County FMR · HUD FY2026

Marion County Fair Market Rent

HUD's FY2026 Fair Market Rent for Marion County, OH - 15% below the US average.

$811
1-bedroom FMR
$1,064
2-bedroom FMR
+9.4%
YoY change
-15%
vs US avg

The verdict

Marion is the 35th most expensive of 88 counties in Ohio by 2-bedroom FMR; nationally it ranks #1,415 most expensive of 3,145 HUD counties; rent here has climbed 9.4% since FY 2025, a modest shift relative to most counties.

#1,415
most expensive of 3,145 US counties (2BR)
#35
most expensive of 88 in Ohio (2BR)
-7%
vs the state average
$32,440
income to afford it (30% rule)

Software Developers spend the smallest share of income on rent here (9%), while Fast Food and Counter Workers spend the most (34.6%); 13 of 15 common occupations here can afford a 1-bedroom at Fair Market Rent without exceeding the 30% threshold.

FY 2026 HUD Fair Market Rent for Marion County, OH. Verify with HUD →

HUD sets the FY 2026 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent for Marion County, Ohio at $811 per month - the federal rental-assistance benchmark for this county. A 2-bedroom costs $1,064/mo and a studio is $806/mo. This is 15% lower than the national average of $959 and 7% below the Ohio average of $873.

Rent increased9.4% from FY 2025 ($741), outpacing inflation. The 30% affordability floor is comparatively reachable here at $32,440/year.

FY 2026 HUD Fair Market Rents in Ohio. Population: 65,366. Population has held roughly steady over the past five years (-0.3%, Census ACS). That's slower than Ohio's statewide growth of +1.2% over the same period.

FMR filing desk

Area MARION·COUNTY·OH·OH

Marion County, OH: $811/mo 1BR · #1415 of 3145 counties (2BR) · FY2026

  • FMR-AREA OH
  • 1BR-FMR $811
  • 2BR-FMR $1,064
  • RANK-MID #1,415
  • YOY-SURGE +9.4%
  • VSUS-BELOW -15%
  • VS-ST-NEAR -7% OH
  • INC-ROOM 17%
  • POP-MID 65K
  • PHOTO-NEAR Franklin County
  • VOUCH-90-110 $730–$892
  • FY-2026 FY2026

Photo-finish peer: Franklin ($383 1BR gap)

Read with: Section 8 housing guide

Fair Market Rents (2026)

Studio
State avg: $816 · US avg: $893
$806/mo
↑ 9.5% YoY -1% vs state -10% vs US
1 Bedroom
State avg: $873 · US avg: $959
$811/mo
↑ 9.4% YoY -7% vs state -15% vs US
2 Bedroom
State avg: $1,092 · US avg: $1,175
$1,064/mo
↑ 9.5% YoY -3% vs state -9% vs US
3 Bedroom
State avg: $1,388 · US avg: $1,525
$1,276/mo
↑ 9.0% YoY -8% vs state -16% vs US
4 Bedroom
State avg: $1,550 · US avg: $1,756
$1,409/mo
↑ 9.3% YoY -9% vs state -20% vs US

Year-over-Year Comparison

Bedrooms FY 2025 FY 2026 Change
Studio $736
$806
+$70 (+9.5%)
1 Bedroom $741
$811
+$70 (+9.4%)
2 Bedroom $972
$1,064
+$92 (+9.5%)
3 Bedroom $1,171
$1,276
+$105 (+9.0%)
4 Bedroom $1,289
$1,409
+$120 (+9.3%)

Rent Burden Analysis

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

Studio
16.9%
Affordable
Need $32,240/yr for 30% rule
1 Bedroom
17%
Affordable
Need $32,440/yr for 30% rule
2 Bedroom
22.3%
Affordable
Need $42,560/yr for 30% rule
3 Bedroom
26.7%
Affordable
Need $51,040/yr for 30% rule
4 Bedroom
29.5%
Affordable
Need $56,360/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%
Marion County 2-bedroom rent burden
County median income: $57,306 · National avg burden: 21.7% ·View Ohio rent burden →

Where Marion sits among every US county

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

$1,064 higher than 55% 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%). This entry sits in this band. $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 Marion compares on 1-bedroom rent

1-bedroom FMR vs other Ohio counties

1BR FMR / mo

What this shows Marion is highlighted. Nearby Ohio counties by 1-bedroom FMR, highest to lowest: Franklin County ($1,194), Cuyahoga County ($1,058), Hamilton County ($1,051), Montgomery County ($1,009), Summit County ($985), Lucas County ($820), Marion County (this county) ($811).

