County FMR · HUD FY2026

Lincoln County Fair Market Rent

HUD's FY2026 Fair Market Rent for Lincoln County, ID - 7% below the US average.

$888
1-bedroom FMR
$973
2-bedroom FMR
+5.3%
YoY change
-7%
vs US avg

The verdict

Lincoln is the 9th cheapest of 44 counties in Idaho by 2-bedroom FMR; nationally it ranks #976 most affordable of 3,145 HUD counties; rent here has climbed 5.3% since FY 2025, a modest shift relative to most counties.

#976
most affordable of 3,145 US counties (2BR)
#9
cheapest of 44 in Idaho (2BR)
-7%
vs the state average
$35,520
income to afford it (30% rule)

Software Developers spend the smallest share of income on rent here (9.9%), while Fast Food and Counter Workers spend the most (37.5%); nearby Idaho counties range as much as 54% apart in 1-bedroom FMR, so the county line itself can matter for renters comparing options.

FY 2026 HUD Fair Market Rent for Lincoln County, ID. Verify with HUD →

HUD sets the FY 2026 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent for Lincoln County, Idaho at $888 per month - the federal rental-assistance benchmark for this county. A 2-bedroom costs $973/mo and a studio is $848/mo. This is 7% lower than the national average of $959 and 7% below the Idaho average of $950.

Rent increased5.3% from FY 2025 ($843), outpacing inflation. Under the 30% rule, affordability starts near $35,520/year for a 1-bedroom.

Observed renter burden: 31.8% of the 424 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 Idaho. Population: 5,203. Population has held roughly steady over the past five years (-0.8%, Census ACS). That's slower than Idaho's statewide growth of +12.2% over the same period.

FMR filing desk

Area LINCOLN·COUNTY·ID·ID

Lincoln County, ID: $888/mo 1BR · #976 of 3145 counties (2BR) · FY2026

  • FMR-AREA ID
  • 1BR-FMR $888
  • 2BR-FMR $973
  • RANK-MID #976
  • YOY-SURGE +5.3%
  • VSUS-NEAR -7%
  • VS-ST-NEAR -7% ID
  • INC-ROOM 16%
  • POP-SMALL 5K
  • PHOTO-NEAR Ada County
  • VOUCH-90-110 $799–$977
  • FY-2026 FY2026

Photo-finish peer: Ada ($493 1BR gap)

Read with: How Fair Market Rent works

Fair Market Rents (2026)

Studio
State avg: $898 · US avg: $893
$848/mo
↑ 17.9% YoY -6% vs state -5% vs US
1 Bedroom
State avg: $950 · US avg: $959
$888/mo
↑ 5.3% YoY -7% vs state -7% vs US
2 Bedroom
State avg: $1,173 · US avg: $1,175
$973/mo
↑ 4.3% YoY -17% vs state -17% vs US
3 Bedroom
State avg: $1,619 · US avg: $1,525
$1,353/mo
↑ 3.5% YoY -16% vs state -11% vs US
4 Bedroom
State avg: $1,949 · US avg: $1,756
$1,632/mo
↑ 4.1% YoY -16% vs state -7% vs US

Year-over-Year Comparison

Bedrooms FY 2025 FY 2026 Change
Studio $719
$848
+$129 (+17.9%)
1 Bedroom $843
$888
+$45 (+5.3%)
2 Bedroom $933
$973
+$40 (+4.3%)
3 Bedroom $1,307
$1,353
+$46 (+3.5%)
4 Bedroom $1,567
$1,632
+$65 (+4.1%)

Rent Burden Analysis

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

Studio
15.4%
Affordable
Need $33,920/yr for 30% rule
1 Bedroom
16.1%
Affordable
Need $35,520/yr for 30% rule
2 Bedroom
17.7%
Affordable
Need $38,920/yr for 30% rule
3 Bedroom
24.6%
Affordable
Need $54,120/yr for 30% rule
4 Bedroom
29.7%
Affordable
Need $65,280/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%17.7%
Lincoln County 2-bedroom rent burden
County median income: $66,038 · National avg burden: 21.7% ·View Idaho rent burden →

Where Lincoln sits among every US county

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

$973 higher than 31% of 3,145 counties

$600–$800: 23 counties (1%). Below this entry. $800–$1,000: 1,406 counties (45%). This entry sits in this band. $1,000–$1,200: 723 counties (23%). Above this entry. $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 Lincoln compares on 1-bedroom rent

1-bedroom FMR vs other Idaho counties

1BR FMR / mo

What this shows Lincoln is highlighted. Nearby Idaho counties by 1-bedroom FMR, highest to lowest: Ada County ($1,381), Canyon County ($1,381), Kootenai County ($1,302), Bonneville County ($1,095), Twin Falls County ($979), Bannock County ($894), Lincoln County (this county) ($888).

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

Can Common Jobs Afford Rent Here?

How a 1-bedroom at $888/mo compares to Idaho salaries for popular occupations (BLS wage data, 30%-of-income rule).

