County FMR · HUD FY2026
Marion County Fair Market Rent
HUD's FY2026 Fair Market Rent for Marion County, AR - 28% below the US average.
- $692
- 1-bedroom FMR
- $908
- 2-bedroom FMR
- +2.1%
- YoY change
- -28%
- vs US avg
The verdict
Marion is the 28th most expensive of 75 counties in Arkansas by 2-bedroom FMR; nationally it ranks #441 most affordable of 3,145 HUD counties.
- #441
- most affordable of 3,145 US counties (2BR)
- #28
- most expensive of 75 in Arkansas (2BR)
- -8%
- vs the state average
- $27,680
- income to afford it (30% rule)
Software Developers spend the smallest share of income on rent here (8.6%), while Fast Food and Counter Workers spend the most (31.1%); 14 of 15 common occupations here can afford a 1-bedroom at Fair Market Rent without exceeding the 30% threshold; nearby Arkansas counties range as much as 56% apart in 1-bedroom FMR, so the county line itself can matter for renters comparing options.
FY 2026 HUD Fair Market Rent for Marion County, AR. Verify with HUD →
Marion County, Arkansas carries an FY 2026 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent of $692 per month, the federal benchmark HUD publishes for this county. A 2-bedroom costs $908/mo and a studio is $650/mo. That's 28% below the national benchmark of $959 and 8% below the Arkansas average of $751.
Rent increased2.1% from FY 2025 ($678), outpacing inflation. The 30% affordability floor is comparatively reachable here at $27,680/year.
Observed renter burden: 23.7% of the 1,206 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 10.2%, a loose rental market that typically gives renters more negotiating leverage than the FMR schedule alone implies.
Local labor market: The county's BLS unemployment rate has averaged 6.2% over the past 12 months, well above the national norm, a headwind for household budgets that can also soften local rent growth.
FY 2026 HUD Fair Market Rents in Arkansas. Population: 16,905. Population has held roughly steady over the past five years (+3.9%, Census ACS). That's faster than Arkansas's statewide growth of +1.4% over the same period.
FMR filing desk
Area MARION·COUNTY·AR·AR
Marion County, AR: $692/mo 1BR · #441 of 3145 counties (2BR) · FY2026
- FMR-AREA AR
- 1BR-FMR $692
- 2BR-FMR $908
- RANK-MID #441
- YOY-UP +2.1%
- VSUS-LOW -28%
- VS-ST-NEAR -8% AR
- INC-ROOM 18%
- POP-SMALL 17K
- PHOTO-NEAR Pulaski County
- VOUCH-90-110 $623–$761
- FY-2026 FY2026
Photo-finish peer: Pulaski ($297 1BR gap)
Read with: Section 8 housing guide
Fair Market Rents (2026)
Year-over-Year Comparison
| Bedrooms | FY 2025 | FY 2026 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Studio | $657 | $650 | $-7 (-1.1%) |
| 1 Bedroom | $678 | $692 | +$14 (+2.1%) |
| 2 Bedroom | $889 | $908 | +$19 (+2.1%) |
| 3 Bedroom | $1,102 | $1,132 | +$30 (+2.7%) |
| 4 Bedroom | $1,251 | $1,280 | +$29 (+2.3%) |
Rent Burden Analysis
How much of household income goes to rent in Marion 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 Marion sits among every US county
2-bedroom Fair Market Rent vs. all 3,145 HUD counties
$908 higher than 14% 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 Marion compares on 1-bedroom rent
1-bedroom FMR vs other Arkansas counties
- Benton
Benton County
$1,115 1BR FMR / mo
- Washington
Washington County
$1,115 1BR FMR / mo
- Pulaski
Pulaski County
$989 1BR FMR / mo
- Faulkner
Faulkner County
$989 1BR FMR / mo
- Saline
Saline County
$989 1BR FMR / mo
- Sebastian
Sebastian County
$714 1BR FMR / mo
- Marion
Marion County
$692 1BR FMR / mo
What this shows Marion is highlighted. Nearby Arkansas counties by 1-bedroom FMR, highest to lowest: Benton County ($1,115), Washington County ($1,115), Pulaski County ($989), Faulkner County ($989), Saline County ($989), Sebastian County ($714), Marion County (this county) ($692).
Can Common Jobs Afford Rent Here?
