County FMR · HUD FY2026
Henderson County Fair Market Rent
HUD's FY2026 Fair Market Rent for Henderson County, IL - 27% below the US average.
- $698
- 1-bedroom FMR
- $916
- 2-bedroom FMR
- +5.3%
- YoY change
- -27%
- vs US avg
The verdict
Henderson is the 19th cheapest of 102 counties in Illinois by 2-bedroom FMR; nationally it ranks #473 most affordable of 3,145 HUD counties; rent here has climbed 5.3% since FY 2025, a modest shift relative to most counties.
- #473
- most affordable of 3,145 US counties (2BR)
- #19
- cheapest of 102 in Illinois (2BR)
- -18%
- vs the state average
- $27,920
- income to afford it (30% rule)
Software Developers spend the smallest share of income on rent here (6.6%), while Fast Food and Counter Workers spend the most (26.3%); 15 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 Henderson County, IL. Verify with HUD →
Henderson County, Illinois carries an FY 2026 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent of $698 per month, the federal benchmark HUD publishes for this county. A 2-bedroom costs $916/mo and a studio is $632/mo. That's 27% below the national benchmark of $959 and 18% below the Illinois average of $854.
Rent increased5.3% from FY 2025 ($663), outpacing inflation. The 30% affordability floor is comparatively reachable here at $27,920/year.
FY 2026 HUD Fair Market Rents in Illinois. Population: 6,374. Population declined 8.7% over the past five years (Census ACS), a trend that can ease rental-market pressure over time even as FMR reflects recent rent levels. That's slower than Illinois's statewide growth of -1.0% over the same period.
What these rents mean for Henderson 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, Henderson County's 2-bedroom of $916 ranks #473 most affordable of 3,145 US counties, in the lower-rent quarter of HUD counties.
This is a below-average rent market: 1-bedroom FMR is 27% under the US average of $959 and 18% below Illinois's $854. HUD's 1-bedroom figure shifted from $663 (FY 2025) to $698 (FY 2026), a +5.3% move that still leaves this county below the US mid-point.
A 1-bedroom at $698 needs $27,920/year under the 30% rule against a county median of $65,651, and the median household clears that line with room to spare. A 2-bedroom at $916 is the next step up.
Fair Market Rents (2026)
Year-over-Year Comparison
| Bedrooms | FY 2025 | FY 2026 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Studio | $659 | $632 | $-27 (-4.1%) |
| 1 Bedroom | $663 | $698 | +$35 (+5.3%) |
| 2 Bedroom | $870 | $916 | +$46 (+5.3%) |
| 3 Bedroom | $1,219 | $1,274 | +$55 (+4.5%) |
| 4 Bedroom | $1,239 | $1,308 | +$69 (+5.6%) |
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 Henderson 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 Henderson sits among every US county
2-bedroom Fair Market Rent vs. all 3,145 HUD counties
$916 higher than 15% 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 Henderson compares on 1-bedroom rent
1-bedroom FMR vs other Illinois counties
- Cook
Cook County
$1,581 1BR FMR / mo
- DuPage
DuPage County
$1,581 1BR FMR / mo
- Lake
Lake County
$1,581 1BR FMR / mo
- Will
Will County
$1,581 1BR FMR / mo
- Kane
Kane County
$1,581 1BR FMR / mo
- McHenry
McHenry County
$1,581 1BR FMR / mo
- Henderson
Henderson County
$698 1BR FMR / mo
What this shows Henderson is highlighted. Nearby Illinois counties by 1-bedroom FMR, highest to lowest: Cook County ($1,581), DuPage County ($1,581), Lake County ($1,581), Will County ($1,581), Kane County ($1,581), McHenry County ($1,581), Henderson County (this county) ($698).
Can Common Jobs Afford Rent Here?
With a below-average 1-bedroom at $698/mo, most of these Illinois occupations clear, or miss, the 30% affordability line.
| Occupation | IL Salary | Rent Burden | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|
| Software Developers | $127,770 | 6.6% | Affordable |
| Police & Sheriff's Patrol Officers | $101,530 | 8.2% | Affordable |
| General & Operations Managers | $101,430 | 8.3% | Affordable |
| Electricians | $96,360 | 8.7% | Affordable |
| Registered Nurses | $86,410 | 9.7% | Affordable |
| Accountants & Auditors | $79,300 | 10.6% | Affordable |
| Elementary School Teachers | $64,160 | 13.1% | Affordable |
| Paralegals & Legal Assistants | $62,290 | 13.4% | Affordable |
| Heavy & Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers | $59,790 | 14% | Affordable |
| Customer Service Representatives | $44,910 | 18.7% | Affordable |
| Pharmacy Technicians | $44,610 | 18.8% | Affordable |
| Janitors & Cleaners | $37,010 | 22.6% | Affordable |
| Teaching Assistants | $35,780 | 23.4% | Affordable |
| Retail Salespersons | $34,490 | 24.3% | Affordable |
| Fast Food & Counter Workers | $31,900 | 26.3% | Affordable |
Rent Trends (2020–2026)
7-year Fair Market Rent history for Henderson County. Shows how HUD rental rates have changed over time.
Over the 6-year span HUD has tracked for Henderson (FY 2020-2026), the 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent has risen 24.2% overall, from $562 to $698. The increases have been fairly steady year to year, with no single jump exceeding 8.2% (FY 2021).
| Year | Studio | 1 BR | 2 BR |
|---|---|---|---|
| FY 2026 ↑5.3% | $632 | $698 | $916 |
| FY 2025 ↑3.4% | $659 | $663 | $870 |
| FY 2024 ↓4.0% | $622 | $641 | $807 |
| FY 2023 ↑3.6% | $579 | $668 | $774 |
| FY 2022 ↑6.1% | $531 | $645 | $735 |
| FY 2021 ↑8.2% | $473 | $608 | $700 |
| FY 2020 | $455 | $562 | $698 |
Part of the Burlington, IA-IL Micro Area
Henderson County is a outlying county of the Burlington, IA-IL micropolitan statistical area, alongside 1 other micro-area county.
Henderson County ranks #2 of 2 counties in this metro area by 1-bedroom FMR. Every county sharing this metro, highest to lowest: Des Moines County ($810), Henderson County (this county) ($698).
Nearby Counties in Illinois
Largest counties by population in Illinois
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the average rent in Henderson County? ▼
How does Henderson County rent compare to the national average? ▼
Where does Henderson County rank nationally for Fair Market Rent? ▼
What income do I need to afford rent in Henderson County? ▼
Is rent going up or down in Henderson County? ▼
Which jobs can afford rent in Henderson County? ▼
How much has rent changed in Henderson County over time? ▼
How does Fair Market Rent affect Section 8 vouchers in Henderson County? ▼
What does Fair Market Rent mean for Henderson County? ▼
What this means for renters
Treat Henderson'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 $698 implies about $27,920/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 Henderson 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.