County FMR · HUD FY2026
Monroe County Fair Market Rent
HUD's FY2026 Fair Market Rent for Monroe County, OH - 23% below the US average.
- $742
- 1-bedroom FMR
- $973
- 2-bedroom FMR
- +10.1%
- YoY change
- -23%
- vs US avg
The verdict
Monroe is the 20th cheapest of 88 counties in Ohio by 2-bedroom FMR; nationally it ranks #976 most affordable of 3,145 HUD counties; rent here has climbed 10.1% since FY 2025, a sharp move relative to most counties.
- #976
- most affordable of 3,145 US counties (2BR)
- #20
- cheapest of 88 in Ohio (2BR)
- -15%
- vs the state average
- $29,680
- income to afford it (30% rule)
Software Developers spend the smallest share of income on rent here (8.3%), while Fast Food and Counter Workers spend the most (31.7%); 14 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 Monroe County, OH. Verify with HUD →
The Fair Market Rent for a 1-bedroom apartment in Monroe County, Ohio is $742 per month in FY 2026, according to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). A 2-bedroom costs $973/mo and a studio is $736/mo. This is 23% lower than the national average of $959 and 15% below the Ohio average of $873.
Rent increased10.1% from FY 2025 ($674), outpacing inflation. The 30% affordability floor is comparatively reachable here at $29,680/year.
FY 2026 HUD Fair Market Rents in Ohio. Population: 13,401. Population declined 5.6% over the past five years (Census ACS), a trend that can ease rental-market pressure over time even as FMR reflects recent rent levels. That's slower than Ohio's statewide growth of +1.2% over the same period.
FMR filing desk
Area MONROE·COUNTY·OH·OH
Monroe County, OH: $742/mo 1BR · #976 of 3145 counties (2BR) · FY2026
- FMR-AREA OH
- 1BR-FMR $742
- 2BR-FMR $973
- RANK-MID #976
- YOY-SURGE +10.1%
- VSUS-BELOW -23%
- VS-ST-LOW -15% OH
- INC-ROOM 15%
- POP-SMALL 13K
- PHOTO-NEAR Franklin County
- VOUCH-90-110 $668–$816
- FY-2026 FY2026
Photo-finish peer: Franklin ($452 1BR gap)
Read with: Section 8 housing guide
Fair Market Rents (2026)
Year-over-Year Comparison
| Bedrooms | FY 2025 | FY 2026 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Studio | $664 | $736 | +$72 (+10.8%) |
| 1 Bedroom | $674 | $742 | +$68 (+10.1%) |
| 2 Bedroom | $884 | $973 | +$89 (+10.1%) |
| 3 Bedroom | $1,168 | $1,283 | +$115 (+9.8%) |
| 4 Bedroom | $1,172 | $1,288 | +$116 (+9.9%) |
Rent Burden Analysis
How much of household income goes to rent in Monroe 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 Monroe sits among every US county
2-bedroom Fair Market Rent vs. all 3,145 HUD counties
$973 higher than 31% 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 Monroe compares on 1-bedroom rent
1-bedroom FMR vs other Ohio counties
- Franklin
Franklin County
$1,194 1BR FMR / mo
- Cuyahoga
Cuyahoga County
$1,058 1BR FMR / mo
- Hamilton
Hamilton County
$1,051 1BR FMR / mo
- Montgomery
Montgomery County
$1,009 1BR FMR / mo
- Summit
Summit County
$985 1BR FMR / mo
- Lucas
Lucas County
$820 1BR FMR / mo
- Monroe
Monroe County
$742 1BR FMR / mo
What this shows Monroe 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), Monroe County (this county) ($742).
Can Common Jobs Afford Rent Here?
With a below-average 1-bedroom at $742/mo, most of these Ohio occupations clear, or miss, the 30% affordability line.
| Occupation | OH Salary | Rent Burden | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|
| Software Developers | $107,690 | 8.3% | Affordable |
| General & Operations Managers | $94,990 | 9.4% | Affordable |
| Registered Nurses | $81,250 | 11% | Affordable |
| Accountants & Auditors | $77,640 | 11.5% | Affordable |
| Police & Sheriff's Patrol Officers | $77,050 | 11.6% | Affordable |
| Elementary School Teachers | $65,380 | 13.6% | Affordable |
| Electricians | $63,560 | 14% | Affordable |
| Paralegals & Legal Assistants | $58,870 | 15.1% | Affordable |
| Heavy & Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers | $58,080 | 15.3% | Affordable |
| Customer Service Representatives | $43,510 | 20.5% | Affordable |
| Pharmacy Technicians | $37,860 | 23.5% | Affordable |
| Teaching Assistants | $35,380 | 25.2% | Affordable |
| Janitors & Cleaners | $34,710 | 25.7% | Affordable |
| Retail Salespersons | $30,440 | 29.3% | Affordable |
| Fast Food & Counter Workers | $28,100 | 31.7% | Stretched |
Rent Trends (2020–2026)
7-year Fair Market Rent history for Monroe County. Shows how HUD rental rates have changed over time.
Over the 6-year span HUD has tracked for Monroe (FY 2020-2026), the 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent has risen 21.4% overall, from $611 to $742. The increases have been fairly steady year to year, with no single jump exceeding 10.1% (FY 2026).
| Year | Studio | 1 BR | 2 BR |
|---|---|---|---|
| FY 2026 ↑10.1% | $736 | $742 | $973 |
| FY 2025 ↑2.9% | $664 | $674 | $884 |
| FY 2024 ↑0.6% | $639 | $655 | $860 |
| FY 2023 ↑0.5% | $587 | $651 | $794 |
| FY 2022 ↑0.6% | $547 | $648 | $738 |
| FY 2021 ↑5.4% | $548 | $644 | $734 |
| FY 2020 | $517 | $611 | $696 |
Where Monroe County Ranks in Ohio
Monroe 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 #20 of 88 counties in Ohio. Nearest by rank: Hocking County ($973), Holmes County ($973), Huron County ($973), Jackson County ($973), Jefferson County ($973), Lawrence County ($973), Mahoning County ($973), Meigs County ($973), Monroe County (this county) ($973), Morgan County ($973), Muskingum County ($973), Paulding County ($973), Perry County ($973), Preble County ($973), Richland County ($973), Sandusky County ($973), Scioto County ($973).
Nationwide peers by 2BR FMR & rent burden
Two PlainRent-derived comparison paths for Monroe 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).
Similar rent burden
Nearest 2BR FMR as a share of median household income (outside OH).
Nearby Counties in Ohio
Largest counties by population in Ohio
Showing the 8 largest of 87 other counties in Ohio.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the average rent in Monroe County? ▼
How does Monroe County rent compare to the national average? ▼
Where does Monroe County rank nationally for Fair Market Rent? ▼
What income do I need to afford rent in Monroe County? ▼
Is rent going up or down in Monroe County? ▼
Which jobs can afford rent in Monroe County? ▼
How much has rent changed in Monroe County over time? ▼
How does Fair Market Rent affect Section 8 vouchers in Monroe County? ▼
What does Fair Market Rent mean for Monroe County? ▼
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.
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.