County FMR · HUD FY2026

Elkhart County Fair Market Rent

HUD's FY2026 Fair Market Rent for Elkhart County, IN - 3% above the US average.

$992
1-bedroom FMR
$1,183
2-bedroom FMR
+14.2%
YoY change
+3%
vs US avg

The verdict

Elkhart is the 24th most expensive of 92 counties in Indiana by 2-bedroom FMR; nationally it ranks #1,038 most expensive of 3,145 HUD counties; rent here has climbed 14.2% since FY 2025, a sharp move relative to most counties.

#1,038
most expensive of 3,145 US counties (2BR)
#24
most expensive of 92 in Indiana (2BR)
+12%
vs the state average
$39,680
income to afford it (30% rule)

General and Operations Managers spend the smallest share of income on rent here (11%), while Fast Food and Counter Workers spend the most (42.1%).

FY 2026 HUD Fair Market Rent for Elkhart County, IN. Verify with HUD →

The Fair Market Rent for a 1-bedroom apartment in Elkhart County, Indiana is $992 per month in FY 2026, according to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). A 2-bedroom costs $1,183/mo and a studio is $968/mo. This is 3% higher than the national average of $959 and 12% above the Indiana average of $882.

Rent increased14.2% from FY 2025 ($869), outpacing inflation. Under the 30% rule, affordability starts near $39,680/year for a 1-bedroom.

FY 2026 HUD Fair Market Rents in Indiana. Population: 206,841. Population has held roughly steady over the past five years (+1.6%, Census ACS). That's in line with Indiana's statewide growth of +2.6% over the same period.

FMR filing desk

Area ELKHART·COUNTY·IN·IN

Elkhart County, IN: $992/mo 1BR · #1038 of 3145 counties (2BR) · FY2026

  • FMR-AREA IN
  • 1BR-FMR $992
  • 2BR-FMR $1,183
  • RANK-MID #1,038
  • YOY-SURGE +14.2%
  • VSUS-NEAR +3%
  • VS-ST-HIGH +12% IN
  • INC-ROOM 18%
  • POP-MID 207K
  • PHOTO-NEAR Marion County
  • VOUCH-90-110 $893–$1,091
  • FY-2026 FY2026

Photo-finish peer: Marion ($275 1BR gap)

Read with: How Fair Market Rent works

Fair Market Rents (2026)

Studio
State avg: $816 · US avg: $893
$968/mo
↑ 13.5% YoY +19% vs state +8% vs US
1 Bedroom
State avg: $882 · US avg: $959
$992/mo
↑ 14.2% YoY +12% vs state +3% vs US
2 Bedroom
State avg: $1,096 · US avg: $1,175
$1,183/mo
↑ 12.1% YoY +8% vs state +1% vs US
3 Bedroom
State avg: $1,391 · US avg: $1,525
$1,553/mo
↑ 13.0% YoY +12% vs state +2% vs US
4 Bedroom
State avg: $1,590 · US avg: $1,756
$1,581/mo
↑ 13.0% YoY -1% vs state -10% vs US

Year-over-Year Comparison

Bedrooms FY 2025 FY 2026 Change
Studio $853
$968
+$115 (+13.5%)
1 Bedroom $869
$992
+$123 (+14.2%)
2 Bedroom $1,055
$1,183
+$128 (+12.1%)
3 Bedroom $1,374
$1,553
+$179 (+13.0%)
4 Bedroom $1,399
$1,581
+$182 (+13.0%)

Rent Burden Analysis

How much of household income goes to rent in Elkhart County. The 30% threshold indicates cost burden.

Studio
17.7%
Affordable
Need $38,720/yr for 30% rule
1 Bedroom
18.1%
Affordable
Need $39,680/yr for 30% rule
2 Bedroom
21.6%
Affordable
Need $47,320/yr for 30% rule
3 Bedroom
28.4%
Affordable
Need $62,120/yr for 30% rule
4 Bedroom
28.9%
Affordable
Need $63,240/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%21.6%
Elkhart County 2-bedroom rent burden
County median income: $65,617 · National avg burden: 21.7% ·View Indiana rent burden →

Where Elkhart sits among every US county

2-bedroom Fair Market Rent vs. all 3,145 HUD counties

$1,183 Top 33% higher than 67% of 3,145 counties

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

1-bedroom FMR vs other Indiana counties

1BR FMR / mo

What this shows Elkhart is highlighted. Nearby Indiana counties by 1-bedroom FMR, highest to lowest: Marion County ($1,267), Hamilton County ($1,267), St. Joseph County ($1,105), Lake County ($1,082), Tippecanoe County ($1,032), Elkhart County (this county) ($992), Allen County ($916).

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

Can Common Jobs Afford Rent Here?

How a 1-bedroom at $992/mo compares to Indiana salaries for popular occupations (BLS wage data, 30%-of-income rule).

