County FMR · HUD FY2026

Cass County Fair Market Rent

HUD's FY2026 Fair Market Rent for Cass County, MO - 25% above the US average.

$1,197
1-bedroom FMR
$1,358
2-bedroom FMR
+1.2%
YoY change
+25%
vs US avg

The verdict

Cass is the 7th most expensive of 116 counties in Missouri by 2-bedroom FMR; nationally it ranks #629 most expensive of 3,145 HUD counties.

#629
most expensive of 3,145 US counties (2BR)
#7
most expensive of 116 in Missouri (2BR)
+54%
vs the state average
$47,880
income to afford it (30% rule)

Software Developers spend the smallest share of income on rent here (12.5%), while Teaching Assistants, Except Postsecondary spend the most (49.4%).

FY 2026 HUD Fair Market Rent for Cass County, MO. Verify with HUD →

HUD sets the FY 2026 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent for Cass County, Missouri at $1,197 per month - the federal rental-assistance benchmark for this county. A 2-bedroom costs $1,358/mo and a studio is $1,095/mo. This is 25% higher than the national average of $959 and 54% above the Missouri average of $777.

Rent increased1.2% from FY 2025 ($1,183), roughly tracking inflation. A household needs about $47,880/year to stay under the 30% rent-to-income line.

Observed renter burden: 41.5% of the 10,200 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: 108,205. Population grew 6.5% over the past five years (Census ACS) - among the faster-growing counties nationally, a trend that typically adds upward pressure on rents. That's faster than Missouri's statewide growth of +1.3% over the same period.

FMR filing desk

Area CASS·COUNTY·MO·MO

Cass County, MO: $1,197/mo 1BR · #629 of 3145 counties (2BR) · FY2026

  • FMR-AREA MO
  • 1BR-FMR $1,197
  • 2BR-FMR $1,358
  • RANK-MID #629
  • YOY-FLAT +1.2%
  • VSUS-ABOVE +25%
  • VS-ST-HIGH +54% MO
  • INC-ROOM 16%
  • POP-MID 108K
  • PHOTO-NEAR St. Louis County
  • VOUCH-90-110 $1,077–$1,317
  • FY-2026 FY2026

Photo-finish peer: St. Louis ($202 1BR gap)

Read with: Understanding rent burden

Fair Market Rents (2026)

Studio
State avg: $734 · US avg: $893
$1,095/mo
↑ 2.0% YoY +49% vs state +23% vs US
1 Bedroom
State avg: $777 · US avg: $959
$1,197/mo
↑ 1.2% YoY +54% vs state +25% vs US
2 Bedroom
State avg: $972 · US avg: $1,175
$1,358/mo
↑ 0.9% YoY +40% vs state +16% vs US
3 Bedroom
State avg: $1,268 · US avg: $1,525
$1,769/mo
↑ 0.7% YoY +40% vs state +16% vs US
4 Bedroom
State avg: $1,460 · US avg: $1,756
$2,103/mo
↑ 1.2% YoY +44% vs state +20% vs US

Year-over-Year Comparison

Bedrooms FY 2025 FY 2026 Change
Studio $1,074
$1,095
+$21 (+2.0%)
1 Bedroom $1,183
$1,197
+$14 (+1.2%)
2 Bedroom $1,346
$1,358
+$12 (+0.9%)
3 Bedroom $1,756
$1,769
+$13 (+0.7%)
4 Bedroom $2,078
$2,103
+$25 (+1.2%)

Rent Burden Analysis

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

Studio
15%
Affordable
Need $43,800/yr for 30% rule
1 Bedroom
16.4%
Affordable
Need $47,880/yr for 30% rule
2 Bedroom
18.6%
Affordable
Need $54,320/yr for 30% rule
3 Bedroom
24.3%
Affordable
Need $70,760/yr for 30% rule
4 Bedroom
28.9%
Affordable
Need $84,120/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%18.6%
Cass County 2-bedroom rent burden
County median income: $87,413 · National avg burden: 21.7% ·View Missouri rent burden →

Where Cass sits among every US county

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

$1,358 Top 20% higher than 80% 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%). This entry sits in this band. $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 Cass compares on 1-bedroom rent

1-bedroom FMR vs other Missouri counties

1BR FMR / mo

What this shows Cass is highlighted. Nearby Missouri counties by 1-bedroom FMR, highest to lowest: Cass County (this county) ($1,197), Jackson County ($1,197), Clay County ($1,197), St. Louis County ($995), St. Charles County ($995), St. Louis city ($995), Greene County ($883).

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 $1,197/mo, which of 15 common occupations still clear the 30% line using Missouri BLS wages?

Occupation MO Salary Rent Burden Verdict
Software Developers $114,550 12.5% Affordable
Registered Nurses $79,770 18% Affordable
General & Operations Managers $77,410 18.6% Affordable
Accountants & Auditors $73,210 19.6% Affordable
Electricians $70,950 20.2% Affordable
Police & Sheriff's Patrol Officers $60,720 23.7% Affordable
Paralegals & Legal Assistants $58,730 24.5% Affordable
Heavy & Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers $50,540 28.4% Affordable
Elementary School Teachers $48,250 29.8% Affordable
Customer Service Representatives $41,850 34.3% Stretched
Pharmacy Technicians $37,990 37.8% Stretched
Janitors & Cleaners $34,080 42.1% Stretched
Retail Salespersons $31,250 46% Stretched
Fast Food & Counter Workers $29,310 49% Stretched
Teaching Assistants $29,060 49.4% Stretched
Salaries: BLS OES (Missouri) median · 30% = affordable threshold · Try the salary calculator →

Rent Trends (2020–2026)

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

Over the 6-year span HUD has tracked for Cass (FY 2020-2026), the 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent has risen 47.2% overall, from $813 to $1,197. Most of that movement was gradual except for a single sharp jump of +14.5% in FY 2023, well above this county's typical year-to-year change.

