County FMR · HUD FY2026
Delaware County Fair Market Rent
HUD's FY2026 Fair Market Rent for Delaware County, OH - 25% above the US average.
- $1,194
- 1-bedroom FMR
- $1,430
- 2-bedroom FMR
- +0.0%
- YoY change
- +25%
- vs US avg
The verdict
Delaware is the 8th most expensive of 88 counties in Ohio by 2-bedroom FMR; nationally it ranks #535 most expensive of 3,145 HUD counties.
- #535
- most expensive of 3,145 US counties (2BR)
- #8
- most expensive of 88 in Ohio (2BR)
- +37%
- vs the state average
- $47,760
- income to afford it (30% rule)
Software Developers spend the smallest share of income on rent here (13.3%), while Fast Food and Counter Workers spend the most (51%).
FY 2026 HUD Fair Market Rent for Delaware County, OH. Verify with HUD →
HUD sets the FY 2026 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent for Delaware County, Ohio at $1,194 per month - the federal rental-assistance benchmark for this county. A 2-bedroom costs $1,430/mo and a studio is $1,111/mo. This is 25% higher than the national average of $959 and 37% above the Ohio average of $873.
Rent increased0.0% from FY 2025 ($1,194), roughly tracking inflation. A household needs about $47,760/year to stay under the 30% rent-to-income line.
Observed renter burden: 37.1% of the 17,549 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 4.3%, 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 3.3% over the past 12 months, a tight labor market that typically supports steadier rent demand.
FY 2026 HUD Fair Market Rents in Ohio. Population: 216,074. Population grew 12.3% over the past five years (Census ACS) - among the faster-growing counties nationally, a trend that typically adds upward pressure on rents. That's faster than Ohio's statewide growth of +1.2% over the same period.
FMR filing desk
Area DELAWARE·COUNTY·OH·OH
Delaware County, OH: $1,194/mo 1BR · #535 of 3145 counties (2BR) · FY2026
- FMR-AREA OH
- 1BR-FMR $1,194
- 2BR-FMR $1,430
- RANK-MID #535
- YOY-FLAT +0.0%
- VSUS-ABOVE +25%
- VS-ST-HIGH +37% OH
- INC-ROOM 11%
- POP-MID 216K
- PHOTO-FINISH Franklin County
- VOUCH-90-110 $1,075–$1,313
- FY-2026 FY2026
Photo-finish peer: Franklin ($0 1BR gap)
Read with: Understanding rent burden
Fair Market Rents (2026)
Year-over-Year Comparison
| Bedrooms | FY 2025 | FY 2026 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Studio | $1,104 | $1,111 | +$7 (+0.6%) |
| 1 Bedroom | $1,194 | $1,194 | $0 (0.0%) |
| 2 Bedroom | $1,445 | $1,430 | $-15 (-1.0%) |
| 3 Bedroom | $1,741 | $1,715 | $-26 (-1.5%) |
| 4 Bedroom | $1,939 | $1,927 | $-12 (-0.6%) |
Rent Burden Analysis
How much of household income goes to rent in Delaware 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 Delaware sits among every US county
2-bedroom Fair Market Rent vs. all 3,145 HUD counties
$1,430 Top 17% higher than 83% 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 Delaware compares on 1-bedroom rent
1-bedroom FMR vs other Ohio counties
- Delaware
Delaware County
$1,194 1BR FMR / mo
- 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
What this shows Delaware is highlighted. Nearby Ohio counties by 1-bedroom FMR, highest to lowest: Delaware County (this county) ($1,194), Franklin County ($1,194), Cuyahoga County ($1,058), Hamilton County ($1,051), Montgomery County ($1,009), Summit County ($985), Lucas County ($820).
Can Common Jobs Afford Rent Here?
Against a high local FMR of $1,194/mo, which of 15 common occupations still clear the 30% line using Ohio BLS wages?
| Occupation | OH Salary | Rent Burden | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|
| Software Developers | $107,690 | 13.3% | Affordable |
| General & Operations Managers | $94,990 | 15.1% | Affordable |
| Registered Nurses | $81,250 | 17.6% | Affordable |
| Accountants & Auditors | $77,640 | 18.5% | Affordable |
| Police & Sheriff's Patrol Officers | $77,050 | 18.6% | Affordable |
| Elementary School Teachers | $65,380 | 21.9% | Affordable |
| Electricians | $63,560 | 22.5% | Affordable |
| Paralegals & Legal Assistants | $58,870 | 24.3% | Affordable |
| Heavy & Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers | $58,080 | 24.7% | Affordable |
| Customer Service Representatives | $43,510 | 32.9% | Stretched |
| Pharmacy Technicians | $37,860 | 37.8% | Stretched |
| Teaching Assistants | $35,380 | 40.5% | Stretched |
| Janitors & Cleaners | $34,710 | 41.3% | Stretched |
| Retail Salespersons | $30,440 | 47.1% | Stretched |
| Fast Food & Counter Workers | $28,100 | 51% | Unaffordable |
Rent Trends (2020–2026)
7-year Fair Market Rent history for Delaware County. Shows how HUD rental rates have changed over time.