Occupation ID Salary Rent Burden Verdict
Software Developers $107,900 9.9% Affordable
Registered Nurses $86,100 12.4% Affordable
General & Operations Managers $76,480 13.9% Affordable
Police & Sheriff's Patrol Officers $66,150 16.1% Affordable
Accountants & Auditors $64,840 16.4% Affordable
Electricians $60,670 17.6% Affordable
Elementary School Teachers $59,620 17.9% Affordable
Paralegals & Legal Assistants $54,020 19.7% Affordable
Heavy & Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers $53,260 20% Affordable
Pharmacy Technicians $45,210 23.6% Affordable
Customer Service Representatives $39,420 27% Affordable
Janitors & Cleaners $35,360 30.1% Stretched
Retail Salespersons $33,400 31.9% Stretched
Teaching Assistants $29,840 35.7% Stretched
Fast Food & Counter Workers $28,450 37.5% Stretched
Salaries: BLS OES (Idaho) median · 30% = affordable threshold · Try the salary calculator →

Rent Trends (2020–2026)

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

Over the 6-year span HUD has tracked for Lincoln (FY 2020-2026), the 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent has risen 43.5% overall, from $619 to $888. Most of that movement was gradual except for a single sharp jump of +16.1% in FY 2025, well above this county's typical year-to-year change.

$600$700$800$900$1,000 FY2020FY2021FY2022FY2023FY2024FY2025FY2026 $888
Lincoln County 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent, FY2020–FY2026
Year Studio 1 BR 2 BR
FY 2026 ↑5.3% $848 $888 $973
FY 2025 ↑16.1% $719 $843 $933
FY 2024 ↑9.5% $665 $726 $905
FY 2023 ↑4.9% $629 $663 $826
FY 2022 ↓0.3% $628 $632 $825
FY 2021 ↑2.4% $629 $634 $835
FY 2020 $601 $619 $815
Total change (6yr): +43.5%
Annualized: +6.2%/yr
1 BR: $619 → $888

Part of the Hailey, ID Micro Area

Lincoln County is a outlying county of the Hailey, ID micropolitan statistical area, alongside 2 other micro-area counties.

Lincoln County ranks #2 of 3 counties in this metro area by 1-bedroom FMR. Every county sharing this metro, highest to lowest: Blaine County ($1,219), Lincoln County (this county) ($888), Camas County ($851).

Blaine County
1 BR: $1,219/mo
Lincoln County (this county)
1 BR: $888/mo
Camas County
1 BR: $851/mo

Nationwide peers by 2BR FMR & rent burden

Two PlainRent-derived comparison paths for Lincoln County, both outside Idaho 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 ID (FY2026).

Mahoning County
OH · 2 BR $973/mo
Trumbull County
OH · 2 BR $973/mo
Richland County
OH · 2 BR $973/mo
Columbiana County
OH · 2 BR $973/mo

Similar rent burden

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

Hendricks County
IN · 17.7% of income · 2 BR $1,473/mo
Webster County
KY · 17.7% of income · 2 BR $866/mo
Webster County
NE · 17.7% of income · 2 BR $961/mo
Pipestone County
MN · 17.7% of income · 2 BR $973/mo

Nearby Counties in Idaho

Largest counties by population in Idaho

Showing the 8 largest of 43 other counties in Idaho.

Ada County
1 BR: $1,381/mo Pop: 497,494
Canyon County
1 BR: $1,381/mo Pop: 235,006
Kootenai County
1 BR: $1,302/mo Pop: 173,396
Bonneville County
1 BR: $1,095/mo Pop: 124,490
Twin Falls County
1 BR: $979/mo Pop: 90,592
Bannock County
1 BR: $894/mo Pop: 87,434
Madison County
1 BR: $1,008/mo Pop: 52,487
Bingham County
1 BR: $742/mo Pop: 48,253
View all counties in Idaho →

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the average rent in Lincoln County? ▼
The FY 2026 Fair Market Rent for a 1-bedroom in Lincoln County is $888 per month. A 2-bedroom is $973 and a studio is $848.
How does Lincoln County rent compare to the national average? ▼
Rent in Lincoln County is 7% below the national average. A 1-bedroom here costs $888 compared to $959 nationally.
Where does Lincoln County rank nationally for Fair Market Rent? ▼
According to HUD's FY 2026 Fair Market Rent schedule, Lincoln County's 2-bedroom FMR of $973 ranks #976 most affordable among 3,145 HUD counties, placing it in the middle half of HUD counties.
What income do I need to afford rent in Lincoln County? ▼
Based on the 30% affordability rule, you need an annual income of at least $35,520 ($2,960/month) to afford a 1-bedroom at Fair Market Rent in Lincoln County.
Is rent going up or down in Lincoln County? ▼
The 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent in Lincoln County increased by 5.3% from FY 2025 to FY 2026, going from $843 to $888.
Which jobs can afford rent in Lincoln County? ▼
Based on Idaho BLS salary data and the 30% affordability rule, jobs like Software Developers, Registered Nurses, General and Operations Managers can afford a 1-bedroom at $888/mo. 11 of 15 common occupations are affordable here.
How much has rent changed in Lincoln County over time? ▼
The 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent in Lincoln County went from $619 in FY 2020 to $888 in FY 2026, a total change of +43.5% over 6 years.
How does Fair Market Rent affect Section 8 vouchers in Lincoln County? ▼
In Lincoln County, the FY 2026 FMR of $888/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 Lincoln County? ▼
For Lincoln County, it's the specific 40th-percentile rent HUD publishes each year ($888/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.