County FMR · HUD FY2026
Kent County Fair Market Rent
HUD's FY2026 Fair Market Rent for Kent County, DE - 21% above the US average.
- $1,165
- 1-bedroom FMR
- $1,470
- 2-bedroom FMR
- -1.4%
- YoY change
- +21%
- vs US avg
The verdict
Kent is the 2nd cheapest of 3 counties in Delaware by 2-bedroom FMR; nationally it ranks #503 most expensive of 3,145 HUD counties.
- #503
- most expensive of 3,145 US counties (2BR)
- #2
- cheapest of 3 in Delaware (2BR)
- -7%
- vs the state average
- $46,600
- income to afford it (30% rule)
General and Operations Managers spend the smallest share of income on rent here (10.2%), while Fast Food and Counter Workers spend the most (46.3%).
FY 2026 HUD Fair Market Rent for Kent County, DE. Verify with HUD →
The Fair Market Rent for a 1-bedroom apartment in Kent County, Delaware is $1,165 per month in FY 2026, according to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). A 2-bedroom costs $1,470/mo and a studio is $1,158/mo. This is 21% higher than the national average of $959 and 7% below the Delaware average of $1,250.
Rent decreased1.4% from FY 2025 ($1,181), declining against the trend. A household needs about $46,600/year to stay under the 30% rent-to-income line.
Observed renter burden: 49.5% of the 20,334 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 3.5%, 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 5.6% over the past 12 months, close to the typical US county range.
FY 2026 HUD Fair Market Rents in Delaware. Population: 182,400. Population grew 5.8% over the past five years (Census ACS) - among the faster-growing counties nationally, a trend that typically adds upward pressure on rents. That's in line with Delaware's statewide growth of +5.9% over the same period.
FMR filing desk
Area KENT·COUNTY·DE·DE
Kent County, DE: $1,165/mo 1BR · #503 of 3145 counties (2BR) · FY2026
- FMR-AREA DE
- 1BR-FMR $1,165
- 2BR-FMR $1,470
- RANK-MID #503
- YOY-FLAT -1.4%
- VSUS-ABOVE +21%
- VS-ST-NEAR -7% DE
- INC-ROOM 19%
- POP-MID 182K
- PHOTO-NEAR New Castle County
- VOUCH-90-110 $1,049–$1,282
- FY-2026 FY2026
Photo-finish peer: New Castle ($355 1BR gap)
Read with: Understanding rent burden
Fair Market Rents (2026)
Year-over-Year Comparison
| Bedrooms | FY 2025 | FY 2026 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Studio | $1,173 | $1,158 | $-15 (-1.3%) |
| 1 Bedroom | $1,181 | $1,165 | $-16 (-1.4%) |
| 2 Bedroom | $1,492 | $1,470 | $-22 (-1.5%) |
| 3 Bedroom | $2,080 | $2,044 | $-36 (-1.7%) |
| 4 Bedroom | $2,278 | $2,285 | +$7 (+0.3%) |
Rent Burden Analysis
How much of household income goes to rent in Kent 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 Kent sits among every US county
2-bedroom Fair Market Rent vs. all 3,145 HUD counties
$1,470 Top 16% higher than 84% 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 Kent compares on 1-bedroom rent
1-bedroom FMR vs other Delaware counties
- New Castle
New Castle County
$1,520 1BR FMR / mo
- Kent
Kent County
$1,165 1BR FMR / mo
- Sussex
Sussex County
$1,066 1BR FMR / mo
What this shows Kent is highlighted. Nearby Delaware counties by 1-bedroom FMR, highest to lowest: New Castle County ($1,520), Kent County (this county) ($1,165), Sussex County ($1,066).
Can Common Jobs Afford Rent Here?
