County FMR · HUD FY2026
Clark County Fair Market Rent
HUD's FY2026 Fair Market Rent for Clark County, WI - 21% below the US average.
- $754
- 1-bedroom FMR
- $973
- 2-bedroom FMR
- +6.0%
- YoY change
- -21%
- vs US avg
The verdict
Clark is the 5th cheapest of 72 counties in Wisconsin by 2-bedroom FMR; nationally it ranks #976 most affordable of 3,145 HUD counties; rent here has climbed 6.0% since FY 2025, a modest shift relative to most counties.
- #976
- most affordable of 3,145 US counties (2BR)
- #5
- cheapest of 72 in Wisconsin (2BR)
- -14%
- vs the state average
- $30,160
- income to afford it (30% rule)
General and Operations Managers spend the smallest share of income on rent here (8%), while Fast Food and Counter Workers spend the most (31.7%); 14 of 15 common occupations here can afford a 1-bedroom at Fair Market Rent without exceeding the 30% threshold; nearby Wisconsin counties range as much as 59% apart in 1-bedroom FMR, so the county line itself can matter for renters comparing options.
FY 2026 HUD Fair Market Rent for Clark County, WI. Verify with HUD →
Clark County, Wisconsin carries an FY 2026 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent of $754 per month, the federal benchmark HUD publishes for this county. A 2-bedroom costs $973/mo and a studio is $723/mo. That's 21% below the national benchmark of $959 and 14% below the Wisconsin average of $872.
Rent increased6.0% from FY 2025 ($711), outpacing inflation. The 30% affordability floor is comparatively reachable here at $30,160/year.
Observed renter burden: 28.0% of the 2,803 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 3.0% over the past 12 months, a tight labor market that typically supports steadier rent demand.
FY 2026 HUD Fair Market Rents in Wisconsin. Population: 34,703. Population has held roughly steady over the past five years (+0.7%, Census ACS). That's in line with Wisconsin's statewide growth of +2.0% over the same period.
FMR filing desk
Area CLARK·COUNTY·WI·WI
Clark County, WI: $754/mo 1BR · #976 of 3145 counties (2BR) · FY2026
- FMR-AREA WI
- 1BR-FMR $754
- 2BR-FMR $973
- RANK-MID #976
- YOY-SURGE +6.0%
- VSUS-BELOW -21%
- VS-ST-LOW -14% WI
- INC-ROOM 14%
- POP-SMALL 35K
- PHOTO-NEAR Milwaukee County
- VOUCH-90-110 $679–$829
- FY-2026 FY2026
Photo-finish peer: Milwaukee ($365 1BR gap)
Read with: Section 8 housing guide
Fair Market Rents (2026)
Year-over-Year Comparison
| Bedrooms | FY 2025 | FY 2026 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Studio | $640 | $723 | +$83 (+13.0%) |
| 1 Bedroom | $711 | $754 | +$43 (+6.0%) |
| 2 Bedroom | $933 | $973 | +$40 (+4.3%) |
| 3 Bedroom | $1,172 | $1,238 | +$66 (+5.6%) |
| 4 Bedroom | $1,308 | $1,399 | +$91 (+7.0%) |
Rent Burden Analysis
How much of household income goes to rent in Clark 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 Clark sits among every US county
2-bedroom Fair Market Rent vs. all 3,145 HUD counties
$973 higher than 31% 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 Clark compares on 1-bedroom rent
1-bedroom FMR vs other Wisconsin counties
- Dane
Dane County
$1,482 1BR FMR / mo
- Milwaukee
Milwaukee County
$1,119 1BR FMR / mo
- Waukesha
Waukesha County
$1,119 1BR FMR / mo
- Racine
Racine County
$988 1BR FMR / mo
- Outagamie
Outagamie County
$960 1BR FMR / mo
- Brown
Brown County
$931 1BR FMR / mo
- Clark
Clark County
$754 1BR FMR / mo
What this shows Clark is highlighted. Nearby Wisconsin counties by 1-bedroom FMR, highest to lowest: Dane County ($1,482), Milwaukee County ($1,119), Waukesha County ($1,119), Racine County ($988), Outagamie County ($960), Brown County ($931), Clark County (this county) ($754).
Can Common Jobs Afford Rent Here?
