County FMR · HUD FY2026
Jewell County Fair Market Rent
HUD's FY2026 Fair Market Rent for Jewell County, KS - 26% below the US average.
- $712
- 1-bedroom FMR
- $877
- 2-bedroom FMR
- -9.3%
- YoY change
- -26%
- vs US avg
The verdict
Jewell is the 28th cheapest of 105 counties in Kansas by 2-bedroom FMR; nationally it ranks #221 most affordable of 3,145 HUD counties; rent here has fallen 9.3% since FY 2025, a modest shift relative to most counties.
- #221
- most affordable of 3,145 US counties (2BR)
- #28
- cheapest of 105 in Kansas (2BR)
- -5%
- vs the state average
- $28,480
- income to afford it (30% rule)
Software Developers spend the smallest share of income on rent here (8%), while Fast Food and Counter Workers spend the most (31.6%); 13 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 Jewell County, KS. Verify with HUD →
HUD sets the FY 2026 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent for Jewell County, Kansas at $712 per month - the federal rental-assistance benchmark for this county. A 2-bedroom costs $877/mo and a studio is $643/mo. This is 26% lower than the national average of $959 and 5% below the Kansas average of $753.
Rent decreased9.3% from FY 2025 ($785), declining against the trend. The 30% affordability floor is comparatively reachable here at $28,480/year.
Observed renter burden: 23.3% of the 245 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 0.0%, 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 4.5% over the past 12 months, close to the typical US county range.
FY 2026 HUD Fair Market Rents in Kansas. Population: 2,929. Population has held roughly steady over the past five years (-0.2%, Census ACS). That's in line with Kansas's statewide growth of +1.0% over the same period.
FMR filing desk
Area JEWELL·COUNTY·KS·KS
Jewell County, KS: $712/mo 1BR · #221 of 3145 counties (2BR) · FY2026
- FMR-AREA KS
- 1BR-FMR $712
- 2BR-FMR $877
- RANK-LOW #221
- YOY-DOWN -9.3%
- VSUS-LOW -26%
- VS-ST-NEAR -5% KS
- INC-ROOM 16%
- POP-SMALL 3K
- PHOTO-NEAR Johnson County
- VOUCH-90-110 $641–$783
- FY-2026 FY2026
Photo-finish peer: Johnson ($485 1BR gap)
Read with: Section 8 housing guide
Fair Market Rents (2026)
Year-over-Year Comparison
| Bedrooms | FY 2025 | FY 2026 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Studio | $625 | $643 | +$18 (+2.9%) |
| 1 Bedroom | $785 | $712 | $-73 (-9.3%) |
| 2 Bedroom | $872 | $877 | +$5 (+0.6%) |
| 3 Bedroom | $1,119 | $1,132 | +$13 (+1.2%) |
| 4 Bedroom | $1,251 | $1,276 | +$25 (+2.0%) |
Rent Burden Analysis
How much of household income goes to rent in Jewell 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 Jewell sits among every US county
2-bedroom Fair Market Rent vs. all 3,145 HUD counties
$877 higher than 7% 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 Jewell compares on 1-bedroom rent
1-bedroom FMR vs other Kansas counties
- Johnson
Johnson County
$1,197 1BR FMR / mo
- Wyandotte
Wyandotte County
$1,197 1BR FMR / mo
- Leavenworth
Leavenworth County
$1,197 1BR FMR / mo
- Douglas
Douglas County
$1,006 1BR FMR / mo
- Sedgwick
Sedgwick County
$849 1BR FMR / mo
- Shawnee
Shawnee County
$820 1BR FMR / mo
- Jewell
Jewell County
$712 1BR FMR / mo
What this shows Jewell is highlighted. Nearby Kansas counties by 1-bedroom FMR, highest to lowest: Johnson County ($1,197), Wyandotte County ($1,197), Leavenworth County ($1,197), Douglas County ($1,006), Sedgwick County ($849), Shawnee County ($820), Jewell County (this county) ($712).
Can Common Jobs Afford Rent Here?
