County FMR · HUD FY2026

Kendall County Fair Market Rent

HUD's FY2026 Fair Market Rent for Kendall County, IL - 63% above the US average.

$1,562
1-bedroom FMR
$2,050
2-bedroom FMR
+8.6%
YoY change
+63%
vs US avg

The verdict

Kendall is the 1st most expensive of 102 counties in Illinois by 2-bedroom FMR; nationally it ranks #126 most expensive of 3,145 HUD counties; rent here has climbed 8.6% since FY 2025, a modest shift relative to most counties.

#126
most expensive of 3,145 US counties (2BR)
#1
most expensive of 102 in Illinois (2BR)
+83%
vs the state average
$62,480
income to afford it (30% rule)

Software Developers spend the smallest share of income on rent here (14.7%), while Fast Food and Counter Workers spend the most (58.8%).

FY 2026 HUD Fair Market Rent for Kendall County, IL. Verify with HUD →

The Fair Market Rent for a 1-bedroom apartment in Kendall County, Illinois is $1,562 per month in FY 2026, according to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). A 2-bedroom costs $2,050/mo and a studio is $1,413/mo. This is 63% higher than the national average of $959 and 83% above the Illinois average of $854.

Rent increased8.6% from FY 2025 ($1,438), outpacing inflation. Clearing the 30% rule here takes $62,480/year, a high bar relative to most US counties.

Observed renter burden: 54.9% of the 7,046 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 Illinois. Population: 132,795. Population grew 8.4% 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 Illinois's statewide growth of -1.0% over the same period.

FMR filing desk

Area KENDALL·COUNTY·IL·IL

Kendall County, IL: $1,562/mo 1BR · #126 of 3145 counties (2BR) · FY2026

  • FMR-AREA IL
  • 1BR-FMR $1,562
  • 2BR-FMR $2,050
  • RANK-UPPER #126
  • YOY-SURGE +8.6%
  • VSUS-HIGH +63%
  • VS-ST-HIGH +83% IL
  • INC-ROOM 17%
  • POP-MID 133K
  • PHOTO-FINISH Cook County
  • VOUCH-90-110 $1,406–$1,718
  • FY-2026 FY2026

Photo-finish peer: Cook ($19 1BR gap)

Read with: Understanding rent burden

Fair Market Rents (2026)

Studio
State avg: $774 · US avg: $893
$1,413/mo
↓ 1.1% YoY +83% vs state +58% vs US
1 Bedroom
State avg: $854 · US avg: $959
$1,562/mo
↑ 8.6% YoY +83% vs state +63% vs US
2 Bedroom
State avg: $1,063 · US avg: $1,175
$2,050/mo
↑ 8.7% YoY +93% vs state +74% vs US
3 Bedroom
State avg: $1,370 · US avg: $1,525
$2,819/mo
↑ 6.7% YoY +106% vs state +85% vs US
4 Bedroom
State avg: $1,561 · US avg: $1,756
$2,918/mo
↑ 6.9% YoY +87% vs state +66% vs US

Year-over-Year Comparison

Bedrooms FY 2025 FY 2026 Change
Studio $1,428
$1,413
$-15 (-1.1%)
1 Bedroom $1,438
$1,562
+$124 (+8.6%)
2 Bedroom $1,886
$2,050
+$164 (+8.7%)
3 Bedroom $2,643
$2,819
+$176 (+6.7%)
4 Bedroom $2,730
$2,918
+$188 (+6.9%)

Rent Burden Analysis

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

Studio
15.3%
Affordable
Need $56,520/yr for 30% rule
1 Bedroom
17%
Affordable
Need $62,480/yr for 30% rule
2 Bedroom
22.3%
Affordable
Need $82,000/yr for 30% rule
3 Bedroom
30.6%
Burdened
Need $112,760/yr for 30% rule
4 Bedroom
31.7%
Burdened
Need $116,720/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%22.3%
Kendall County 2-bedroom rent burden
County median income: $110,474 · National avg burden: 21.7% ·View Illinois rent burden →

