County FMR · HUD FY2026
Jefferson County Fair Market Rent
HUD's FY2026 Fair Market Rent for Jefferson County, MO - 4% above the US average.
- $995
- 1-bedroom FMR
- $1,218
- 2-bedroom FMR
- +1.1%
- YoY change
- +4%
- vs US avg
The verdict
Jefferson is the 15th most expensive of 116 counties in Missouri by 2-bedroom FMR; nationally it ranks #944 most expensive of 3,145 HUD counties.
- #944
- most expensive of 3,145 US counties (2BR)
- #15
- most expensive of 116 in Missouri (2BR)
- +28%
- vs the state average
- $39,800
- income to afford it (30% rule)
Software Developers spend the smallest share of income on rent here (10.4%), while Teaching Assistants, Except Postsecondary spend the most (41.1%).
FY 2026 HUD Fair Market Rent for Jefferson County, MO. Verify with HUD →
HUD sets the FY 2026 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent for Jefferson County, Missouri at $995 per month - the federal rental-assistance benchmark for this county. A 2-bedroom costs $1,218/mo and a studio is $955/mo. This is 4% higher than the national average of $959 and 28% above the Missouri average of $777.
Rent increased1.1% from FY 2025 ($984), roughly tracking inflation. Under the 30% rule, affordability starts near $39,800/year for a 1-bedroom.
Observed renter burden: 34.9% of the 16,153 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.
FY 2026 HUD Fair Market Rents in Missouri. Population: 226,984. Population has held roughly steady over the past five years (+2.2%, Census ACS). That's in line with Missouri's statewide growth of +1.3% over the same period.
FMR filing desk
Area JEFFERSON·COUNTY·MO·MO
Jefferson County, MO: $995/mo 1BR · #944 of 3145 counties (2BR) · FY2026
- FMR-AREA MO
- 1BR-FMR $995
- 2BR-FMR $1,218
- RANK-MID #944
- YOY-FLAT +1.1%
- VSUS-NEAR +4%
- VS-ST-HIGH +28% MO
- INC-ROOM 15%
- POP-MID 227K
- PHOTO-FINISH St. Louis County
- VOUCH-90-110 $896–$1,095
- FY-2026 FY2026
Photo-finish peer: St. Louis ($0 1BR gap)
Read with: How Fair Market Rent works
Fair Market Rents (2026)
Year-over-Year Comparison
| Bedrooms | FY 2025 | FY 2026 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Studio | $951 | $955 | +$4 (+0.4%) |
| 1 Bedroom | $984 | $995 | +$11 (+1.1%) |
| 2 Bedroom | $1,215 | $1,218 | +$3 (+0.2%) |
| 3 Bedroom | $1,570 | $1,568 | $-2 (-0.1%) |
| 4 Bedroom | $1,806 | $1,812 | +$6 (+0.3%) |
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
$1,218 Top 30% higher than 70% 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 Missouri counties
- Jackson
Jackson County
$1,197 1BR FMR / mo
- Clay
Clay County
$1,197 1BR FMR / mo
- Jefferson
Jefferson County
$995 1BR FMR / mo
- St. Louis
St. Louis County
$995 1BR FMR / mo
- St. Charles
St. Charles County
$995 1BR FMR / mo
- St. Louis city
St. Louis city
$995 1BR FMR / mo
- Greene
Greene County
$883 1BR FMR / mo
What this shows Jefferson is highlighted. Nearby Missouri counties by 1-bedroom FMR, highest to lowest: Jackson County ($1,197), Clay County ($1,197), Jefferson County (this county) ($995), St. Louis County ($995), St. Charles County ($995), St. Louis city ($995), Greene County ($883).
Can Common Jobs Afford Rent Here?
How a 1-bedroom at $995/mo compares to Missouri salaries for popular occupations (BLS wage data, 30%-of-income rule).
| Occupation | MO Salary | Rent Burden | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|
| Software Developers | $114,550 | 10.4% | Affordable |
| Registered Nurses | $79,770 | 15% | Affordable |
| General & Operations Managers | $77,410 | 15.4% | Affordable |
| Accountants & Auditors | $73,210 | 16.3% | Affordable |
| Electricians | $70,950 | 16.8% | Affordable |
| Police & Sheriff's Patrol Officers | $60,720 | 19.7% | Affordable |
| Paralegals & Legal Assistants | $58,730 | 20.3% | Affordable |
| Heavy & Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers | $50,540 | 23.6% | Affordable |
| Elementary School Teachers | $48,250 | 24.7% | Affordable |
| Customer Service Representatives | $41,850 | 28.5% | Affordable |
| Pharmacy Technicians | $37,990 | 31.4% | Stretched |
| Janitors & Cleaners | $34,080 | 35% | Stretched |
| Retail Salespersons | $31,250 | 38.2% | Stretched |
| Fast Food & Counter Workers | $29,310 | 40.7% | Stretched |
| Teaching Assistants | $29,060 | 41.1% | 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 41.9% overall, from $701 to $995. Most of that movement was gradual except for a single sharp jump of +22.3% in FY 2024, well above this county's typical year-to-year change.
| Year | Studio | 1 BR | 2 BR |
|---|---|---|---|
| FY 2026 ↑1.1% | $955 | $995 | $1,218 |
| FY 2025 ↑1.2% | $951 | $984 | $1,215 |
| FY 2024 ↑22.3% | $928 | $972 | $1,209 |
| FY 2023 ↑6.7% | $748 | $795 | $999 |
| FY 2022 ↑1.9% | $689 | $745 | $947 |
| FY 2021 ↑4.3% | $671 | $731 | $938 |
| FY 2020 | $633 | $701 | $905 |
Part of the St. Louis, MO-IL Metro Area
Jefferson County is a central county of the St. Louis, MO-IL metropolitan statistical area, alongside 14 other metro-area counties.
Jefferson County ranks #13 of 15 counties in this metro area by 1-bedroom FMR. Every county sharing this metro, highest to lowest: St. Louis County ($995), St. Charles County ($995), St. Louis city ($995), Madison County ($995), St. Clair County ($995), Franklin County ($995), Lincoln County ($995), Clinton County ($995), Warren County ($995), Monroe County ($995), Jersey County ($995), Calhoun County ($995), Jefferson County (this county) ($995), Bond County ($836), Macoupin County ($698).
Show all 15 counties in this metro area
Nationwide peers by 2BR FMR & rent burden
Two PlainRent-derived comparison paths for Jefferson County, both outside Missouri 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 MO (FY2026).
Similar rent burden
Nearest 2BR FMR as a share of median household income (outside MO).
Nearby Counties in Missouri
Largest counties by population in Missouri
Showing the 8 largest of 115 other counties in Missouri.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the average rent in Jefferson County? ▼
How does Jefferson County rent compare to the national average? ▼
Where does Jefferson County rank nationally for Fair Market Rent? ▼
What income do I need to afford rent in Jefferson County? ▼
Is rent going up or down in Jefferson County? ▼
Which jobs can afford rent in Jefferson County? ▼
How much has rent changed in Jefferson County over time? ▼
How does Fair Market Rent affect Section 8 vouchers in Jefferson County? ▼
What does Fair Market Rent mean for Jefferson 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.