County FMR · HUD FY2026
Jefferson County Fair Market Rent
HUD's FY2026 Fair Market Rent for Jefferson County, IA - 14% below the US average.
- $826
- 1-bedroom FMR
- $1,084
- 2-bedroom FMR
- +5.0%
- YoY change
- -14%
- vs US avg
The verdict
Jefferson is the 14th most expensive of 99 counties in Iowa by 2-bedroom FMR; nationally it ranks #1,352 most expensive of 3,145 HUD counties.
- #1,352
- most expensive of 3,145 US counties (2BR)
- #14
- most expensive of 99 in Iowa (2BR)
- +5%
- vs the state average
- $33,040
- income to afford it (30% rule)
Software Developers spend the smallest share of income on rent here (9%), while Fast Food and Counter Workers spend the most (34.9%).
FY 2026 HUD Fair Market Rent for Jefferson County, IA. Verify with HUD →
HUD sets the FY 2026 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent for Jefferson County, Iowa at $826 per month - the federal rental-assistance benchmark for this county. A 2-bedroom costs $1,084/mo and a studio is $821/mo. This is 14% lower than the national average of $959 and 5% above the Iowa average of $788.
Rent increased5.0% from FY 2025 ($787), outpacing inflation. Under the 30% rule, affordability starts near $33,040/year for a 1-bedroom.
Observed renter burden: 47.7% of the 2,397 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 0.7%, a tight rental market where HUD's annual FMR schedule can lag what landlords are actually asking.
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 Iowa. Population: 15,785. Population declined 13.3% 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 Iowa's statewide growth of +2.0% over the same period.
FMR filing desk
Area JEFFERSON·COUNTY·IA·IA
Jefferson County, IA: $826/mo 1BR · #1352 of 3145 counties (2BR) · FY2026
- FMR-AREA IA
- 1BR-FMR $826
- 2BR-FMR $1,084
- RANK-MID #1,352
- YOY-UP +5.0%
- VSUS-BELOW -14%
- VS-ST-NEAR +5% IA
- INC-ROOM 17%
- POP-SMALL 16K
- PHOTO-NEAR Polk County
- VOUCH-90-110 $743–$909
- FY-2026 FY2026
Photo-finish peer: Polk ($283 1BR gap)
Read with: How Fair Market Rent works
Fair Market Rents (2026)
Year-over-Year Comparison
| Bedrooms | FY 2025 | FY 2026 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Studio | $781 | $821 | +$40 (+5.1%) |
| 1 Bedroom | $787 | $826 | +$39 (+5.0%) |
| 2 Bedroom | $1,032 | $1,084 | +$52 (+5.0%) |
| 3 Bedroom | $1,243 | $1,300 | +$57 (+4.6%) |
| 4 Bedroom | $1,368 | $1,435 | +$67 (+4.9%) |
Rent Burden Analysis
How much of household income goes to rent in Jefferson 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 Jefferson sits among every US county
2-bedroom Fair Market Rent vs. all 3,145 HUD counties
$1,084 higher than 57% 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 Jefferson compares on 1-bedroom rent
1-bedroom FMR vs other Iowa counties
- Polk
Polk County
$1,109 1BR FMR / mo
- Johnson
Johnson County
$961 1BR FMR / mo
- Scott
Scott County
$928 1BR FMR / mo
- Woodbury
Woodbury County
$925 1BR FMR / mo
- Jefferson
Jefferson County
$826 1BR FMR / mo
- Linn
Linn County
$816 1BR FMR / mo
- Black Hawk
Black Hawk County
$801 1BR FMR / mo
What this shows Jefferson is highlighted. Nearby Iowa counties by 1-bedroom FMR, highest to lowest: Polk County ($1,109), Johnson County ($961), Scott County ($928), Woodbury County ($925), Jefferson County (this county) ($826), Linn County ($816), Black Hawk County ($801).
Can Common Jobs Afford Rent Here?
How a 1-bedroom at $826/mo compares to Iowa salaries for popular occupations (BLS wage data, 30%-of-income rule).
| Occupation | IA Salary | Rent Burden | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|
| Software Developers | $109,850 | 9% | Affordable |
| General & Operations Managers | $80,620 | 12.3% | Affordable |
| Registered Nurses | $76,960 | 12.9% | Affordable |
| Accountants & Auditors | $74,290 | 13.3% | Affordable |
| Police & Sheriff's Patrol Officers | $73,900 | 13.4% | Affordable |
| Electricians | $62,880 | 15.8% | Affordable |
| Elementary School Teachers | $55,540 | 17.8% | Affordable |
| Heavy & Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers | $55,080 | 18% | Affordable |
| Paralegals & Legal Assistants | $53,280 | 18.6% | Affordable |
| Customer Service Representatives | $44,990 | 22% | Affordable |
| Pharmacy Technicians | $41,380 | 24% | Affordable |
| Janitors & Cleaners | $36,130 | 27.4% | Affordable |
| Retail Salespersons | $30,030 | 33% | Stretched |
| Teaching Assistants | $28,500 | 34.8% | Stretched |
| Fast Food & Counter Workers | $28,400 | 34.9% | Stretched |
Rent Trends (2020–2026)
7-year Fair Market Rent history for Jefferson County. Shows how HUD rental rates have changed over time.