Where Kendall sits among every US county

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

$2,050 Top 4% higher than 96% 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%). Below this entry. $1,200–$1,400: 417 counties (13%). Below this entry. $1,400–$1,600: 181 counties (6%). Below this entry. $1,600–$1,800: 172 counties (5%). Below this entry. $1,800–$2,000: 108 counties (3%). Below this entry. $2,000–$2,200: 29 counties (1%). This entry sits in this band. $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 Kendall compares on 1-bedroom rent

1-bedroom FMR vs other Illinois counties

1BR FMR / mo

What this shows Kendall is highlighted. Nearby Illinois counties by 1-bedroom FMR, highest to lowest: Cook County ($1,581), DuPage County ($1,581), Lake County ($1,581), Will County ($1,581), Kane County ($1,581), McHenry County ($1,581), Kendall County (this county) ($1,562).

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

Can Common Jobs Afford Rent Here?

Against a high local FMR of $1,562/mo, which of 15 common occupations still clear the 30% line using Illinois BLS wages?

Occupation IL Salary Rent Burden Verdict
Software Developers $127,770 14.7% Affordable
General & Operations Managers $101,430 18.5% Affordable
Police & Sheriff's Patrol Officers $101,530 18.5% Affordable
Electricians $96,360 19.5% Affordable
Registered Nurses $86,410 21.7% Affordable
Accountants & Auditors $79,300 23.6% Affordable
Elementary School Teachers $64,160 29.2% Affordable
Paralegals & Legal Assistants $62,290 30.1% Stretched
Heavy & Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers $59,790 31.3% Stretched
Customer Service Representatives $44,910 41.7% Stretched
Pharmacy Technicians $44,610 42% Stretched
Janitors & Cleaners $37,010 50.6% Unaffordable
Teaching Assistants $35,780 52.4% Unaffordable
Retail Salespersons $34,490 54.3% Unaffordable
Fast Food & Counter Workers $31,900 58.8% Unaffordable
Salaries: BLS OES (Illinois) median · 30% = affordable threshold · Try the salary calculator →

Rent Trends (2020–2026)

7-year Fair Market Rent history for Kendall County. Shows how HUD rental rates have changed over time.

Over the 6-year span HUD has tracked for Kendall (FY 2020-2026), the 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent has risen 64.9% overall, from $947 to $1,562. Most of that movement was gradual except for a single sharp jump of +21.3% in FY 2024, well above this county's typical year-to-year change.

$800$1,000$1,200$1,400$1,600 FY2020FY2021FY2022FY2023FY2024FY2025FY2026 $1,562
Kendall County 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent, FY2020–FY2026
Year Studio 1 BR 2 BR
FY 2026 ↑8.6% $1,413 $1,562 $2,050
FY 2025 ↑8.5% $1,428 $1,438 $1,886
FY 2024 ↑21.3% $1,180 $1,325 $1,741
FY 2023 ↑9.7% $1,085 $1,092 $1,438
FY 2022 ↑2.2% $988 $995 $1,303
FY 2021 ↑2.9% $967 $974 $1,283
FY 2020 $941 $947 $1,240
Total change (6yr): +64.9%
Annualized: +8.7%/yr
1 BR: $947 → $1,562

Part of the Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN Metro Area

Kendall County is a central county of the Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN metropolitan statistical area, alongside 12 other metro-area counties.

Kendall County ranks #7 of 13 counties in this metro area by 1-bedroom FMR. Every county sharing this metro, highest to lowest: Cook County ($1,581), DuPage County ($1,581), Lake County ($1,581), Will County ($1,581), Kane County ($1,581), McHenry County ($1,581), Kendall County (this county) ($1,562), Grundy County ($1,118), Lake County ($1,082), Porter County ($1,082), Newton County ($1,082), DeKalb County ($1,046), Jasper County ($895).

