County FMR · HUD FY2026
Darke County Fair Market Rent
HUD's FY2026 Fair Market Rent for Darke County, OH - 16% below the US average.
- $806
- 1-bedroom FMR
- $973
- 2-bedroom FMR
- +7.9%
- YoY change
- -16%
- vs US avg
The verdict
Darke is the 6th cheapest of 88 counties in Ohio by 2-bedroom FMR; nationally it ranks #976 most affordable of 3,145 HUD counties; rent here has climbed 7.9% since FY 2025, a modest shift relative to most counties.
- #976
- most affordable of 3,145 US counties (2BR)
- #6
- cheapest of 88 in Ohio (2BR)
- -8%
- vs the state average
- $32,240
- income to afford it (30% rule)
Software Developers spend the smallest share of income on rent here (9%), while Fast Food and Counter Workers spend the most (34.4%); 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 Darke County, OH. Verify with HUD →
HUD sets the FY 2026 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent for Darke County, Ohio at $806 per month - the federal rental-assistance benchmark for this county. A 2-bedroom costs $973/mo and a studio is $801/mo. This is 16% lower than the national average of $959 and 8% below the Ohio average of $873.
Rent increased7.9% from FY 2025 ($747), outpacing inflation. The 30% affordability floor is comparatively reachable here at $32,240/year.
FY 2026 HUD Fair Market Rents in Ohio. Population: 51,751. Population has held roughly steady over the past five years (-0.2%, Census ACS). That's in line with Ohio's statewide growth of +1.2% over the same period.
What these rents mean for Darke County
HUD publishes one FMR schedule per FMR area (often the county). Local housing authorities use it as the Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher payment-standard baseline. See how FMR is calculated.
According to HUD's FY 2026 Fair Market Rent schedule, Darke County's 2-bedroom of $973 ranks #976 most affordable of 3,145 US counties, in the middle half of HUD counties.
This is a below-average rent market: 1-bedroom FMR is 16% under the US average of $959 and 8% below Ohio's $873. HUD's 1-bedroom figure shifted from $747 (FY 2025) to $806 (FY 2026), a +7.9% move that still leaves this county below the US mid-point.
A 1-bedroom at $806 needs $32,240/year under the 30% rule against a county median of $64,654, and the median household clears that line with room to spare. A 2-bedroom at $973 is the next step up.
Fair Market Rents (2026)
Year-over-Year Comparison
| Bedrooms | FY 2025 | FY 2026 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Studio | $664 | $801 | +$137 (+20.6%) |
| 1 Bedroom | $747 | $806 | +$59 (+7.9%) |
| 2 Bedroom | $884 | $973 | +$89 (+10.1%) |
| 3 Bedroom | $1,184 | $1,290 | +$106 (+9.0%) |
| 4 Bedroom | $1,224 | $1,295 | +$71 (+5.8%) |
Affordability Snapshot
Based on the standard that rent should not exceed 30% of gross income:
Rent Burden Analysis
How much of household income goes to rent in Darke 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 Darke 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 Darke compares on 1-bedroom rent
1-bedroom FMR vs other Ohio counties
- Franklin
Franklin County
$1,194 1BR FMR / mo
- Cuyahoga
Cuyahoga County
$1,058 1BR FMR / mo
- Hamilton
Hamilton County
$1,051 1BR FMR / mo
- Montgomery
Montgomery County
$1,009 1BR FMR / mo
- Summit
Summit County
$985 1BR FMR / mo
- Lucas
Lucas County
$820 1BR FMR / mo
- Darke
Darke County
$806 1BR FMR / mo
What this shows Darke is highlighted. Nearby Ohio counties by 1-bedroom FMR, highest to lowest: Franklin County ($1,194), Cuyahoga County ($1,058), Hamilton County ($1,051), Montgomery County ($1,009), Summit County ($985), Lucas County ($820), Darke County (this county) ($806).
Can Common Jobs Afford Rent Here?
With a below-average 1-bedroom at $806/mo, most of these Ohio occupations clear, or miss, the 30% affordability line.
| Occupation | OH Salary | Rent Burden | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|
| Software Developers | $107,690 | 9% | Affordable |
| General & Operations Managers | $94,990 | 10.2% | Affordable |
| Registered Nurses | $81,250 | 11.9% | Affordable |
| Accountants & Auditors | $77,640 | 12.5% | Affordable |
| Police & Sheriff's Patrol Officers | $77,050 | 12.6% | Affordable |
| Elementary School Teachers | $65,380 | 14.8% | Affordable |
| Electricians | $63,560 | 15.2% | Affordable |
| Paralegals & Legal Assistants | $58,870 | 16.4% | Affordable |
| Heavy & Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers | $58,080 | 16.7% | Affordable |
| Customer Service Representatives | $43,510 | 22.2% | Affordable |
| Pharmacy Technicians | $37,860 | 25.5% | Affordable |
| Teaching Assistants | $35,380 | 27.3% | Affordable |
| Janitors & Cleaners | $34,710 | 27.9% | Affordable |
| Retail Salespersons | $30,440 | 31.8% | Stretched |
| Fast Food & Counter Workers | $28,100 | 34.4% | Stretched |
Rent Trends (2020–2026)
7-year Fair Market Rent history for Darke County. Shows how HUD rental rates have changed over time.
Over the 6-year span HUD has tracked for Darke (FY 2020-2026), the 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent has risen 50.9% overall, from $534 to $806. The increases have been fairly steady year to year, with no single jump exceeding 12.0% (FY 2023).
| Year | Studio | 1 BR | 2 BR |
|---|---|---|---|
| FY 2026 ↑7.9% | $801 | $806 | $973 |
| FY 2025 ↑0.8% | $664 | $747 | $884 |
| FY 2024 ↑8.7% | $639 | $741 | $860 |
| FY 2023 ↑12.0% | $587 | $682 | $794 |
| FY 2022 ↑4.5% | $547 | $609 | $738 |
| FY 2021 ↑9.2% | $548 | $583 | $734 |
| FY 2020 | $531 | $534 | $696 |
Part of the Greenville, OH Micro Area
Darke County is a central county of the Greenville, OH micropolitan statistical area.
Nearby Counties in Ohio
Largest counties by population in Ohio
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the average rent in Darke County? ▼
How does Darke County rent compare to the national average? ▼
Where does Darke County rank nationally for Fair Market Rent? ▼
What income do I need to afford rent in Darke County? ▼
Is rent going up or down in Darke County? ▼
Which jobs can afford rent in Darke County? ▼
How much has rent changed in Darke County over time? ▼
How does Fair Market Rent affect Section 8 vouchers in Darke County? ▼
What does Fair Market Rent mean for Darke County? ▼
What this means for renters
Treat Darke's FY2026 Fair Market Rent as HUD's affordability benchmark, not a market quote.
- Budget to roughly 30% of income: the FY2026 1-bedroom FMR of $806 implies about $32,240/yr to rent without being cost-burdened. Run your numbers
- Compare this county against nearby metros and states before signing a lease. Compare areas
- See where it sits on the national rent map. View rankings
Fair Market Rent is HUD's 40th-percentile policy benchmark used to set Housing Choice Voucher payment standards. Actual asking rents in Darke can run higher or lower, and HUD updates FMRs once a year. This page is informational and not financial or relocation advice.
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.