Over the 6-year span HUD has tracked for Jefferson (FY 2020-2026), the 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent has risen 46.5% overall, from $564 to $826. Most of that movement was gradual except for a single sharp jump of +14.3% in FY 2024, well above this county's typical year-to-year change.
| Year | Studio | 1 BR | 2 BR |
|---|---|---|---|
| FY 2026 ↑5.0% | $821 | $826 | $1,084 |
| FY 2025 ↑5.9% | $781 | $787 | $1,032 |
| FY 2024 ↑14.3% | $738 | $743 | $976 |
| FY 2023 ↑9.8% | $646 | $650 | $856 |
| FY 2022 ↑3.7% | $563 | $592 | $779 |
| FY 2021 ↑1.2% | $546 | $571 | $752 |
| FY 2020 | $484 | $564 | $743 |
Where Jefferson County Ranks in Iowa
Jefferson County is not part of any federally-designated metropolitan or micropolitan statistical area -- an independent rental market not administratively tied to a larger urban core. By 2-bedroom FMR, it ranks #86 of 99 counties in Iowa. Nearest by rank: Davis County ($1,043), Black Hawk County ($1,051), Grundy County ($1,051), Des Moines County ($1,063), Wapello County ($1,068), Linn County ($1,071), Muscatine County ($1,071), Dubuque County ($1,077), Jefferson County (this county) ($1,084), Dickinson County ($1,091), Johnson County ($1,141), Scott County ($1,143), Story County ($1,153), Woodbury County ($1,154), Dallas County ($1,318), Guthrie County ($1,318), Madison County ($1,318).
Nationwide peers by 2BR FMR & rent burden
Two PlainRent-derived comparison paths for Jefferson County, both outside Iowa 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 IA (FY2026).
Similar rent burden
Nearest 2BR FMR as a share of median household income (outside IA).
Nearby Counties in Iowa
Largest counties by population in Iowa
Showing the 8 largest of 98 other counties in Iowa.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the average rent in Jefferson County?
The FY 2026 Fair Market Rent for a 1-bedroom in Jefferson County is $826 per month. A 2-bedroom is $1,084 and a studio is $821.
How does Jefferson County rent compare to the national average?
Rent in Jefferson County is 14% below the national average. A 1-bedroom here costs $826 compared to $959 nationally.
Where does Jefferson County rank nationally for Fair Market Rent?
According to HUD's FY 2026 Fair Market Rent schedule, Jefferson County's 2-bedroom FMR of $1,084 ranks #1,352 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 Jefferson County?
Based on the 30% affordability rule, you need an annual income of at least $33,040 ($2,753/month) to afford a 1-bedroom at Fair Market Rent in Jefferson County.
Is rent going up or down in Jefferson County?
The 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent in Jefferson County increased by 5.0% from FY 2025 to FY 2026, going from $787 to $826.
Which jobs can afford rent in Jefferson County?
Based on Iowa BLS salary data and the 30% affordability rule, jobs like Software Developers, General and Operations Managers, Registered Nurses can afford a 1-bedroom at $826/mo. 12 of 15 common occupations are affordable here.
How much has rent changed in Jefferson County over time?
The 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent in Jefferson County went from $564 in FY 2020 to $826 in FY 2026, a total change of +46.5% over 6 years.
How does Fair Market Rent affect Section 8 vouchers in Jefferson County?
In Jefferson County, the FY 2026 FMR of $826/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 Jefferson County?
For Jefferson County, it's the specific 40th-percentile rent HUD publishes each year ($826/mo for a 1-bedroom in FY 2026).
Is the rental market tight or loose in Jefferson County?
The ACS rental vacancy rate here is 0.7%, a tight rental market where HUD's annual FMR schedule can lag what landlords are actually asking.
What is the unemployment rate in Jefferson 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 Jefferson'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 $826 implies about $33,040/yr to rent without being cost-burdened. Run your numbers
- Iowa counties vary widely around this figure - compare specific counties before assuming this applies to yours. Compare vs Polk
- See where Jefferson 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.