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.

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)

Studio
State avg: $774 · US avg: $893
$665/mo
↑ 8.3% YoY -14% vs state -26% vs US
1 Bedroom
State avg: $854 · US avg: $959
$759/mo
↑ 10.2% YoY -11% vs state -21% vs US
2 Bedroom
State avg: $1,063 · US avg: $1,175
$965/mo
↑ 7.8% YoY -9% vs state -18% vs US
3 Bedroom
State avg: $1,370 · US avg: $1,525
$1,261/mo
↑ 6.1% YoY -8% vs state -17% vs US
4 Bedroom
State avg: $1,561 · US avg: $1,756
$1,348/mo
↑ 6.2% YoY -14% vs state -23% vs US

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.

Studio
14.2%
Affordable
Need $26,600/yr for 30% rule
1 Bedroom
16.3%
Affordable
Need $30,360/yr for 30% rule
2 Bedroom
20.7%
Affordable
Need $38,600/yr for 30% rule
3 Bedroom
27%
Affordable
Need $50,440/yr for 30% rule
4 Bedroom
28.9%
Affordable
Need $53,920/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%20.7%
Coles County 2-bedroom rent burden
County median income: $56,040 · National avg burden: 21.7% ·View Illinois rent burden →

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

$600–$800: 23 counties (1%). Below this entry. $800–$1,000: 1,406 counties (45%). This entry sits in this band. $1,000–$1,200: 723 counties (23%). Above this entry. $1,200–$1,400: 417 counties (13%). Above this entry. $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 Coles compares on 1-bedroom rent

1-bedroom FMR vs other Illinois counties

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).

Source U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) As of FY2026

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
Salaries: BLS OES (Illinois) median · 30% = affordable threshold · Try the salary calculator →

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).

$500$550$600$650$700$750$800 FY2020FY2021FY2022FY2023FY2024FY2025FY2026 $759
Coles County 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent, FY2020–FY2026
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
Total change (6yr): +33.2%
Annualized: +4.9%/yr
1 BR: $570 → $759

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).

Johnson County
MO · 2 BR $965/mo
Jackson County
NC · 2 BR $964/mo
Baxter County
AR · 2 BR $964/mo
Warren County
TN · 2 BR $964/mo

Similar rent burden

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

Prairie County
AR · 20.7% of income · 2 BR $880/mo
Yakutat City and Borough
AK · 20.7% of income · 2 BR $1,388/mo
Manistee County
MI · 20.7% of income · 2 BR $1,048/mo
Hopkins County
TX · 20.7% of income · 2 BR $1,115/mo

Nearby Counties in Illinois

Largest counties by population in Illinois

Showing the 8 largest of 101 other counties in Illinois.

Cook County
1 BR: $1,581/mo Pop: 5,225,367
DuPage County
1 BR: $1,581/mo Pop: 930,559
Lake County
1 BR: $1,581/mo Pop: 713,159
Will County
1 BR: $1,581/mo Pop: 696,774
Kane County
1 BR: $1,581/mo Pop: 517,254
McHenry County
1 BR: $1,581/mo Pop: 311,133
Winnebago County
1 BR: $895/mo Pop: 284,591
Madison County
1 BR: $995/mo Pop: 265,512
View all 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).

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.