County FMR · HUD FY2026
Christian County Fair Market Rent
HUD's FY2026 Fair Market Rent for Christian County, MO - 8% below the US average.
- $883
- 1-bedroom FMR
- $1,095
- 2-bedroom FMR
- +11.1%
- YoY change
- -8%
- vs US avg
The verdict
Christian is the 20th most expensive of 116 counties in Missouri by 2-bedroom FMR; nationally it ranks #1,321 most expensive of 3,145 HUD counties; rent here has climbed 11.1% since FY 2025, a sharp move relative to most counties.
- #1,321
- most expensive of 3,145 US counties (2BR)
- #20
- most expensive of 116 in Missouri (2BR)
- +14%
- vs the state average
- $35,320
- income to afford it (30% rule)
Software Developers spend the smallest share of income on rent here (9.3%), while Teaching Assistants, Except Postsecondary spend the most (36.5%).
FY 2026 HUD Fair Market Rent for Christian County, MO. Verify with HUD →
HUD sets the FY 2026 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent for Christian County, Missouri at $883 per month - the federal rental-assistance benchmark for this county. A 2-bedroom costs $1,095/mo and a studio is $877/mo. This is 8% lower than the national average of $959 and 14% above the Missouri average of $777.
Rent increased11.1% from FY 2025 ($795), outpacing inflation. Under the 30% rule, affordability starts near $35,320/year for a 1-bedroom.
Observed renter burden: 36.7% of the 8,226 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 1.7%, a tight rental market where HUD's annual FMR schedule can lag what landlords are actually asking.
Local labor market: The county's BLS unemployment rate has averaged 3.4% over the past 12 months, a tight labor market that typically supports steadier rent demand.
FY 2026 HUD Fair Market Rents in Missouri. Population: 89,568. Population grew 8.3% 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 CHRISTIAN·COUNTY·MO·MO
Christian County, MO: $883/mo 1BR · #1321 of 3145 counties (2BR) · FY2026
- FMR-AREA MO
- 1BR-FMR $883
- 2BR-FMR $1,095
- RANK-MID #1,321
- YOY-SURGE +11.1%
- VSUS-NEAR -8%
- VS-ST-HIGH +14% MO
- INC-ROOM 13%
- POP-MID 90K
- PHOTO-NEAR St. Louis County
- VOUCH-90-110 $795–$971
- FY-2026 FY2026
Photo-finish peer: St. Louis ($112 1BR gap)
Read with: How Fair Market Rent works
Fair Market Rents (2026)
Year-over-Year Comparison
| Bedrooms | FY 2025 | FY 2026 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Studio | $790 | $877 | +$87 (+11.0%) |
| 1 Bedroom | $795 | $883 | +$88 (+11.1%) |
| 2 Bedroom | $998 | $1,095 | +$97 (+9.7%) |
| 3 Bedroom | $1,372 | $1,498 | +$126 (+9.2%) |
| 4 Bedroom | $1,539 | $1,701 | +$162 (+10.5%) |
Rent Burden Analysis
How much of household income goes to rent in Christian 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 Christian sits among every US county
2-bedroom Fair Market Rent vs. all 3,145 HUD counties
$1,095 higher than 58% 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 Christian 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
- Christian
Christian County
$883 1BR FMR / mo
- Greene
Greene County
$883 1BR FMR / mo
What this shows Christian 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), Christian County (this county) ($883), Greene County ($883).
Can Common Jobs Afford Rent Here?
How a 1-bedroom at $883/mo compares to Missouri salaries for popular occupations (BLS wage data, 30%-of-income rule).
