementary School Teachers | $55,540 | 17% | Affordable |
| Heavy & Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers | $55,080 | 17.2% | Affordable |
| Paralegals & Legal Assistants | $53,280 | 17.7% | Affordable |
| Customer Service Representatives | $44,990 | 21% | Affordable |
| Pharmacy Technicians | $41,380 | 22.9% | Affordable |
| Janitors & Cleaners | $36,130 | 26.2% | Affordable |
| Retail Salespersons | $30,030 | 31.5% | Stretched |
| Teaching Assistants | $28,500 | 33.2% | Stretched |
| Fast Food & Counter Workers | $28,400 | 33.3% | Stretched |
Rent Trends (2020–2026)
7-year Fair Market Rent history for Carroll County. Shows how HUD rental rates have changed over time.
Over the 6-year span HUD has tracked for Carroll (FY 2020-2026), the 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent has risen 51.0% overall, from $522 to $788. The increases have been fairly steady year to year, with no single jump exceeding 10.7% (FY 2025).
| Year | Studio | 1 BR | 2 BR |
|---|---|---|---|
| FY 2026 ↑8.5% | $775 | $788 | $919 |
| FY 2025 ↑10.7% | $601 | $726 | $877 |
| FY 2024 ↑8.6% | $586 | $656 | $862 |
| FY 2023 ↑7.5% | $551 | $604 | $795 |
| FY 2022 ↑3.5% | $534 | $562 | $739 |
| FY 2021 ↑4.0% | $519 | $543 | $715 |
| FY 2020 | $497 | $522 | $687 |
Part of the Carroll, IA Micro Area
Carroll County is a central county of the Carroll, IA micropolitan statistical area.
Nationwide peers by 2BR FMR & rent burden
Two PlainRent-derived comparison paths for Carroll County, both outside Iowa 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 IA (FY2026).
Similar rent burden
Nearest 2BR FMR as a share of median household income (outside IA).
Nearby Counties in Iowa
Largest counties by population in Iowa
Showing the 8 largest of 98 other counties in Iowa.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the average rent in Carroll County?
The FY 2026 Fair Market Rent for a 1-bedroom in Carroll County is $788 per month. A 2-bedroom is $919 and a studio is $775.
How does Carroll County rent compare to the national average?
Rent in Carroll County is 18% below the national average. A 1-bedroom here costs $788 compared to $959 nationally.
Where does Carroll County rank nationally for Fair Market Rent?
According to HUD's FY 2026 Fair Market Rent schedule, Carroll County's 2-bedroom FMR of $919 ranks #504 most affordable among 3,145 HUD counties, placing it in the lower-rent quarter of HUD counties.
What income do I need to afford rent in Carroll County?
Based on the 30% affordability rule, you need an annual income of at least $31,520 ($2,627/month) to afford a 1-bedroom at Fair Market Rent in Carroll County.
Is rent going up or down in Carroll County?
The 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent in Carroll County increased by 8.5% from FY 2025 to FY 2026, going from $726 to $788.
Which jobs can afford rent in Carroll County?
Based on Iowa BLS salary data and the 30% affordability rule, jobs like Software Developers, General and Operations Managers, Registered Nurses can afford a 1-bedroom at $788/mo. 12 of 15 common occupations are affordable here.
How much has rent changed in Carroll County over time?
The 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent in Carroll County went from $522 in FY 2020 to $788 in FY 2026, a total change of +51.0% over 6 years.
How does Fair Market Rent affect Section 8 vouchers in Carroll County?
In Carroll County, the FY 2026 FMR of $788/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 Carroll County?
For Carroll County, it's the specific 40th-percentile rent HUD publishes each year ($788/mo for a 1-bedroom in FY 2026).
Is the rental market tight or loose in Carroll County?
The ACS rental vacancy rate here is 5.9%, close to the range where market rents and HUD's FMR benchmark tend to track each other.
What is the unemployment rate in Carroll County?
The county's BLS unemployment rate has averaged 2.4% over the past 12 months, a tight labor market that typically supports steadier rent demand.
Data sources
What this means for renters
Treat Carroll's FY2026 Fair Market Rent as HUD's affordability benchmark, not a single market quote.
- Budget to roughly 30% of income: the FY2026 1-bedroom FMR of $788 implies about $31,520/yr to rent without being cost-burdened. Run your numbers
- Iowa counties vary widely around this figure - compare specific counties before assuming this applies to yours. Compare vs Polk
- See where Carroll ranks nationally on rent. National rankings
Fair Market Rent is HUD's 40th-percentile policy benchmark used to set Housing Choice Voucher payment standards. Actual asking rents can run higher or lower, and HUD updates FMRs once a year. This site is informational and not financial or relocation advice.
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.