With a below-average 1-bedroom at $754/mo, most of these Wisconsin occupations clear, or miss, the 30% affordability line.
| Occupation | WI Salary | Rent Burden | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|
| General & Operations Managers | $113,170 | 8% | Affordable |
| Software Developers | $103,360 | 8.8% | Affordable |
| Registered Nurses | $86,070 | 10.5% | Affordable |
| Police & Sheriff's Patrol Officers | $78,980 | 11.5% | Affordable |
| Accountants & Auditors | $78,150 | 11.6% | Affordable |
| Electricians | $75,090 | 12% | Affordable |
| Elementary School Teachers | $60,690 | 14.9% | Affordable |
| Heavy & Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers | $57,380 | 15.8% | Affordable |
| Paralegals & Legal Assistants | $56,520 | 16% | Affordable |
| Customer Service Representatives | $45,980 | 19.7% | Affordable |
| Pharmacy Technicians | $43,620 | 20.7% | Affordable |
| Teaching Assistants | $36,050 | 25.1% | Affordable |
| Janitors & Cleaners | $35,850 | 25.2% | Affordable |
| Retail Salespersons | $33,640 | 26.9% | Affordable |
| Fast Food & Counter Workers | $28,500 | 31.7% | Stretched |
Rent Trends (2020–2026)
7-year Fair Market Rent history for Clark County. Shows how HUD rental rates have changed over time.
Over the 6-year span HUD has tracked for Clark (FY 2020-2026), the 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent has risen 34.2% overall, from $562 to $754. The increases have been fairly steady year to year, with no single jump exceeding 9.7% (FY 2024).
| Year | Studio | 1 BR | 2 BR |
|---|---|---|---|
| FY 2026 ↑6.0% | $723 | $754 | $973 |
| FY 2025 ↑3.2% | $640 | $711 | $933 |
| FY 2024 ↑9.7% | $613 | $689 | $905 |
| FY 2023 ↑9.2% | $579 | $628 | $826 |
| FY 2022 ↑1.6% | $522 | $575 | $757 |
| FY 2021 ↑0.7% | $507 | $566 | $734 |
| FY 2020 | $493 | $562 | $714 |
Where Clark County Ranks in Wisconsin
Clark County is not part of any federally-designated metropolitan or micropolitan statistical area -- an independent rental market not administratively tied to a larger urban core. By 2-bedroom FMR, it ranks #5 of 72 counties in Wisconsin. Nearest by rank: Adams County ($973), Ashland County ($973), Bayfield County ($973), Buffalo County ($973), Clark County (this county) ($973), Crawford County ($973), Forest County ($973), Grant County ($973), Green Lake County ($973), Iron County ($973), Jackson County ($973), Juneau County ($973), Lafayette County ($973).
Nationwide peers by 2BR FMR & rent burden
Two PlainRent-derived comparison paths for Clark County, both outside Wisconsin 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 WI (FY2026).
Similar rent burden
Nearest 2BR FMR as a share of median household income (outside WI).
Nearby Counties in Wisconsin
Largest counties by population in Wisconsin
Showing the 8 largest of 71 other counties in Wisconsin.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the average rent in Clark County?
The FY 2026 Fair Market Rent for a 1-bedroom in Clark County is $754 per month. A 2-bedroom is $973 and a studio is $723.
How does Clark County rent compare to the national average?
Rent in Clark County is 21% below the national average. A 1-bedroom here costs $754 compared to $959 nationally.
Where does Clark County rank nationally for Fair Market Rent?
According to HUD's FY 2026 Fair Market Rent schedule, Clark County's 2-bedroom FMR of $973 ranks #976 most affordable among 3,145 HUD counties, placing it in the middle half of HUD counties.
What income do I need to afford rent in Clark County?
Based on the 30% affordability rule, you need an annual income of at least $30,160 ($2,513/month) to afford a 1-bedroom at Fair Market Rent in Clark County.
Is rent going up or down in Clark County?
The 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent in Clark County increased by 6.0% from FY 2025 to FY 2026, going from $711 to $754.
Which jobs can afford rent in Clark County?
Based on Wisconsin BLS salary data and the 30% affordability rule, jobs like General and Operations Managers, Software Developers, Registered Nurses can afford a 1-bedroom at $754/mo. 14 of 15 common occupations are affordable here.
How much has rent changed in Clark County over time?
The 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent in Clark County went from $562 in FY 2020 to $754 in FY 2026, a total change of +34.2% over 6 years.
How does Fair Market Rent affect Section 8 vouchers in Clark County?
In Clark County, the FY 2026 FMR of $754/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 Clark County?
For Clark County, it's the specific 40th-percentile rent HUD publishes each year ($754/mo for a 1-bedroom in FY 2026).
Is the rental market tight or loose in Clark 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 Clark County?
The county's BLS unemployment rate has averaged 3.0% over the past 12 months, a tight labor market that typically supports steadier rent demand.
Data sources
What this means for renters
Treat Clark'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 $754 implies about $30,160/yr to rent without being cost-burdened. Run your numbers
- Wisconsin counties vary widely around this figure - compare specific counties before assuming this applies to yours. Compare vs Milwaukee
- See where Clark 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.