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

Can Common Jobs Afford Rent Here?

With a below-average 1-bedroom at $811/mo, most of these Ohio occupations clear, or miss, the 30% affordability line.

Occupation OH Salary Rent Burden Verdict
Software Developers $107,690 9% Affordable
General & Operations Managers $94,990 10.2% Affordable
Registered Nurses $81,250 12% Affordable
Accountants & Auditors $77,640 12.5% Affordable
Police & Sheriff's Patrol Officers $77,050 12.6% Affordable
Elementary School Teachers $65,380 14.9% Affordable
Electricians $63,560 15.3% Affordable
Paralegals & Legal Assistants $58,870 16.5% Affordable
Heavy & Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers $58,080 16.8% Affordable
Customer Service Representatives $43,510 22.4% Affordable
Pharmacy Technicians $37,860 25.7% Affordable
Teaching Assistants $35,380 27.5% Affordable
Janitors & Cleaners $34,710 28% Affordable
Retail Salespersons $30,440 32% Stretched
Fast Food & Counter Workers $28,100 34.6% Stretched
Salaries: BLS OES (Ohio) median · 30% = affordable threshold · Try the salary calculator →

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 39.3% overall, from $582 to $811. The increases have been fairly steady year to year, with no single jump exceeding 9.4% (FY 2026).

$500$600$700$800$900 FY2020FY2021FY2022FY2023FY2024FY2025FY2026 $811
Marion County 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent, FY2020–FY2026
Year Studio 1 BR 2 BR
FY 2026 ↑9.4% $806 $811 $1,064
FY 2025 ↑1.8% $736 $741 $972
FY 2024 ↑7.9% $723 $728 $956
FY 2023 ↑7.3% $657 $675 $889
FY 2022 ↑1.6% $624 $629 $827
FY 2021 ↑6.4% $604 $619 $816
FY 2020 $524 $582 $767
Total change (6yr): +39.3%
Annualized: +5.7%/yr
1 BR: $582 → $811

Part of the Marion, OH Micro Area

Marion County is a central county of the Marion, OH micropolitan statistical area.

Nationwide peers by 2BR FMR & rent burden

Two PlainRent-derived comparison paths for Marion County, both outside Ohio 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 OH (FY2026).

Adams County
IL · 2 BR $1,064/mo
Val Verde County
TX · 2 BR $1,064/mo
Macon County
IL · 2 BR $1,063/mo
Des Moines County
IA · 2 BR $1,063/mo

Similar rent burden

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

Newton County
AR · 22.3% of income · 2 BR $880/mo
Bowie County
TX · 22.3% of income · 2 BR $1,101/mo
Monroe County
PA · 22.3% of income · 2 BR $1,529/mo
Halifax County
VA · 22.3% of income · 2 BR $914/mo

Nearby Counties in Ohio

Largest counties by population in Ohio

Showing the 8 largest of 87 other counties in Ohio.

Franklin County
1 BR: $1,194/mo Pop: 1,318,149
Cuyahoga County
1 BR: $1,058/mo Pop: 1,256,620
Hamilton County
1 BR: $1,051/mo Pop: 827,671
Summit County
1 BR: $985/mo Pop: 539,361
Montgomery County
1 BR: $1,009/mo Pop: 536,121
Lucas County
1 BR: $820/mo Pop: 430,014
Butler County
1 BR: $1,051/mo Pop: 388,327
Stark County
1 BR: $846/mo Pop: 374,199
View all counties in Ohio →

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 $811 per month. A 2-bedroom is $1,064 and a studio is $806.
How does Marion County rent compare to the national average? ▼
Rent in Marion County is 15% below the national average. A 1-bedroom here costs $811 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 $1,064 ranks #1,415 most expensive among 3,145 HUD counties, placing it in the middle half 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 $32,440 ($2,703/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 9.4% from FY 2025 to FY 2026, going from $741 to $811.
Which jobs can afford rent in Marion County? ▼
Based on Ohio BLS salary data and the 30% affordability rule, jobs like Software Developers, General and Operations Managers, Registered Nurses can afford a 1-bedroom at $811/mo. 13 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 $582 in FY 2020 to $811 in FY 2026, a total change of +39.3% over 6 years.
How does Fair Market Rent affect Section 8 vouchers in Marion County? ▼
In Marion County, the FY 2026 FMR of $811/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 ($811/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.