Cook County
1 BR: $1,581/mo
DuPage County
1 BR: $1,581/mo
Lake County
1 BR: $1,581/mo
Will County
1 BR: $1,581/mo
Kane County
1 BR: $1,581/mo
McHenry County
1 BR: $1,581/mo
Kendall County (this county)
1 BR: $1,562/mo
Grundy County
1 BR: $1,118/mo
Lake County
1 BR: $1,082/mo
Porter County
1 BR: $1,082/mo
Newton County
1 BR: $1,082/mo
DeKalb County
1 BR: $1,046/mo
Show all 13 counties in this metro area
Jasper County
1 BR: $895/mo

Nationwide peers by 2BR FMR & rent burden

Two PlainRent-derived comparison paths for Kendall County, both outside Illinois 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 IL (FY2026).

Kitsap County
WA · 2 BR $2,031/mo
Kodiak Island Borough
AK · 2 BR $2,075/mo
Hawaii County
HI · 2 BR $2,076/mo
Routt County
CO · 2 BR $2,022/mo

Similar rent burden

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

Stephens County
TX · 22.3% of income · 2 BR $1,015/mo
Washington County
VT · 22.3% of income · 2 BR $1,482/mo
Lycoming County
PA · 22.3% of income · 2 BR $1,195/mo
Aiken County
SC · 22.3% of income · 2 BR $1,261/mo

Nearby Counties in Illinois

Largest counties by population in Illinois

Showing the 8 largest of 101 other counties in Illinois.

Cook County
1 BR: $1,581/mo Pop: 5,225,367
DuPage County
1 BR: $1,581/mo Pop: 930,559
Lake County
1 BR: $1,581/mo Pop: 713,159
Will County
1 BR: $1,581/mo Pop: 696,774
Kane County
1 BR: $1,581/mo Pop: 517,254
McHenry County
1 BR: $1,581/mo Pop: 311,133
Winnebago County
1 BR: $895/mo Pop: 284,591
Madison County
1 BR: $995/mo Pop: 265,512
View all counties in Illinois →

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the average rent in Kendall County? ▼
The FY 2026 Fair Market Rent for a 1-bedroom in Kendall County is $1,562 per month. A 2-bedroom is $2,050 and a studio is $1,413.
How does Kendall County rent compare to the national average? ▼
Rent in Kendall County is 63% above the national average. A 1-bedroom here costs $1,562 compared to $959 nationally.
Where does Kendall County rank nationally for Fair Market Rent? ▼
According to HUD's FY 2026 Fair Market Rent schedule, Kendall County's 2-bedroom FMR of $2,050 ranks #126 most expensive among 3,145 HUD counties, placing it in the highest-rent tenth of HUD counties.
What income do I need to afford rent in Kendall County? ▼
Based on the 30% affordability rule, you need an annual income of at least $62,480 ($5,207/month) to afford a 1-bedroom at Fair Market Rent in Kendall County.
Is rent going up or down in Kendall County? ▼
The 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent in Kendall County increased by 8.6% from FY 2025 to FY 2026, going from $1,438 to $1,562.
Which jobs can afford rent in Kendall County? ▼
Based on Illinois BLS salary data and the 30% affordability rule, jobs like Software Developers, General and Operations Managers, Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers can afford a 1-bedroom at $1,562/mo. 7 of 15 common occupations are affordable here.
How much has rent changed in Kendall County over time? ▼
The 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent in Kendall County went from $947 in FY 2020 to $1,562 in FY 2026, a total change of +64.9% over 6 years.
How does Fair Market Rent affect Section 8 vouchers in Kendall County? ▼
In Kendall County, the FY 2026 FMR of $1,562/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 Kendall County? ▼
For Kendall County, it's the specific 40th-percentile rent HUD publishes each year ($1,562/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.