County FMR · HUD FY2026
Coles County Fair Market Rent
HUD's FY2026 Fair Market Rent for Coles County, IL - 21% below the US average.
- $759
- 1-bedroom FMR
- $965
- 2-bedroom FMR
- +10.2%
- YoY change
- -21%
- vs US avg
The verdict
Coles is the 50th most expensive of 102 counties in Illinois by 2-bedroom FMR; nationally it ranks #976 most affordable of 3,145 HUD counties; rent here has climbed 10.2% since FY 2025, a sharp move relative to most counties.
- #976
- most affordable of 3,145 US counties (2BR)
- #50
- most expensive of 102 in Illinois (2BR)
- -11%
- vs the state average
- $30,360
- income to afford it (30% rule)
Software Developers spend the smallest share of income on rent here (7.1%), while Fast Food and Counter Workers spend the most (28.6%); 15 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 Coles County, IL. Verify with HUD →
The Fair Market Rent for a 1-bedroom apartment in Coles County, Illinois is $759 per month in FY 2026, according to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). A 2-bedroom costs $965/mo and a studio is $665/mo. This is 21% lower than the national average of $959 and 11% below the Illinois average of $854.
Rent increased10.2% from FY 2025 ($689), outpacing inflation. The 30% affordability floor is comparatively reachable here at $30,360/year.
Observed renter burden: 41.0% of the 8,056 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 5.0%, 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 4.0% over the past 12 months, close to the typical US county range.
FY 2026 HUD Fair Market Rents in Illinois. Population: 47,076. Population declined 9.8% over the past five years (Census ACS), a trend that can ease rental-market pressure over time even as FMR reflects recent rent levels. That's slower than Illinois's statewide growth of -1.0% over the same period.
FMR filing desk
Area COLES·COUNTY·IL·IL
Coles County, IL: $759/mo 1BR · #976 of 3145 counties (2BR) · FY2026
- FMR-AREA IL
- 1BR-FMR $759
- 2BR-FMR $965
- RANK-MID #976
- YOY-SURGE +10.2%
- VSUS-BELOW -21%
- VS-ST-LOW -11% IL
- INC-ROOM 16%
- POP-SMALL 47K
- PHOTO-NEAR Cook County
- VOUCH-90-110 $683–$835
- FY-2026 FY2026
Photo-finish peer: Cook ($822 1BR gap)
Read with: Section 8 housing guide
Fair Market Rents (2026)
Year-over-Year Comparison
| Bedrooms | FY 2025 | FY 2026 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Studio | $614 | $665 | +$51 (+8.3%) |
| 1 Bedroom | $689 | $759 | +$70 (+10.2%) |
| 2 Bedroom | $895 | $965 | +$70 (+7.8%) |
| 3 Bedroom | $1,188 | $1,261 | +$73 (+6.1%) |
| 4 Bedroom | $1,269 | $1,348 | +$79 (+6.2%) |
Rent Burden Analysis
How much of household income goes to rent in Coles 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 Coles sits among every US county
2-bedroom Fair Market Rent vs. all 3,145 HUD counties
$965 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 Coles compares on 1-bedroom rent
1-bedroom FMR vs other Illinois counties
- Cook
Cook County
$1,581 1BR FMR / mo
- DuPage
DuPage County
$1,581 1BR FMR / mo
- Lake
Lake County
$1,581 1BR FMR / mo
- Will
Will County
$1,581 1BR FMR / mo
- Kane
Kane County
$1,581 1BR FMR / mo
- McHenry
McHenry County
$1,581 1BR FMR / mo
- Coles
Coles County
$759 1BR FMR / mo
What this shows Coles is highlighted. Nearby Illinois counties by 1-bedroom FMR, highest to lowest: Cook County ($1,581), DuPage County ($1,581), Lake County ($1,581), Will County ($1,581), Kane County ($1,581), McHenry County ($1,581), Coles County (this county) ($759).
Can Common Jobs Afford Rent Here?
