County FMR · HUD FY2026

Jefferson County Fair Market Rent

HUD's FY2026 Fair Market Rent for Jefferson County, WI - 4% below the US average.

$917
1-bedroom FMR
$1,156
2-bedroom FMR
+4.7%
YoY change
-4%
vs US avg

The verdict

Jefferson is the 23rd most expensive of 72 counties in Wisconsin by 2-bedroom FMR; nationally it ranks #1,132 most expensive of 3,145 HUD counties.

#1,132
most expensive of 3,145 US counties (2BR)
#23
most expensive of 72 in Wisconsin (2BR)
+5%
vs the state average
$36,680
income to afford it (30% rule)

General and Operations Managers spend the smallest share of income on rent here (9.7%), while Fast Food and Counter Workers spend the most (38.6%); nearby Wisconsin counties range as much as 59% apart in 1-bedroom FMR, so the county line itself can matter for renters comparing options.

FY 2026 HUD Fair Market Rent for Jefferson County, WI. Verify with HUD →

The Fair Market Rent for a 1-bedroom apartment in Jefferson County, Wisconsin is $917 per month in FY 2026, according to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). A 2-bedroom costs $1,156/mo and a studio is $797/mo. This is 4% lower than the national average of $959 and 5% above the Wisconsin average of $872.

Rent increased4.7% from FY 2025 ($876), outpacing inflation. Under the 30% rule, affordability starts near $36,680/year for a 1-bedroom.

FY 2026 HUD Fair Market Rents in Wisconsin. Population: 85,932. Population has held roughly steady over the past five years (+1.4%, Census ACS). That's in line with Wisconsin's statewide growth of +2.0% over the same period.

FMR filing desk

Area JEFFERSON·COUNTY·WI·WI

Jefferson County, WI: $917/mo 1BR · #1132 of 3145 counties (2BR) · FY2026

  • FMR-AREA WI
  • 1BR-FMR $917
  • 2BR-FMR $1,156
  • RANK-MID #1,132
  • YOY-UP +4.7%
  • VSUS-NEAR -4%
  • VS-ST-NEAR +5% WI
  • INC-ROOM 14%
  • POP-MID 86K
  • PHOTO-NEAR Milwaukee County
  • VOUCH-90-110 $825–$1,009
  • FY-2026 FY2026

Photo-finish peer: Milwaukee ($202 1BR gap)

Read with: How Fair Market Rent works

Fair Market Rents (2026)

Studio
State avg: $797 · US avg: $893
$797/mo
↑ 3.6% YoY +0% vs state -11% vs US
1 Bedroom
State avg: $872 · US avg: $959
$917/mo
↑ 4.7% YoY +5% vs state -4% vs US
2 Bedroom
State avg: $1,097 · US avg: $1,175
$1,156/mo
↑ 3.0% YoY +5% vs state -2% vs US
3 Bedroom
State avg: $1,405 · US avg: $1,525
$1,530/mo
↑ 3.2% YoY +9% vs state +0% vs US
4 Bedroom
State avg: $1,572 · US avg: $1,756
$1,536/mo
↑ 3.2% YoY -2% vs state -13% vs US

Year-over-Year Comparison

Bedrooms FY 2025 FY 2026 Change
Studio $769
$797
+$28 (+3.6%)
1 Bedroom $876
$917
+$41 (+4.7%)
2 Bedroom $1,122
$1,156
+$34 (+3.0%)
3 Bedroom $1,482
$1,530
+$48 (+3.2%)
4 Bedroom $1,488
$1,536
+$48 (+3.2%)

Rent Burden Analysis

How much of household income goes to rent in Jefferson County. The 30% threshold indicates cost burden.

Studio
11.9%
Affordable
Need $31,880/yr for 30% rule
1 Bedroom
13.7%
Affordable
Need $36,680/yr for 30% rule
2 Bedroom
17.2%
Affordable
Need $46,240/yr for 30% rule
3 Bedroom
22.8%
Affordable
Need $61,200/yr for 30% rule
4 Bedroom
22.9%
Affordable
Need $61,440/yr for 30% rule
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.

0%100%National avg22%17.2%
Jefferson County 2-bedroom rent burden
County median income: $80,604 · National avg burden: 21.7% ·View Wisconsin rent burden →

Where Jefferson sits among every US county

2-bedroom Fair Market Rent vs. all 3,145 HUD counties

$1,156 Top 36% higher than 64% of 3,145 counties

$600–$800: 23 counties (1%). Below this entry. $800–$1,000: 1,406 counties (45%). Below this entry. $1,000–$1,200: 723 counties (23%). This entry sits in this band. $1,200–$1,400: 417 counties (13%). Above this entry. $1,400–$1,600: 181 counties (6%). Above this entry. $1,600–$1,800: 172 counties (5%). Above this entry. $1,800–$2,000: 108 counties (3%). Above this entry. $2,000–$2,200: 29 counties (1%). Above this entry. $2,200–$2,400: 40 counties (1%). Above this entry. $2,400–$2,600: 13 counties (0%). Above this entry. $2,600–$2,800: 9 counties (0%). Above this entry. $2,800–$3,000: 15 counties (0%). Above this entry. $3,000–$3,200: 3 counties (0%). Above this entry. $3,200–$3,400: 1 counties (0%). Above this entry. $3,400–$3,600: 1 counties (0%). Above this entry. $3,600–$3,800: 3 counties (0%). Above this entry. $3,800–$4,000: 0 counties (0%). Above this entry. $4,000–$4,200: 0 counties (0%). Above this entry. $4,200–$4,400: 1 counties (0%). Above this entry. This county $600 $4,400 every US county, bucketed by value

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 Wisconsin counties

1BR FMR / mo

What this shows Jefferson is highlighted. Nearby Wisconsin counties by 1-bedroom FMR, highest to lowest: Dane County ($1,482), Milwaukee County ($1,119), Waukesha County ($1,119), Racine County ($988), Outagamie County ($960), Brown County ($931), Jefferson County (this county) ($917).

