County FMR · HUD FY2026
Hamilton County Fair Market Rent
HUD's FY2026 Fair Market Rent for Hamilton County, OH - 10% above the US average.
- $1,051
- 1-bedroom FMR
- $1,353
- 2-bedroom FMR
- +5.8%
- YoY change
- +10%
- vs US avg
The verdict
Hamilton is the 10th most expensive of 88 counties in Ohio by 2-bedroom FMR; nationally it ranks #660 most expensive of 3,145 HUD counties; rent here has climbed 5.8% since FY 2025, a modest shift relative to most counties.
- #660
- most expensive of 3,145 US counties (2BR)
- #10
- most expensive of 88 in Ohio (2BR)
- +20%
- vs the state average
- $42,040
- income to afford it (30% rule)
Software Developers spend the smallest share of income on rent here (11.7%), while Fast Food and Counter Workers spend the most (44.9%).
FY 2026 HUD Fair Market Rent for Hamilton County, OH. Verify with HUD →
HUD sets the FY 2026 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent for Hamilton County, Ohio at $1,051 per month - the federal rental-assistance benchmark for this county. A 2-bedroom costs $1,353/mo and a studio is $958/mo. This is 10% higher than the national average of $959 and 20% above the Ohio average of $873.
Rent increased5.8% from FY 2025 ($993), outpacing inflation. Under the 30% rule, affordability starts near $42,040/year for a 1-bedroom.
FY 2026 HUD Fair Market Rents in Ohio. Population: 827,671. Population has held roughly steady over the past five years (+2.0%, Census ACS). That's in line with Ohio's statewide growth of +1.2% over the same period.
FMR filing desk
Area HAMILTON·COUNTY·OH·OH
Hamilton County, OH: $1,051/mo 1BR · #660 of 3145 counties (2BR) · FY2026
- FMR-AREA OH
- 1BR-FMR $1,051
- 2BR-FMR $1,353
- RANK-MID #660
- YOY-SURGE +5.8%
- VSUS-ABOVE +10%
- VS-ST-HIGH +20% OH
- INC-ROOM 18%
- POP-MAJOR 828K
- PHOTO-NEAR Franklin County
- VOUCH-90-110 $946–$1,156
- FY-2026 FY2026
Photo-finish peer: Franklin ($143 1BR gap)
Read with: How Fair Market Rent works
Fair Market Rents (2026)
Year-over-Year Comparison
| Bedrooms | FY 2025 | FY 2026 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Studio | $883 | $958 | +$75 (+8.5%) |
| 1 Bedroom | $993 | $1,051 | +$58 (+5.8%) |
| 2 Bedroom | $1,287 | $1,353 | +$66 (+5.1%) |
| 3 Bedroom | $1,707 | $1,785 | +$78 (+4.6%) |
| 4 Bedroom | $1,885 | $1,976 | +$91 (+4.8%) |
Rent Burden Analysis
How much of household income goes to rent in Hamilton 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 Hamilton sits among every US county
2-bedroom Fair Market Rent vs. all 3,145 HUD counties
$1,353 Top 21% higher than 79% 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 Hamilton 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
- Butler
Butler 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 Hamilton is highlighted. Nearby Ohio counties by 1-bedroom FMR, highest to lowest: Franklin County ($1,194), Cuyahoga County ($1,058), Hamilton County (this county) ($1,051), Butler County ($1,051), Montgomery County ($1,009), Summit County ($985), Lucas County ($820).
Can Common Jobs Afford Rent Here?
How a 1-bedroom at $1,051/mo compares to Ohio salaries for popular occupations (BLS wage data, 30%-of-income rule).
| Occupation | OH Salary | Rent Burden | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|
| Software Developers | $107,690 | 11.7% | Affordable |
| General & Operations Managers | $94,990 | 13.3% | Affordable |
| Registered Nurses | $81,250 | 15.5% | Affordable |
| Accountants & Auditors | $77,640 | 16.2% | Affordable |
| Police & Sheriff's Patrol Officers | $77,050 | 16.4% | Affordable |
| Elementary School Teachers | $65,380 | 19.3% | Affordable |
| Electricians | $63,560 | 19.8% | Affordable |
| Paralegals & Legal Assistants | $58,870 | 21.4% | Affordable |
| Heavy & Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers | $58,080 | 21.7% | Affordable |
| Customer Service Representatives | $43,510 | 29% | Affordable |
| Pharmacy Technicians | $37,860 | 33.3% | Stretched |
| Teaching Assistants | $35,380 | 35.6% | Stretched |
| Janitors & Cleaners | $34,710 | 36.3% | Stretched |
| Retail Salespersons | $30,440 | 41.4% | Stretched |
| Fast Food & Counter Workers | $28,100 | 44.9% | Stretched |
Rent Trends (2020–2026)
7-year Fair Market Rent history for Hamilton County. Shows how HUD rental rates have changed over time.
Over the 6-year span HUD has tracked for Hamilton (FY 2020-2026), the 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent has risen 59.7% overall, from $658 to $1,051. Most of that movement was gradual except for a single sharp jump of +13.1% in FY 2023, well above this county's typical year-to-year change.
| Year | Studio | 1 BR | 2 BR |
|---|---|---|---|
| FY 2026 ↑5.8% | $958 | $1,051 | $1,353 |
| FY 2025 ↑8.1% | $883 | $993 | $1,287 |
| FY 2024 ↑9.5% | $810 | $919 | $1,195 |
| FY 2023 ↑13.1% | $731 | $839 | $1,093 |
| FY 2022 ↑6.3% | $643 | $742 | $968 |
| FY 2021 ↑6.1% | $604 | $698 | $916 |
| FY 2020 | $568 | $658 | $865 |
Part of the Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN Metro Area
Hamilton County is a central county of the Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN metropolitan statistical area, alongside 14 other metro-area counties.
Hamilton County ranks #12 of 15 counties in this metro area by 1-bedroom FMR. Every county sharing this metro, highest to lowest: Butler County ($1,051), Warren County ($1,051), Clermont County ($1,051), Kenton County ($1,051), Boone County ($1,051), Campbell County ($1,051), Dearborn County ($1,051), Pendleton County ($1,051), Gallatin County ($1,051), Bracken County ($1,051), Ohio County ($1,051), Hamilton County (this county) ($1,051), Grant County ($899), Franklin County ($861), Brown County ($802).
Show all 15 counties in this metro area
Nationwide peers by 2BR FMR & rent burden
Two PlainRent-derived comparison paths for Hamilton 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 Hamilton County? ▼
How does Hamilton County rent compare to the national average? ▼
Where does Hamilton County rank nationally for Fair Market Rent? ▼
What income do I need to afford rent in Hamilton County? ▼
Is rent going up or down in Hamilton County? ▼
Which jobs can afford rent in Hamilton County? ▼
How much has rent changed in Hamilton County over time? ▼
How does Fair Market Rent affect Section 8 vouchers in Hamilton County? ▼
What does Fair Market Rent mean for Hamilton 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.