Against a high local FMR of $1,165/mo, which of 15 common occupations still clear the 30% line using Delaware BLS wages?
| Occupation | DE Salary | Rent Burden | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|
| General & Operations Managers | $136,900 | 10.2% | Affordable |
| Software Developers | $135,160 | 10.3% | Affordable |
| Registered Nurses | $92,610 | 15.1% | Affordable |
| Accountants & Auditors | $84,560 | 16.5% | Affordable |
| Police & Sheriff's Patrol Officers | $83,230 | 16.8% | Affordable |
| Elementary School Teachers | $66,390 | 21.1% | Affordable |
| Electricians | $62,970 | 22.2% | Affordable |
| Paralegals & Legal Assistants | $60,000 | 23.3% | Affordable |
| Heavy & Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers | $58,510 | 23.9% | Affordable |
| Customer Service Representatives | $46,300 | 30.2% | Stretched |
| Pharmacy Technicians | $43,470 | 32.2% | Stretched |
| Teaching Assistants | $36,760 | 38% | Stretched |
| Janitors & Cleaners | $34,560 | 40.5% | Stretched |
| Retail Salespersons | $34,200 | 40.9% | Stretched |
| Fast Food & Counter Workers | $30,210 | 46.3% | Stretched |
Rent Trends (2020–2026)
7-year Fair Market Rent history for Kent County. Shows how HUD rental rates have changed over time.
Over the 6-year span HUD has tracked for Kent (FY 2020-2026), the 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent has risen 30.5% overall, from $893 to $1,165. Most of that movement was gradual except for a single sharp jump of +15.0% in FY 2023, well above this county's typical year-to-year change.
| Year | Studio | 1 BR | 2 BR |
|---|---|---|---|
| FY 2026 ↓1.4% | $1,158 | $1,165 | $1,470 |
| FY 2025 ↑5.7% | $1,173 | $1,181 | $1,492 |
| FY 2024 ↑13.5% | $1,110 | $1,117 | $1,368 |
| FY 2023 ↑15.0% | $979 | $984 | $1,182 |
| FY 2022 ↓5.7% | $851 | $856 | $1,002 |
| FY 2021 ↑1.7% | $878 | $908 | $1,066 |
| FY 2020 | $880 | $893 | $1,044 |
Part of the Dover, DE Metro Area
Kent County is a central county of the Dover, DE metropolitan statistical area.
Nationwide peers by 2BR FMR & rent burden
Two PlainRent-derived comparison paths for Kent County, both outside Delaware 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 DE (FY2026).
Similar rent burden
Nearest 2BR FMR as a share of median household income (outside DE).
Nearby Counties in Delaware
Largest counties by population in Delaware
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the average rent in Kent County?
The FY 2026 Fair Market Rent for a 1-bedroom in Kent County is $1,165 per month. A 2-bedroom is $1,470 and a studio is $1,158.
How does Kent County rent compare to the national average?
Rent in Kent County is 21% above the national average. A 1-bedroom here costs $1,165 compared to $959 nationally.
Where does Kent County rank nationally for Fair Market Rent?
According to HUD's FY 2026 Fair Market Rent schedule, Kent County's 2-bedroom FMR of $1,470 ranks #503 most expensive among 3,145 HUD counties, placing it in the upper-rent quarter of HUD counties.
What income do I need to afford rent in Kent County?
Based on the 30% affordability rule, you need an annual income of at least $46,600 ($3,883/month) to afford a 1-bedroom at Fair Market Rent in Kent County.
Is rent going up or down in Kent County?
The 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent in Kent County decreased by 1.4% from FY 2025 to FY 2026, going from $1,181 to $1,165.
Which jobs can afford rent in Kent County?
Based on Delaware BLS salary data and the 30% affordability rule, jobs like General and Operations Managers, Software Developers, Registered Nurses can afford a 1-bedroom at $1,165/mo. 9 of 15 common occupations are affordable here.
How much has rent changed in Kent County over time?
The 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent in Kent County went from $893 in FY 2020 to $1,165 in FY 2026, a total change of +30.5% over 6 years.
How does Fair Market Rent affect Section 8 vouchers in Kent County?
In Kent County, the FY 2026 FMR of $1,165/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 Kent County?
For Kent County, it's the specific 40th-percentile rent HUD publishes each year ($1,165/mo for a 1-bedroom in FY 2026).
Is the rental market tight or loose in Kent County?
The ACS rental vacancy rate here is 3.5%, a tight rental market where HUD's annual FMR schedule can lag what landlords are actually asking.
What is the unemployment rate in Kent County?
The county's BLS unemployment rate has averaged 5.6% over the past 12 months, close to the typical US county range.
Data sources
What this means for renters
Treat Kent'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 $1,165 implies about $46,600/yr to rent without being cost-burdened. Run your numbers
- Delaware counties vary widely around this figure - compare specific counties before assuming this applies to yours. Compare vs New Castle
- See where Kent 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.