Occupation IN Salary Rent Burden Verdict
General & Operations Managers $108,410 11% Affordable
Software Developers $103,570 11.5% Affordable
Registered Nurses $80,740 14.7% Affordable
Accountants & Auditors $77,410 15.4% Affordable
Police & Sheriff's Patrol Officers $71,540 16.6% Affordable
Electricians $65,480 18.2% Affordable
Heavy & Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers $60,090 19.8% Affordable
Elementary School Teachers $58,370 20.4% Affordable
Paralegals & Legal Assistants $50,690 23.5% Affordable
Customer Service Representatives $41,600 28.6% Affordable
Pharmacy Technicians $40,020 29.7% Affordable
Janitors & Cleaners $35,240 33.8% Stretched
Teaching Assistants $30,460 39.1% Stretched
Retail Salespersons $30,300 39.3% Stretched
Fast Food & Counter Workers $28,290 42.1% Stretched
Salaries: BLS OES (Indiana) median · 30% = affordable threshold · Try the salary calculator →

Rent Trends (2020–2026)

7-year Fair Market Rent history for Elkhart County. Shows how HUD rental rates have changed over time.

Over the 6-year span HUD has tracked for Elkhart (FY 2020-2026), the 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent has risen 57.5% overall, from $630 to $992. Most of that movement was gradual except for a single sharp jump of +14.4% in FY 2023, well above this county's typical year-to-year change.

$600$700$800$900$1,000$1,100 FY2020FY2021FY2022FY2023FY2024FY2025FY2026 $992
Elkhart County 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent, FY2020–FY2026
Year Studio 1 BR 2 BR
FY 2026 ↑14.2% $968 $992 $1,183
FY 2025 ↓1.1% $853 $869 $1,055
FY 2024 ↑14.2% $849 $879 $1,102
FY 2023 ↑14.4% $734 $770 $986
FY 2022 ↑5.2% $597 $673 $865
FY 2021 ↑1.6% $545 $640 $825
FY 2020 $532 $630 $817
Total change (6yr): +57.5%
Annualized: +7.9%/yr
1 BR: $630 → $992

Part of the Elkhart-Goshen, IN Metro Area

Elkhart County is a central county of the Elkhart-Goshen, IN metropolitan statistical area.

Nationwide peers by 2BR FMR & rent burden

Two PlainRent-derived comparison paths for Elkhart County, both outside Indiana 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 IN (FY2026).

Berrien County
MI · 2 BR $1,184/mo
Douglas County
KS · 2 BR $1,182/mo
Craven County
NC · 2 BR $1,184/mo
Blaine County
MT · 2 BR $1,184/mo

Similar rent burden

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

Richmond County
VA · 21.6% of income · 2 BR $1,157/mo
Jackson County
NC · 21.6% of income · 2 BR $964/mo
Transylvania County
NC · 21.6% of income · 2 BR $1,164/mo
Erath County
TX · 21.6% of income · 2 BR $1,179/mo

Nearby Counties in Indiana

Largest counties by population in Indiana

Showing the 8 largest of 91 other counties in Indiana.

Marion County
1 BR: $1,267/mo Pop: 971,737
Lake County
1 BR: $1,082/mo Pop: 497,682
Allen County
1 BR: $916/mo Pop: 385,456
Hamilton County
1 BR: $1,267/mo Pop: 349,527
St. Joseph County
1 BR: $1,105/mo Pop: 272,388
Tippecanoe County
1 BR: $1,032/mo Pop: 186,955
Vanderburgh County
1 BR: $860/mo Pop: 179,900
Hendricks County
1 BR: $1,267/mo Pop: 175,639
View all counties in Indiana →

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the average rent in Elkhart County? ▼
The FY 2026 Fair Market Rent for a 1-bedroom in Elkhart County is $992 per month. A 2-bedroom is $1,183 and a studio is $968.
How does Elkhart County rent compare to the national average? ▼
Rent in Elkhart County is 3% above the national average. A 1-bedroom here costs $992 compared to $959 nationally.
Where does Elkhart County rank nationally for Fair Market Rent? ▼
According to HUD's FY 2026 Fair Market Rent schedule, Elkhart County's 2-bedroom FMR of $1,183 ranks #1,038 most expensive among 3,145 HUD counties, placing it in the middle half of HUD counties.
What income do I need to afford rent in Elkhart County? ▼
Based on the 30% affordability rule, you need an annual income of at least $39,680 ($3,307/month) to afford a 1-bedroom at Fair Market Rent in Elkhart County.
Is rent going up or down in Elkhart County? ▼
The 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent in Elkhart County increased by 14.2% from FY 2025 to FY 2026, going from $869 to $992.
Which jobs can afford rent in Elkhart County? ▼
Based on Indiana BLS salary data and the 30% affordability rule, jobs like General and Operations Managers, Software Developers, Registered Nurses can afford a 1-bedroom at $992/mo. 11 of 15 common occupations are affordable here.
How much has rent changed in Elkhart County over time? ▼
The 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent in Elkhart County went from $630 in FY 2020 to $992 in FY 2026, a total change of +57.5% over 6 years.
How does Fair Market Rent affect Section 8 vouchers in Elkhart County? ▼
In Elkhart County, the FY 2026 FMR of $992/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 Elkhart County? ▼
For Elkhart County, it's the specific 40th-percentile rent HUD publishes each year ($992/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.