County FMR · HUD FY2026
Dakota County Fair Market Rent
HUD's FY2026 Fair Market Rent for Dakota County, NE - 4% below the US average.
- $925
- 1-bedroom FMR
- $1,154
- 2-bedroom FMR
- +13.1%
- YoY change
- -4%
- vs US avg
The verdict
Dakota is the 6th most expensive of 93 counties in Nebraska by 2-bedroom FMR; nationally it ranks #1,132 most expensive of 3,145 HUD counties; rent here has climbed 13.1% since FY 2025, a sharp move relative to most counties.
- #1,132
- most expensive of 3,145 US counties (2BR)
- #6
- most expensive of 93 in Nebraska (2BR)
- +17%
- vs the state average
- $37,000
- income to afford it (30% rule)
Software Developers spend the smallest share of income on rent here (9.5%), while Teaching Assistants, Except Postsecondary spend the most (39.9%).
FY 2026 HUD Fair Market Rent for Dakota County, NE. Verify with HUD →
The Fair Market Rent for a 1-bedroom apartment in Dakota County, Nebraska is $925 per month in FY 2026, according to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). A 2-bedroom costs $1,154/mo and a studio is $796/mo. This is 4% lower than the national average of $959 and 17% above the Nebraska average of $791.
Rent increased13.1% from FY 2025 ($818), outpacing inflation. Under the 30% rule, affordability starts near $37,000/year for a 1-bedroom.
Observed renter burden: 38.9% of the 2,587 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 Nebraska. Population: 21,308. Population has held roughly steady over the past five years (+5.0%, Census ACS). That's faster than Nebraska's statewide growth of +3.2% over the same period.
FMR filing desk
Area DAKOTA·COUNTY·NE·NE
Dakota County, NE: $925/mo 1BR · #1132 of 3145 counties (2BR) · FY2026
- FMR-AREA NE
- 1BR-FMR $925
- 2BR-FMR $1,154
- RANK-MID #1,132
- YOY-SURGE +13.1%
- VSUS-NEAR -4%
- VS-ST-HIGH +17% NE
- INC-ROOM 15%
- POP-SMALL 21K
- PHOTO-NEAR Douglas County
- VOUCH-90-110 $833–$1,018
- FY-2026 FY2026
Photo-finish peer: Douglas ($223 1BR gap)
Read with: How Fair Market Rent works
Fair Market Rents (2026)
Year-over-Year Comparison
| Bedrooms | FY 2025 | FY 2026 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Studio | $715 | $796 | +$81 (+11.3%) |
| 1 Bedroom | $818 | $925 | +$107 (+13.1%) |
| 2 Bedroom | $1,043 | $1,154 | +$111 (+10.6%) |
| 3 Bedroom | $1,257 | $1,386 | +$129 (+10.3%) |
| 4 Bedroom | $1,383 | $1,528 | +$145 (+10.5%) |
Rent Burden Analysis
How much of household income goes to rent in Dakota 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 Dakota sits among every US county
2-bedroom Fair Market Rent vs. all 3,145 HUD counties
$1,154 Top 36% higher than 64% 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 Dakota compares on 1-bedroom rent
1-bedroom FMR vs other Nebraska counties
- Douglas
Douglas County
$1,148 1BR FMR / mo
- Sarpy
Sarpy County
$1,148 1BR FMR / mo
- Hall
Hall County
$978 1BR FMR / mo
- Lancaster
Lancaster County
$926 1BR FMR / mo
- Dakota
Dakota County
$925 1BR FMR / mo
- Buffalo
Buffalo County
$863 1BR FMR / mo
- Dodge
Dodge County
$861 1BR FMR / mo
What this shows Dakota is highlighted. Nearby Nebraska counties by 1-bedroom FMR, highest to lowest: Douglas County ($1,148), Sarpy County ($1,148), Hall County ($978), Lancaster County ($926), Dakota County (this county) ($925), Buffalo County ($863), Dodge County ($861).
Can Common Jobs Afford Rent Here?
How a 1-bedroom at $925/mo compares to Nebraska salaries for popular occupations (BLS wage data, 30%-of-income rule).
| Occupation | NE Salary | Rent Burden | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|
| Software Developers | $116,420 | 9.5% | Affordable |
| General & Operations Managers | $82,570 | 13.4% | Affordable |
| Registered Nurses | $81,020 | 13.7% | Affordable |
| Police & Sheriff's Patrol Officers | $72,160 | 15.4% | Affordable |
| Accountants & Auditors | $69,980 | 15.9% | Affordable |
| Elementary School Teachers | $61,700 | 18% | Affordable |
| Paralegals & Legal Assistants | $61,410 | 18.1% | Affordable |
| Electricians | $60,020 | 18.5% | Affordable |
| Heavy & Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers | $57,940 | 19.2% | Affordable |
| Pharmacy Technicians | $41,400 | 26.8% | Affordable |
| Customer Service Representatives | $40,790 | 27.2% | Affordable |
| Janitors & Cleaners | $35,820 | 31% | Stretched |
| Retail Salespersons | $30,350 | 36.6% | Stretched |
| Fast Food & Counter Workers | $29,420 | 37.7% | Stretched |
| Teaching Assistants | $27,840 | 39.9% | Stretched |
Rent Trends (2020–2026)
7-year Fair Market Rent history for Dakota County. Shows how HUD rental rates have changed over time.
Over the 6-year span HUD has tracked for Dakota (FY 2020-2026), the 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent has risen 51.6% overall, from $610 to $925. Most of that movement was gradual except for a single sharp jump of +13.1% in FY 2026, well above this county's typical year-to-year change.
| Year | Studio | 1 BR | 2 BR |
|---|---|---|---|
| FY 2026 ↑13.1% | $796 | $925 | $1,154 |
| FY 2025 ↑4.9% | $715 | $818 | $1,043 |
| FY 2024 ↑10.6% | $685 | $780 | $1,010 |
| FY 2023 ↑6.7% | $620 | $705 | $928 |
| FY 2022 ↑4.8% | $578 | $661 | $870 |
| FY 2021 ↑3.4% | $549 | $631 | $832 |
| FY 2020 | $523 | $610 | $803 |
Part of the Sioux City, IA-NE-SD Metro Area
Dakota County is a central county of the Sioux City, IA-NE-SD metropolitan statistical area, alongside 2 other metro-area counties.
Dakota County ranks #3 of 3 counties in this metro area by 1-bedroom FMR. Every county sharing this metro, highest to lowest: Woodbury County ($925), Union County ($925), Dakota County (this county) ($925).
Nationwide peers by 2BR FMR & rent burden
Two PlainRent-derived comparison paths for Dakota County, both outside Nebraska 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 NE (FY2026).
Similar rent burden
Nearest 2BR FMR as a share of median household income (outside NE).
Nearby Counties in Nebraska
Largest counties by population in Nebraska
Showing the 8 largest of 92 other counties in Nebraska.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the average rent in Dakota County? ▼
How does Dakota County rent compare to the national average? ▼
Where does Dakota County rank nationally for Fair Market Rent? ▼
What income do I need to afford rent in Dakota County? ▼
Is rent going up or down in Dakota County? ▼
Which jobs can afford rent in Dakota County? ▼
How much has rent changed in Dakota County over time? ▼
How does Fair Market Rent affect Section 8 vouchers in Dakota County? ▼
What does Fair Market Rent mean for Dakota 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.