Source U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) As of FY2026

Can Common Jobs Afford Rent Here?

How a 1-bedroom at $917/mo compares to Wisconsin salaries for popular occupations (BLS wage data, 30%-of-income rule).

Occupation WI Salary Rent Burden Verdict
General & Operations Managers $113,170 9.7% Affordable
Software Developers $103,360 10.6% Affordable
Registered Nurses $86,070 12.8% Affordable
Police & Sheriff's Patrol Officers $78,980 13.9% Affordable
Accountants & Auditors $78,150 14.1% Affordable
Electricians $75,090 14.7% Affordable
Elementary School Teachers $60,690 18.1% Affordable
Heavy & Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers $57,380 19.2% Affordable
Paralegals & Legal Assistants $56,520 19.5% Affordable
Customer Service Representatives $45,980 23.9% Affordable
Pharmacy Technicians $43,620 25.2% Affordable
Teaching Assistants $36,050 30.5% Stretched
Janitors & Cleaners $35,850 30.7% Stretched
Retail Salespersons $33,640 32.7% Stretched
Fast Food & Counter Workers $28,500 38.6% Stretched
Salaries: BLS OES (Wisconsin) median · 30% = affordable threshold · Try the salary calculator →

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 33.5% overall, from $687 to $917. The increases have been fairly steady year to year, with no single jump exceeding 7.9% (FY 2025).

$600$700$800$900$1,000 FY2020FY2021FY2022FY2023FY2024FY2025FY2026 $917
Jefferson County 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent, FY2020–FY2026
Year Studio 1 BR 2 BR
FY 2026 ↑4.7% $797 $917 $1,156
FY 2025 ↑7.9% $769 $876 $1,122
FY 2024 ↑6.4% $719 $812 $1,061
FY 2023 ↑5.8% $671 $763 $1,004
FY 2022 ↑5.1% $631 $721 $949
FY 2021 ↓0.1% $595 $686 $897
FY 2020 $595 $687 $897
Total change (6yr): +33.5%
Annualized: +4.9%/yr
1 BR: $687 → $917

Part of the Watertown-Fort Atkinson, WI Micro Area

Jefferson County is a central county of the Watertown-Fort Atkinson, WI micropolitan statistical area.

Nationwide peers by 2BR FMR & rent burden

Two PlainRent-derived comparison paths for Jefferson County, both outside Wisconsin 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 WI (FY2026).

Minnehaha County
SD · 2 BR $1,156/mo
Lincoln County
SD · 2 BR $1,156/mo
Dixie County
FL · 2 BR $1,156/mo
Turner County
SD · 2 BR $1,156/mo

Similar rent burden

Nearest 2BR FMR as a share of median household income (outside WI).

Clay County
IA · 17.2% of income · 2 BR $919/mo
Lake County
CO · 17.2% of income · 2 BR $1,343/mo
Callaway County
MO · 17.2% of income · 2 BR $1,042/mo
Rice County
MN · 17.2% of income · 2 BR $1,187/mo

Nearby Counties in Wisconsin

Largest counties by population in Wisconsin

Showing the 8 largest of 71 other counties in Wisconsin.

Milwaukee County
1 BR: $1,119/mo Pop: 933,063
Dane County
1 BR: $1,482/mo Pop: 559,891
Waukesha County
1 BR: $1,119/mo Pop: 407,290
Brown County
1 BR: $931/mo Pop: 268,393
Racine County
1 BR: $988/mo Pop: 197,068
Outagamie County
1 BR: $960/mo Pop: 190,611
Winnebago County
1 BR: $889/mo Pop: 171,197
Kenosha County
1 BR: $1,092/mo Pop: 168,693
View all counties in Wisconsin →

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 $917 per month. A 2-bedroom is $1,156 and a studio is $797.
How does Jefferson County rent compare to the national average? ▼
Rent in Jefferson County is 4% below the national average. A 1-bedroom here costs $917 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 $1,156 ranks #1,132 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 $36,680 ($3,057/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 4.7% from FY 2025 to FY 2026, going from $876 to $917.
Which jobs can afford rent in Jefferson County? ▼
Based on Wisconsin BLS salary data and the 30% affordability rule, jobs like General and Operations Managers, Software Developers, Registered Nurses can afford a 1-bedroom at $917/mo. 11 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 $687 in FY 2020 to $917 in FY 2026, a total change of +33.5% over 6 years.
How does Fair Market Rent affect Section 8 vouchers in Jefferson County? ▼
In Jefferson County, the FY 2026 FMR of $917/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 ($917/mo for a 1-bedroom in FY 2026).

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.

All federal data sources used on this page
  • HUD Fair Market Rents (FMR) - county-level fair-market rent estimates by bedroom count. huduser.gov/datasets/fmr
  • HUD Income Limits - area median income for affordability calculations. huduser.gov/datasets/il
  • HUD Comprehensive Housing Affordability Strategy (CHAS) - rent burden and housing-cost distribution. huduser.gov/datasets/cp
  • U.S. Census Bureau ACS - county and metro housing characteristics + median rent. census.gov/programs-surveys/acs
  • BLS Consumer Price Index, Rent of Primary Residence - rent inflation by metro. bls.gov/cpi
  • IRS Migration Data (SOI) - interstate migration aggregates affecting county demand. irs.gov/statistics/migration
  • BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics - state-level median wages by occupation, used for job affordability analysis. bls.gov/oes

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.