$700$800$900$1,000$1,100$1,200$1,300 FY2020FY2021FY2022FY2023FY2024FY2025FY2026 $1,197
Cass County 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent, FY2020–FY2026
Year Studio 1 BR 2 BR
FY 2026 ↑1.2% $1,095 $1,197 $1,358
FY 2025 ↑7.7% $1,074 $1,183 $1,346
FY 2024 ↑9.6% $985 $1,098 $1,258
FY 2023 ↑14.5% $885 $1,002 $1,164
FY 2022 ↑2.1% $762 $875 $1,030
FY 2021 ↑5.4% $731 $857 $1,021
FY 2020 $678 $813 $978
Total change (6yr): +47.2%
Annualized: +6.7%/yr
1 BR: $813 → $1,197

Part of the Kansas City, MO-KS Metro Area

Cass County is a central county of the Kansas City, MO-KS metropolitan statistical area, alongside 13 other metro-area counties.

Cass County ranks #13 of 14 counties in this metro area by 1-bedroom FMR. Every county sharing this metro, highest to lowest: Jackson County ($1,197), Johnson County ($1,197), Clay County ($1,197), Wyandotte County ($1,197), Platte County ($1,197), Leavenworth County ($1,197), Miami County ($1,197), Lafayette County ($1,197), Ray County ($1,197), Clinton County ($1,197), Linn County ($1,197), Caldwell County ($1,197), Cass County (this county) ($1,197), Bates County ($706).

Jackson County
1 BR: $1,197/mo
Johnson County
1 BR: $1,197/mo
Clay County
1 BR: $1,197/mo
Wyandotte County
1 BR: $1,197/mo
Platte County
1 BR: $1,197/mo
Leavenworth County
1 BR: $1,197/mo
Miami County
1 BR: $1,197/mo
Lafayette County
1 BR: $1,197/mo
Ray County
1 BR: $1,197/mo
Clinton County
1 BR: $1,197/mo
Linn County
1 BR: $1,197/mo
Caldwell County
1 BR: $1,197/mo
Cass County (this county)
1 BR: $1,197/mo
Show all 14 counties in this metro area
Bates County
1 BR: $706/mo

Nationwide peers by 2BR FMR & rent burden

Two PlainRent-derived comparison paths for Cass 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).

Johnson County
KS · 2 BR $1,358/mo
Wyandotte County
KS · 2 BR $1,358/mo
Moore County
NC · 2 BR $1,358/mo
Leavenworth County
KS · 2 BR $1,358/mo

Similar rent burden

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

Greene County
IA · 18.6% of income · 2 BR $919/mo
Richland County
WI · 18.6% of income · 2 BR $973/mo
Swift County
MN · 18.7% of income · 2 BR $973/mo
Washington County
KY · 18.7% of income · 2 BR $929/mo

Nearby Counties in Missouri

Largest counties by population in Missouri

Showing the 8 largest of 115 other counties in Missouri.

St. Louis County
1 BR: $995/mo Pop: 999,703
Jackson County
1 BR: $1,197/mo Pop: 715,526
St. Charles County
1 BR: $995/mo Pop: 406,262
Greene County
1 BR: $883/mo Pop: 299,188
St. Louis city
1 BR: $995/mo Pop: 298,018
Clay County
1 BR: $1,197/mo Pop: 253,085
Jefferson County
1 BR: $995/mo Pop: 226,984
Boone County
1 BR: $1,011/mo Pop: 184,043
View all counties in Missouri →

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the average rent in Cass County? ▼
The FY 2026 Fair Market Rent for a 1-bedroom in Cass County is $1,197 per month. A 2-bedroom is $1,358 and a studio is $1,095.
How does Cass County rent compare to the national average? ▼
Rent in Cass County is 25% above the national average. A 1-bedroom here costs $1,197 compared to $959 nationally.
Where does Cass County rank nationally for Fair Market Rent? ▼
According to HUD's FY 2026 Fair Market Rent schedule, Cass County's 2-bedroom FMR of $1,358 ranks #629 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 Cass County? ▼
Based on the 30% affordability rule, you need an annual income of at least $47,880 ($3,990/month) to afford a 1-bedroom at Fair Market Rent in Cass County.
Is rent going up or down in Cass County? ▼
The 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent in Cass County increased by 1.2% from FY 2025 to FY 2026, going from $1,183 to $1,197.
Which jobs can afford rent in Cass County? ▼
Based on Missouri BLS salary data and the 30% affordability rule, jobs like Software Developers, Registered Nurses, General and Operations Managers can afford a 1-bedroom at $1,197/mo. 9 of 15 common occupations are affordable here.
How much has rent changed in Cass County over time? ▼
The 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent in Cass County went from $813 in FY 2020 to $1,197 in FY 2026, a total change of +47.2% over 6 years.
How does Fair Market Rent affect Section 8 vouchers in Cass County? ▼
In Cass County, the FY 2026 FMR of $1,197/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 Cass County? ▼
For Cass County, it's the specific 40th-percentile rent HUD publishes each year ($1,197/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.