With a below-average 1-bedroom at $692/mo, most of these Arkansas occupations clear, or miss, the 30% affordability line.
| Occupation | AR Salary | Rent Burden | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|
| Software Developers | $96,820 | 8.6% | Affordable |
| Registered Nurses | $77,130 | 10.8% | Affordable |
| General & Operations Managers | $64,260 | 12.9% | Affordable |
| Accountants & Auditors | $64,180 | 12.9% | Affordable |
| Elementary School Teachers | $50,550 | 16.4% | Affordable |
| Electricians | $49,420 | 16.8% | Affordable |
| Heavy & Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers | $49,520 | 16.8% | Affordable |
| Police & Sheriff's Patrol Officers | $48,090 | 17.3% | Affordable |
| Paralegals & Legal Assistants | $46,940 | 17.7% | Affordable |
| Customer Service Representatives | $37,490 | 22.1% | Affordable |
| Pharmacy Technicians | $37,380 | 22.2% | Affordable |
| Janitors & Cleaners | $29,540 | 28.1% | Affordable |
| Retail Salespersons | $29,420 | 28.2% | Affordable |
| Teaching Assistants | $29,270 | 28.4% | Affordable |
| Fast Food & Counter Workers | $26,740 | 31.1% | Stretched |
Rent Trends (2020–2026)
7-year Fair Market Rent history for Marion County. Shows how HUD rental rates have changed over time.
Over the 6-year span HUD has tracked for Marion (FY 2020-2026), the 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent has risen 37.6% overall, from $503 to $692. Most of that movement was gradual except for a single sharp jump of +17.0% in FY 2024, well above this county's typical year-to-year change.
| Year | Studio | 1 BR | 2 BR |
|---|---|---|---|
| FY 2026 ↑2.1% | $650 | $692 | $908 |
| FY 2025 ↑4.6% | $657 | $678 | $889 |
| FY 2024 ↑17.0% | $630 | $648 | $852 |
| FY 2023 ↑11.9% | $546 | $554 | $729 |
| FY 2022 ↓2.0% | $482 | $495 | $651 |
| FY 2021 ↑0.4% | $431 | $505 | $654 |
| FY 2020 | $422 | $503 | $630 |
Where Marion County Ranks in Arkansas
Marion 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 #48 of 75 counties in Arkansas. Nearest by rank: Yell County ($880), Howard County ($883), Johnson County ($884), Independence County ($891), Polk County ($897), Columbia County ($903), Greene County ($905), Hempstead County ($908), Marion County (this county) ($908), Stone County ($909), Nevada County ($911), Arkansas County ($922), St. Francis County ($923), Union County ($923), Drew County ($927), Crawford County ($937), Jefferson County ($937).
Nationwide peers by 2BR FMR & rent burden
Two PlainRent-derived comparison paths for Marion County, both outside Arkansas 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 AR (FY2026).
Similar rent burden
Nearest 2BR FMR as a share of median household income (outside AR).
Nearby Counties in Arkansas
Largest counties by population in Arkansas
Showing the 8 largest of 74 other counties in Arkansas.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the average rent in Marion County?
The FY 2026 Fair Market Rent for a 1-bedroom in Marion County is $692 per month. A 2-bedroom is $908 and a studio is $650.
How does Marion County rent compare to the national average?
Rent in Marion County is 28% below the national average. A 1-bedroom here costs $692 compared to $959 nationally.
Where does Marion County rank nationally for Fair Market Rent?
According to HUD's FY 2026 Fair Market Rent schedule, Marion County's 2-bedroom FMR of $908 ranks #441 most affordable among 3,145 HUD counties, placing it in the lower-rent quarter of HUD counties.
What income do I need to afford rent in Marion County?
Based on the 30% affordability rule, you need an annual income of at least $27,680 ($2,307/month) to afford a 1-bedroom at Fair Market Rent in Marion County.
Is rent going up or down in Marion County?
The 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent in Marion County increased by 2.1% from FY 2025 to FY 2026, going from $678 to $692.
Which jobs can afford rent in Marion County?
Based on Arkansas BLS salary data and the 30% affordability rule, jobs like Software Developers, Registered Nurses, General and Operations Managers can afford a 1-bedroom at $692/mo. 14 of 15 common occupations are affordable here.
How much has rent changed in Marion County over time?
The 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent in Marion County went from $503 in FY 2020 to $692 in FY 2026, a total change of +37.6% over 6 years.
How does Fair Market Rent affect Section 8 vouchers in Marion County?
In Marion County, the FY 2026 FMR of $692/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 Marion County?
For Marion County, it's the specific 40th-percentile rent HUD publishes each year ($692/mo for a 1-bedroom in FY 2026).
Is the rental market tight or loose in Marion County?
The ACS rental vacancy rate here is 10.2%, a loose rental market that typically gives renters more negotiating leverage than the FMR schedule alone implies.
What is the unemployment rate in Marion County?
The county's BLS unemployment rate has averaged 6.2% over the past 12 months, well above the national norm, a headwind for household budgets that can also soften local rent growth.
Data sources
What this means for renters
Treat Marion'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 $692 implies about $27,680/yr to rent without being cost-burdened. Run your numbers
- Arkansas counties vary widely around this figure - compare specific counties before assuming this applies to yours. Compare vs Pulaski
- See where Marion 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.