Over the 6-year span HUD has tracked for Delaware (FY 2020-2026), the 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent has risen 50.4% overall, from $794 to $1,194. Most of that movement was gradual except for a single sharp jump of +13.5% in FY 2023, well above this county's typical year-to-year change.
| Year | Studio | 1 BR | 2 BR |
|---|---|---|---|
| FY 2026 ↑0.0% | $1,111 | $1,194 | $1,430 |
| FY 2025 ↑12.1% | $1,104 | $1,194 | $1,445 |
| FY 2024 ↑13.2% | $970 | $1,065 | $1,302 |
| FY 2023 ↑13.5% | $842 | $941 | $1,163 |
| FY 2022 ↑0.2% | $730 | $829 | $1,032 |
| FY 2021 ↑4.2% | $717 | $827 | $1,031 |
| FY 2020 | $677 | $794 | $992 |
Part of the Columbus, OH Metro Area
Delaware County is a central county of the Columbus, OH metropolitan statistical area, alongside 9 other metro-area counties.
Delaware County ranks #7 of 10 counties in this metro area by 1-bedroom FMR. Every county sharing this metro, highest to lowest: Franklin County ($1,194), Licking County ($1,194), Fairfield County ($1,194), Pickaway County ($1,194), Madison County ($1,194), Morrow County ($1,194), Delaware County (this county) ($1,194), Union County ($1,125), Perry County ($790), Hocking County ($742).
Nationwide peers by 2BR FMR & rent burden
Two PlainRent-derived comparison paths for Delaware County, both outside Ohio 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 OH (FY2026).
Similar rent burden
Nearest 2BR FMR as a share of median household income (outside OH).
Nearby Counties in Ohio
Largest counties by population in Ohio
Showing the 8 largest of 87 other counties in Ohio.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the average rent in Delaware County?
The FY 2026 Fair Market Rent for a 1-bedroom in Delaware County is $1,194 per month. A 2-bedroom is $1,430 and a studio is $1,111.
How does Delaware County rent compare to the national average?
Rent in Delaware County is 25% above the national average. A 1-bedroom here costs $1,194 compared to $959 nationally.
Where does Delaware County rank nationally for Fair Market Rent?
According to HUD's FY 2026 Fair Market Rent schedule, Delaware County's 2-bedroom FMR of $1,430 ranks #535 most expensive among 3,145 HUD counties, placing it in the upper-rent quarter of HUD counties.
What income do I need to afford rent in Delaware County?
Based on the 30% affordability rule, you need an annual income of at least $47,760 ($3,980/month) to afford a 1-bedroom at Fair Market Rent in Delaware County.
Is rent going up or down in Delaware County?
The 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent in Delaware County increased by 0.0% from FY 2025 to FY 2026, going from $1,194 to $1,194.
Which jobs can afford rent in Delaware County?
Based on Ohio BLS salary data and the 30% affordability rule, jobs like Software Developers, General and Operations Managers, Registered Nurses can afford a 1-bedroom at $1,194/mo. 9 of 15 common occupations are affordable here.
How much has rent changed in Delaware County over time?
The 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent in Delaware County went from $794 in FY 2020 to $1,194 in FY 2026, a total change of +50.4% over 6 years.
How does Fair Market Rent affect Section 8 vouchers in Delaware County?
In Delaware County, the FY 2026 FMR of $1,194/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 Delaware County?
For Delaware County, it's the specific 40th-percentile rent HUD publishes each year ($1,194/mo for a 1-bedroom in FY 2026).
Is the rental market tight or loose in Delaware County?
The ACS rental vacancy rate here is 4.3%, close to the range where market rents and HUD's FMR benchmark tend to track each other.
What is the unemployment rate in Delaware County?
The county's BLS unemployment rate has averaged 3.3% over the past 12 months, a tight labor market that typically supports steadier rent demand.
Data sources
What this means for renters
Treat Delaware'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 $1,194 implies about $47,760/yr to rent without being cost-burdened. Run your numbers
- Ohio counties vary widely around this figure - compare specific counties before assuming this applies to yours. Compare vs Franklin
- See where Delaware 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.