With a below-average 1-bedroom at $759/mo, most of these Illinois occupations clear, or miss, the 30% affordability line.
| Occupation | IL Salary | Rent Burden | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|
| Software Developers | $127,770 | 7.1% | Affordable |
| General & Operations Managers | $101,430 | 9% | Affordable |
| Police & Sheriff's Patrol Officers | $101,530 | 9% | Affordable |
| Electricians | $96,360 | 9.5% | Affordable |
| Registered Nurses | $86,410 | 10.5% | Affordable |
| Accountants & Auditors | $79,300 | 11.5% | Affordable |
| Elementary School Teachers | $64,160 | 14.2% | Affordable |
| Paralegals & Legal Assistants | $62,290 | 14.6% | Affordable |
| Heavy & Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers | $59,790 | 15.2% | Affordable |
| Customer Service Representatives | $44,910 | 20.3% | Affordable |
| Pharmacy Technicians | $44,610 | 20.4% | Affordable |
| Janitors & Cleaners | $37,010 | 24.6% | Affordable |
| Teaching Assistants | $35,780 | 25.5% | Affordable |
| Retail Salespersons | $34,490 | 26.4% | Affordable |
| Fast Food & Counter Workers | $31,900 | 28.6% | Affordable |
Rent Trends (2020–2026)
7-year Fair Market Rent history for Coles County. Shows how HUD rental rates have changed over time.
Over the 6-year span HUD has tracked for Coles (FY 2020-2026), the 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent has risen 33.2% overall, from $570 to $759. The increases have been fairly steady year to year, with no single jump exceeding 10.2% (FY 2026).
| Year | Studio | 1 BR | 2 BR |
|---|---|---|---|
| FY 2026 ↑10.2% | $665 | $759 | $965 |
| FY 2025 ↑6.8% | $614 | $689 | $895 |
| FY 2024 ↑5.0% | $575 | $645 | $848 |
| FY 2023 ↑1.8% | $540 | $614 | $808 |
| FY 2022 ↑8.8% | $527 | $603 | $793 |
| FY 2021 ↓2.8% | $482 | $554 | $730 |
| FY 2020 | $500 | $570 | $741 |
Part of the Charleston-Mattoon, IL Micro Area
Coles County is a central county of the Charleston-Mattoon, IL micropolitan statistical area.
Nationwide peers by 2BR FMR & rent burden
Two PlainRent-derived comparison paths for Coles County, both outside Illinois 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 IL (FY2026).
Similar rent burden
Nearest 2BR FMR as a share of median household income (outside IL).
Nearby Counties in Illinois
Largest counties by population in Illinois
Showing the 8 largest of 101 other counties in Illinois.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the average rent in Coles County?
The FY 2026 Fair Market Rent for a 1-bedroom in Coles County is $759 per month. A 2-bedroom is $965 and a studio is $665.
How does Coles County rent compare to the national average?
Rent in Coles County is 21% below the national average. A 1-bedroom here costs $759 compared to $959 nationally.
Where does Coles County rank nationally for Fair Market Rent?
According to HUD's FY 2026 Fair Market Rent schedule, Coles County's 2-bedroom FMR of $965 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 Coles County?
Based on the 30% affordability rule, you need an annual income of at least $30,360 ($2,530/month) to afford a 1-bedroom at Fair Market Rent in Coles County.
Is rent going up or down in Coles County?
The 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent in Coles County increased by 10.2% from FY 2025 to FY 2026, going from $689 to $759.
Which jobs can afford rent in Coles County?
Based on Illinois BLS salary data and the 30% affordability rule, jobs like Software Developers, General and Operations Managers, Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers can afford a 1-bedroom at $759/mo. 15 of 15 common occupations are affordable here.
How much has rent changed in Coles County over time?
The 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent in Coles County went from $570 in FY 2020 to $759 in FY 2026, a total change of +33.2% over 6 years.
How does Fair Market Rent affect Section 8 vouchers in Coles County?
In Coles County, the FY 2026 FMR of $759/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 Coles County?
For Coles County, it's the specific 40th-percentile rent HUD publishes each year ($759/mo for a 1-bedroom in FY 2026).
Is the rental market tight or loose in Coles County?
The ACS rental vacancy rate here is 5.0%, close to the range where market rents and HUD's FMR benchmark tend to track each other.
What is the unemployment rate in Coles County?
The county's BLS unemployment rate has averaged 4.0% over the past 12 months, close to the typical US county range.
Data sources
What this means for renters
Treat Coles'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 $759 implies about $30,360/yr to rent without being cost-burdened. Run your numbers
- Illinois counties vary widely around this figure - compare specific counties before assuming this applies to yours. Compare vs Cook
- See where Coles 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.