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.

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)

Studio
State avg: $1,205 · US avg: $893
$1,158/mo
↓ 1.3% YoY -4% vs state +30% vs US
1 Bedroom
State avg: $1,250 · US avg: $959
$1,165/mo
↓ 1.4% YoY -7% vs state +21% vs US
2 Bedroom
State avg: $1,560 · US avg: $1,175
$1,470/mo
↓ 1.5% YoY -6% vs state +25% vs US
3 Bedroom
State avg: $1,990 · US avg: $1,525
$2,044/mo
↓ 1.7% YoY +3% vs state +34% vs US
4 Bedroom
State avg: $2,293 · US avg: $1,756
$2,285/mo
↑ 0.3% YoY -0% vs state +30% vs US

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.

Studio
19.1%
Affordable
Need $46,320/yr for 30% rule
1 Bedroom
19.2%
Affordable
Need $46,600/yr for 30% rule
2 Bedroom
24.2%
Affordable
Need $58,800/yr for 30% rule
3 Bedroom
33.7%
Burdened
Need $81,760/yr for 30% rule
4 Bedroom
37.6%
Burdened
Need $91,400/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%24.2%
Kent County 2-bedroom rent burden
County median income: $72,872 · National avg burden: 21.7% ·View Delaware rent burden →

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

$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%). This entry sits in this band. $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 Kent compares on 1-bedroom rent

1-bedroom FMR vs other Delaware counties

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).

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 $1,165/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
Salaries: BLS OES (Delaware) median · 30% = affordable threshold · Try the salary calculator →

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.

$800$900$1,000$1,100$1,200 FY2020FY2021FY2022FY2023FY2024FY2025FY2026 $1,165
Kent County 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent, FY2020–FY2026
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
Total change (6yr): +30.5%
Annualized: +4.5%/yr
1 BR: $893 → $1,165

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).

Charlotte County
FL · 2 BR $1,470/mo
Knox County
TN · 2 BR $1,471/mo
Escambia County
FL · 2 BR $1,471/mo
Santa Rosa County
FL · 2 BR $1,471/mo

Similar rent burden

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

Kusilvak Census Area
AK · 24.2% of income · 2 BR $973/mo
Haywood County
NC · 24.2% of income · 2 BR $1,230/mo
Western Connecticut Planning Region
CT · 24.2% of income · 2 BR $2,511/mo
Menard County
TX · 24.2% of income · 2 BR $973/mo

Nearby Counties in Delaware

Largest counties by population in Delaware

New Castle County
1 BR: $1,520/mo Pop: 570,567
Sussex County
1 BR: $1,066/mo Pop: 240,668
View all counties 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).

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.