County FMR · HUD FY2026
Hendricks County Fair Market Rent
HUD's FY2026 Fair Market Rent for Hendricks County, IN - 32% above the US average.
- $1,267
- 1-bedroom FMR
- $1,473
- 2-bedroom FMR
- +15.5%
- YoY change
- +32%
- vs US avg
The verdict
Hendricks is the 5th most expensive of 92 counties in Indiana by 2-bedroom FMR; nationally it ranks #503 most expensive of 3,145 HUD counties; rent here has climbed 15.5% since FY 2025, a sharp move relative to most counties.
- #503
- most expensive of 3,145 US counties (2BR)
- #5
- most expensive of 92 in Indiana (2BR)
- +44%
- vs the state average
- $50,680
- income to afford it (30% rule)
General and Operations Managers spend the smallest share of income on rent here (14%), while Fast Food and Counter Workers spend the most (53.7%).
FY 2026 HUD Fair Market Rent for Hendricks County, IN. Verify with HUD →
HUD sets the FY 2026 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent for Hendricks County, Indiana at $1,267 per month - the federal rental-assistance benchmark for this county. A 2-bedroom costs $1,473/mo and a studio is $1,118/mo. This is 32% higher than the national average of $959 and 44% above the Indiana average of $882.
Rent increased15.5% from FY 2025 ($1,097), outpacing inflation. A household needs about $50,680/year to stay under the 30% rent-to-income line.
FY 2026 HUD Fair Market Rents in Indiana. Population: 175,639. Population grew 11.5% 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 Indiana's statewide growth of +2.6% over the same period.
What these rents mean for Hendricks 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, Hendricks County's 2-bedroom of $1,473 ranks #503 most expensive of 3,145 US counties, in the upper-rent quarter of HUD counties.
Rents run meaningfully above the national benchmark: 1-bedroom FMR is 32% higher than the US average of $959 (44% above Indiana's $882). From FY 2025 to FY 2026 the 1-bedroom schedule moved $1,097 → $1,267 (+15.5%), widening an already-expensive gap versus national norms.
At $1,267/mo for a 1-bedroom, the 30% rule wants $50,680/year: still within reach of the county median income of $99,988, though a 2-bedroom at $1,473 raises the bar.
Fair Market Rents (2026)
Year-over-Year Comparison
| Bedrooms | FY 2025 | FY 2026 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Studio | $955 | $1,118 | +$163 (+17.1%) |
| 1 Bedroom | $1,097 | $1,267 | +$170 (+15.5%) |
| 2 Bedroom | $1,283 | $1,473 | +$190 (+14.8%) |
| 3 Bedroom | $1,669 | $1,907 | +$238 (+14.3%) |
| 4 Bedroom | $2,028 | $2,338 | +$310 (+15.3%) |
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 Hendricks 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 Hendricks sits among every US county
2-bedroom Fair Market Rent vs. all 3,145 HUD counties
$1,473 Top 16% higher than 84% 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 Hendricks compares on 1-bedroom rent
1-bedroom FMR vs other Indiana counties
- Hendricks
Hendricks County
$1,267 1BR FMR / mo
- Marion
Marion County
$1,267 1BR FMR / mo
- Hamilton
Hamilton County
$1,267 1BR FMR / mo
- St. Joseph
St. Joseph County
$1,105 1BR FMR / mo
- Lake
Lake County
$1,082 1BR FMR / mo
- Elkhart
Elkhart County
$992 1BR FMR / mo
- Allen
Allen County
$916 1BR FMR / mo
What this shows Hendricks is highlighted. Nearby Indiana counties by 1-bedroom FMR, highest to lowest: Hendricks County (this county) ($1,267), Marion County ($1,267), Hamilton County ($1,267), St. Joseph County ($1,105), Lake County ($1,082), Elkhart County ($992), Allen County ($916).
Can Common Jobs Afford Rent Here?
Against a high local FMR of $1,267/mo, which of 15 common occupations still clear the 30% line using Indiana BLS wages?
| Occupation | IN Salary | Rent Burden | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|
| General & Operations Managers | $108,410 | 14% | Affordable |
| Software Developers | $103,570 | 14.7% | Affordable |
| Registered Nurses | $80,740 | 18.8% | Affordable |
| Accountants & Auditors | $77,410 | 19.6% | Affordable |
| Police & Sheriff's Patrol Officers | $71,540 | 21.3% | Affordable |
| Electricians | $65,480 | 23.2% | Affordable |
| Heavy & Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers | $60,090 | 25.3% | Affordable |
| Elementary School Teachers | $58,370 | 26% | Affordable |
| Paralegals & Legal Assistants | $50,690 | 30% | Affordable |
| Customer Service Representatives | $41,600 | 36.5% | Stretched |
| Pharmacy Technicians | $40,020 | 38% | Stretched |
| Janitors & Cleaners | $35,240 | 43.1% | Stretched |
| Teaching Assistants | $30,460 | 49.9% | Stretched |
| Retail Salespersons | $30,300 | 50.2% | Unaffordable |
| Fast Food & Counter Workers | $28,290 | 53.7% | Unaffordable |
Rent Trends (2020–2026)
7-year Fair Market Rent history for Hendricks County. Shows how HUD rental rates have changed over time.
Over the 6-year span HUD has tracked for Hendricks (FY 2020-2026), the 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent has risen 62.9% overall, from $778 to $1,267. The path there hasn't been smooth: year-over-year moves have swung by as much as 27.6% (FY 2024), a volatility pattern that makes single-year comparisons a poor guide to the underlying trend.
| Year | Studio | 1 BR | 2 BR |
|---|---|---|---|
| FY 2026 ↑15.5% | $1,118 | $1,267 | $1,473 |
| FY 2025 ↓4.2% | $955 | $1,097 | $1,283 |
| FY 2024 ↑27.6% | $982 | $1,145 | $1,349 |
| FY 2023 ↑14.7% | $771 | $897 | $1,065 |
| FY 2022 ↑0.1% | $677 | $782 | $939 |
| FY 2021 ↑0.4% | $678 | $781 | $946 |
| FY 2020 | $674 | $778 | $946 |
Part of the Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood, IN Metro Area
Hendricks County is a central county of the Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood, IN metropolitan statistical area, alongside 10 other metro-area counties.
Hendricks County ranks #9 of 11 counties in this metro area by 1-bedroom FMR. Every county sharing this metro, highest to lowest: Marion County ($1,267), Hamilton County ($1,267), Johnson County ($1,267), Hancock County ($1,267), Morgan County ($1,267), Boone County ($1,267), Shelby County ($1,267), Brown County ($1,267), Hendricks County (this county) ($1,267), Madison County ($919), Tipton County ($845).
Nearby Counties in Indiana
Largest counties by population in Indiana
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the average rent in Hendricks County? ▼
How does Hendricks County rent compare to the national average? ▼
Where does Hendricks County rank nationally for Fair Market Rent? ▼
What income do I need to afford rent in Hendricks County? ▼
Is rent going up or down in Hendricks County? ▼
Which jobs can afford rent in Hendricks County? ▼
How much has rent changed in Hendricks County over time? ▼
How does Fair Market Rent affect Section 8 vouchers in Hendricks County? ▼
What does Fair Market Rent mean for Hendricks County? ▼
What this means for renters
Treat Hendricks'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 $1,267 implies about $50,680/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 Hendricks 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.