| Occupation | MO Salary | Rent Burden | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|
| Software Developers | $114,550 | 9.3% | Affordable |
| Registered Nurses | $79,770 | 13.3% | Affordable |
| General & Operations Managers | $77,410 | 13.7% | Affordable |
| Accountants & Auditors | $73,210 | 14.5% | Affordable |
| Electricians | $70,950 | 14.9% | Affordable |
| Police & Sheriff's Patrol Officers | $60,720 | 17.5% | Affordable |
| Paralegals & Legal Assistants | $58,730 | 18% | Affordable |
| Heavy & Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers | $50,540 | 21% | Affordable |
| Elementary School Teachers | $48,250 | 22% | Affordable |
| Customer Service Representatives | $41,850 | 25.3% | Affordable |
| Pharmacy Technicians | $37,990 | 27.9% | Affordable |
| Janitors & Cleaners | $34,080 | 31.1% | Stretched |
| Retail Salespersons | $31,250 | 33.9% | Stretched |
| Fast Food & Counter Workers | $29,310 | 36.2% | Stretched |
| Teaching Assistants | $29,060 | 36.5% | Stretched |
Rent Trends (2020–2026)
7-year Fair Market Rent history for Christian County. Shows how HUD rental rates have changed over time.
Over the 6-year span HUD has tracked for Christian (FY 2020-2026), the 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent has risen 51.5% overall, from $583 to $883. Most of that movement was gradual except for a single sharp jump of +12.6% in FY 2023, well above this county's typical year-to-year change.
| Year | Studio | 1 BR | 2 BR |
|---|---|---|---|
| FY 2026 ↑11.1% | $877 | $883 | $1,095 |
| FY 2025 ↑10.0% | $790 | $795 | $998 |
| FY 2024 ↑6.2% | $718 | $723 | $921 |
| FY 2023 ↑12.6% | $676 | $681 | $871 |
| FY 2022 ↑1.7% | $601 | $605 | $775 |
| FY 2021 ↑2.1% | $591 | $595 | $760 |
| FY 2020 | $579 | $583 | $746 |
Part of the Springfield, MO Metro Area
Christian County is a central county of the Springfield, MO metropolitan statistical area, alongside 4 other metro-area counties.
Christian County ranks #3 of 5 counties in this metro area by 1-bedroom FMR. Every county sharing this metro, highest to lowest: Greene County ($883), Webster County ($883), Christian County (this county) ($883), Polk County ($733), Dallas County ($732).
Nationwide peers by 2BR FMR & rent burden
Two PlainRent-derived comparison paths for Christian 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 Christian County?
The FY 2026 Fair Market Rent for a 1-bedroom in Christian County is $883 per month. A 2-bedroom is $1,095 and a studio is $877.
How does Christian County rent compare to the national average?
Rent in Christian County is 8% below the national average. A 1-bedroom here costs $883 compared to $959 nationally.
Where does Christian County rank nationally for Fair Market Rent?
According to HUD's FY 2026 Fair Market Rent schedule, Christian County's 2-bedroom FMR of $1,095 ranks #1,321 most expensive among 3,145 HUD counties, placing it in the middle half of HUD counties.
What income do I need to afford rent in Christian County?
Based on the 30% affordability rule, you need an annual income of at least $35,320 ($2,943/month) to afford a 1-bedroom at Fair Market Rent in Christian County.
Is rent going up or down in Christian County?
The 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent in Christian County increased by 11.1% from FY 2025 to FY 2026, going from $795 to $883.
Which jobs can afford rent in Christian 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 $883/mo. 11 of 15 common occupations are affordable here.
How much has rent changed in Christian County over time?
The 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent in Christian County went from $583 in FY 2020 to $883 in FY 2026, a total change of +51.5% over 6 years.
How does Fair Market Rent affect Section 8 vouchers in Christian County?
In Christian County, the FY 2026 FMR of $883/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 Christian County?
For Christian County, it's the specific 40th-percentile rent HUD publishes each year ($883/mo for a 1-bedroom in FY 2026).
Is the rental market tight or loose in Christian County?
The ACS rental vacancy rate here is 1.7%, a tight rental market where HUD's annual FMR schedule can lag what landlords are actually asking.
What is the unemployment rate in Christian County?
The county's BLS unemployment rate has averaged 3.4% over the past 12 months, a tight labor market that typically supports steadier rent demand.
Data sources
What this means for renters
Treat Christian'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 $883 implies about $35,320/yr to rent without being cost-burdened. Run your numbers
- Missouri counties vary widely around this figure - compare specific counties before assuming this applies to yours. Compare vs St. Louis
- See where Christian 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.