County FMR · HUD FY2026
Clay County Fair Market Rent
HUD's FY2026 Fair Market Rent for Clay County, KS - 25% below the US average.
- $724
- 1-bedroom FMR
- $950
- 2-bedroom FMR
- +8.9%
- YoY change
- -25%
- vs US avg
The verdict
Clay is the 30th most expensive of 105 counties in Kansas by 2-bedroom FMR; nationally it ranks #819 most affordable of 3,145 HUD counties; rent here has climbed 8.9% since FY 2025, a modest shift relative to most counties.
- #819
- most affordable of 3,145 US counties (2BR)
- #30
- most expensive of 105 in Kansas (2BR)
- -4%
- vs the state average
- $28,960
- income to afford it (30% rule)
Software Developers spend the smallest share of income on rent here (8.1%), while Fast Food and Counter Workers spend the most (32.2%); 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 Clay County, KS. Verify with HUD →
The Fair Market Rent for a 1-bedroom apartment in Clay County, Kansas is $724 per month in FY 2026, according to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). A 2-bedroom costs $950/mo and a studio is $696/mo. This is 25% lower than the national average of $959 and 4% below the Kansas average of $753.
Rent increased8.9% from FY 2025 ($665), outpacing inflation. The 30% affordability floor is comparatively reachable here at $28,960/year.
Observed renter burden: 44.1% of the 973 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 Kansas. Population: 8,088. Population has held roughly steady over the past five years (-0.9%, Census ACS). That's slower than Kansas's statewide growth of +1.0% over the same period.
FMR filing desk
Area CLAY·COUNTY·KS·KS
Clay County, KS: $724/mo 1BR · #819 of 3145 counties (2BR) · FY2026
- FMR-AREA KS
- 1BR-FMR $724
- 2BR-FMR $950
- RANK-MID #819
- YOY-SURGE +8.9%
- VSUS-BELOW -25%
- VS-ST-NEAR -4% KS
- INC-ROOM 14%
- POP-SMALL 8K
- PHOTO-NEAR Johnson County
- VOUCH-90-110 $652–$796
- FY-2026 FY2026
Photo-finish peer: Johnson ($473 1BR gap)
Read with: Section 8 housing guide
Fair Market Rents (2026)
Year-over-Year Comparison
| Bedrooms | FY 2025 | FY 2026 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Studio | $625 | $696 | +$71 (+11.4%) |
| 1 Bedroom | $665 | $724 | +$59 (+8.9%) |
| 2 Bedroom | $872 | $950 | +$78 (+8.9%) |
| 3 Bedroom | $1,178 | $1,253 | +$75 (+6.4%) |
| 4 Bedroom | $1,183 | $1,258 | +$75 (+6.3%) |
Rent Burden Analysis
How much of household income goes to rent in Clay 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 Clay sits among every US county
2-bedroom Fair Market Rent vs. all 3,145 HUD counties
$950 higher than 26% 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 Clay compares on 1-bedroom rent
1-bedroom FMR vs other Kansas counties
- Johnson
Johnson County
$1,197 1BR FMR / mo
- Wyandotte
Wyandotte County
$1,197 1BR FMR / mo
- Leavenworth
Leavenworth County
$1,197 1BR FMR / mo
- Douglas
Douglas County
$1,006 1BR FMR / mo
- Sedgwick
Sedgwick County
$849 1BR FMR / mo
- Shawnee
Shawnee County
$820 1BR FMR / mo
- Clay
Clay County
$724 1BR FMR / mo
What this shows Clay is highlighted. Nearby Kansas counties by 1-bedroom FMR, highest to lowest: Johnson County ($1,197), Wyandotte County ($1,197), Leavenworth County ($1,197), Douglas County ($1,006), Sedgwick County ($849), Shawnee County ($820), Clay County (this county) ($724).
Can Common Jobs Afford Rent Here?
With a below-average 1-bedroom at $724/mo, most of these Kansas occupations clear, or miss, the 30% affordability line.
| Occupation | KS Salary | Rent Burden | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|
| Software Developers | $106,660 | 8.1% | Affordable |
| General & Operations Managers | $85,600 | 10.1% | Affordable |
| Registered Nurses | $78,060 | 11.1% | Affordable |
| Accountants & Auditors | $76,400 | 11.4% | Affordable |
| Electricians | $61,830 | 14.1% | Affordable |
| Police & Sheriff's Patrol Officers | $56,610 | 15.3% | Affordable |
| Heavy & Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers | $56,940 | 15.3% | Affordable |
| Elementary School Teachers | $50,820 | 17.1% | Affordable |
| Paralegals & Legal Assistants | $48,910 | 17.8% | Affordable |
| Pharmacy Technicians | $39,210 | 22.2% | Affordable |
| Customer Service Representatives | $38,330 | 22.7% | Affordable |
| Janitors & Cleaners | $32,690 | 26.6% | Affordable |
| Retail Salespersons | $31,670 | 27.4% | Affordable |
| Teaching Assistants | $27,960 | 31.1% | Stretched |
| Fast Food & Counter Workers | $27,000 | 32.2% | Stretched |
Rent Trends (2020–2026)
7-year Fair Market Rent history for Clay County. Shows how HUD rental rates have changed over time.
Over the 6-year span HUD has tracked for Clay (FY 2020-2026), the 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent has risen 18.7% overall, from $610 to $724. The increases have been fairly steady year to year, with no single jump exceeding 10.5% (FY 2024).
| Year | Studio | 1 BR | 2 BR |
|---|---|---|---|
| FY 2026 ↑8.9% | $696 | $724 | $950 |
| FY 2025 ↓1.3% | $625 | $665 | $872 |
| FY 2024 ↑10.5% | $636 | $674 | $886 |
| FY 2023 ↑7.0% | $581 | $610 | $803 |
| FY 2022 ↑0.2% | $566 | $570 | $742 |
| FY 2021 ↓6.7% | $565 | $569 | $750 |
| FY 2020 | $606 | $610 | $803 |
Where Clay County Ranks in Kansas
Clay 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 #76 of 105 counties in Kansas. Nearest by rank: Crawford County ($901), Stevens County ($903), Logan County ($912), McPherson County ($920), Sherman County ($932), Ottawa County ($933), Bourbon County ($936), Ellis County ($941), Clay County (this county) ($950), Rawlins County ($952), Reno County ($957), Ford County ($969), Lane County ($989), Seward County ($1,000), Saline County ($1,009), Franklin County ($1,020), Finney County ($1,041).
Nationwide peers by 2BR FMR & rent burden
Two PlainRent-derived comparison paths for Clay County, both outside Kansas 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 KS (FY2026).
Similar rent burden
Nearest 2BR FMR as a share of median household income (outside KS).
Nearby Counties in Kansas
Largest counties by population in Kansas
Showing the 8 largest of 104 other counties in Kansas.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the average rent in Clay County? ▼
How does Clay County rent compare to the national average? ▼
Where does Clay County rank nationally for Fair Market Rent? ▼
What income do I need to afford rent in Clay County? ▼
Is rent going up or down in Clay County? ▼
Which jobs can afford rent in Clay County? ▼
How much has rent changed in Clay County over time? ▼
How does Fair Market Rent affect Section 8 vouchers in Clay County? ▼
What does Fair Market Rent mean for Clay 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.