With a below-average 1-bedroom at $712/mo, most of these Kansas occupations clear, or miss, the 30% affordability line.
| Occupation | KS Salary | Rent Burden | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|
| Software Developers | $106,660 | 8% | Affordable |
| General & Operations Managers | $85,600 | 10% | Affordable |
| Registered Nurses | $78,060 | 10.9% | Affordable |
| Accountants & Auditors | $76,400 | 11.2% | Affordable |
| Electricians | $61,830 | 13.8% | Affordable |
| Heavy & Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers | $56,940 | 15% | Affordable |
| Police & Sheriff's Patrol Officers | $56,610 | 15.1% | Affordable |
| Elementary School Teachers | $50,820 | 16.8% | Affordable |
| Paralegals & Legal Assistants | $48,910 | 17.5% | Affordable |
| Pharmacy Technicians | $39,210 | 21.8% | Affordable |
| Customer Service Representatives | $38,330 | 22.3% | Affordable |
| Janitors & Cleaners | $32,690 | 26.1% | Affordable |
| Retail Salespersons | $31,670 | 27% | Affordable |
| Teaching Assistants | $27,960 | 30.6% | Stretched |
| Fast Food & Counter Workers | $27,000 | 31.6% | Stretched |
Rent Trends (2020–2026)
7-year Fair Market Rent history for Jewell County. Shows how HUD rental rates have changed over time.
Over the 6-year span HUD has tracked for Jewell (FY 2020-2026), the 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent has risen 18.7% overall, from $600 to $712. Most of that movement was gradual except for a single sharp jump of +12.6% in FY 2024, well above this county's typical year-to-year change.
| Year | Studio | 1 BR | 2 BR |
|---|---|---|---|
| FY 2026 ↓9.3% | $643 | $712 | $877 |
| FY 2025 ↓0.1% | $625 | $785 | $872 |
| FY 2024 ↑12.6% | $633 | $786 | $882 |
| FY 2023 ↑10.6% | $584 | $698 | $788 |
| FY 2022 ↑2.4% | $566 | $631 | $742 |
| FY 2021 ↑2.7% | $543 | $616 | $718 |
| FY 2020 | $524 | $600 | $714 |
Where Jewell County Ranks in Kansas
Jewell 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 #28 of 105 counties in Kansas. Nearest by rank: Graham County ($877), Grant County ($877), Gray County ($877), Greeley County ($877), Greenwood County ($877), Harper County ($877), Haskell County ($877), Hodgeman County ($877), Jewell County (this county) ($877), Kingman County ($877), Kiowa County ($877), Labette County ($877), Lincoln County ($877), Lyon County ($877), Marion County ($877), Marshall County ($877), Meade County ($877).
Nationwide peers by 2BR FMR & rent burden
Two PlainRent-derived comparison paths for Jewell County, both outside Kansas 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 KS (FY2026).
Similar rent burden
Nearest 2BR FMR as a share of median household income (outside KS).
Nearby Counties in Kansas
Largest counties by population in Kansas
Showing the 8 largest of 104 other counties in Kansas.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the average rent in Jewell County?
The FY 2026 Fair Market Rent for a 1-bedroom in Jewell County is $712 per month. A 2-bedroom is $877 and a studio is $643.
How does Jewell County rent compare to the national average?
Rent in Jewell County is 26% below the national average. A 1-bedroom here costs $712 compared to $959 nationally.
Where does Jewell County rank nationally for Fair Market Rent?
According to HUD's FY 2026 Fair Market Rent schedule, Jewell County's 2-bedroom FMR of $877 ranks #221 most affordable among 3,145 HUD counties, placing it in the lowest-rent tenth of HUD counties.
What income do I need to afford rent in Jewell County?
Based on the 30% affordability rule, you need an annual income of at least $28,480 ($2,373/month) to afford a 1-bedroom at Fair Market Rent in Jewell County.
Is rent going up or down in Jewell County?
The 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent in Jewell County decreased by 9.3% from FY 2025 to FY 2026, going from $785 to $712.
Which jobs can afford rent in Jewell County?
Based on Kansas BLS salary data and the 30% affordability rule, jobs like Software Developers, General and Operations Managers, Registered Nurses can afford a 1-bedroom at $712/mo. 13 of 15 common occupations are affordable here.
How much has rent changed in Jewell County over time?
The 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent in Jewell County went from $600 in FY 2020 to $712 in FY 2026, a total change of +18.7% over 6 years.
How does Fair Market Rent affect Section 8 vouchers in Jewell County?
In Jewell County, the FY 2026 FMR of $712/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 Jewell County?
For Jewell County, it's the specific 40th-percentile rent HUD publishes each year ($712/mo for a 1-bedroom in FY 2026).
Is the rental market tight or loose in Jewell County?
The ACS rental vacancy rate here is 0.0%, a tight rental market where HUD's annual FMR schedule can lag what landlords are actually asking.
What is the unemployment rate in Jewell County?
The county's BLS unemployment rate has averaged 4.5% over the past 12 months, close to the typical US county range.
Data sources
What this means for renters
Treat Jewell'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 $712 implies about $28,480/yr to rent without being cost-burdened. Run your numbers
- Kansas counties vary widely around this figure - compare specific counties before assuming this applies to yours. Compare vs Johnson
- See where Jewell 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.