County FMR · HUD FY2026
Parke County Fair Market Rent
HUD's FY2026 Fair Market Rent for Parke County, IN - 23% below the US average.
- $735
- 1-bedroom FMR
- $964
- 2-bedroom FMR
- -2.8%
- YoY change
- -23%
- vs US avg
The verdict
Parke is the 34th cheapest of 92 counties in Indiana by 2-bedroom FMR; nationally it ranks #976 most affordable of 3,145 HUD counties.
- #976
- most affordable of 3,145 US counties (2BR)
- #34
- cheapest of 92 in Indiana (2BR)
- -17%
- vs the state average
- $29,400
- income to afford it (30% rule)
General and Operations Managers spend the smallest share of income on rent here (8.1%), while Fast Food and Counter Workers spend the most (31.2%); 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 Parke County, IN. Verify with HUD →
Parke County, Indiana carries an FY 2026 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent of $735 per month, the federal benchmark HUD publishes for this county. A 2-bedroom costs $964/mo and a studio is $691/mo. That's 23% below the national benchmark of $959 and 17% below the Indiana average of $882.
Rent decreased2.8% from FY 2025 ($756), declining against the trend. The 30% affordability floor is comparatively reachable here at $29,400/year.
FY 2026 HUD Fair Market Rents in Indiana. Population: 16,327. Population has held roughly steady over the past five years (-3.8%, Census ACS). That's slower than Indiana's statewide growth of +2.6% over the same period.
FMR filing desk
Area PARKE·COUNTY·IN·IN
Parke County, IN: $735/mo 1BR · #976 of 3145 counties (2BR) · FY2026
- FMR-AREA IN
- 1BR-FMR $735
- 2BR-FMR $964
- RANK-MID #976
- YOY-DOWN -2.8%
- VSUS-BELOW -23%
- VS-ST-LOW -17% IN
- INC-ROOM 13%
- POP-SMALL 16K
- PHOTO-NEAR Marion County
- VOUCH-90-110 $662–$809
- FY-2026 FY2026
Photo-finish peer: Marion ($532 1BR gap)
Read with: Section 8 housing guide
Fair Market Rents (2026)
Year-over-Year Comparison
| Bedrooms | FY 2025 | FY 2026 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Studio | $751 | $691 | $-60 (-8.0%) |
| 1 Bedroom | $756 | $735 | $-21 (-2.8%) |
| 2 Bedroom | $992 | $964 | $-28 (-2.8%) |
| 3 Bedroom | $1,310 | $1,272 | $-38 (-2.9%) |
| 4 Bedroom | $1,315 | $1,276 | $-39 (-3.0%) |
Rent Burden Analysis
How much of household income goes to rent in Parke 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 Parke sits among every US county
2-bedroom Fair Market Rent vs. all 3,145 HUD counties
$964 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 Parke compares on 1-bedroom rent
1-bedroom FMR vs other Indiana counties
- Marion
Marion County
$1,267 1BR FMR / mo
- Hamilton
Hamilton County
$1,267 1BR FMR / mo
- St. Joseph
St. Joseph County
$1,105 1BR FMR / mo
- Lake
Lake County
$1,082 1BR FMR / mo
- Elkhart
Elkhart County
$992 1BR FMR / mo
- Allen
Allen County
$916 1BR FMR / mo
- Parke
Parke County
$735 1BR FMR / mo
What this shows Parke is highlighted. Nearby Indiana counties by 1-bedroom FMR, highest to lowest: Marion County ($1,267), Hamilton County ($1,267), St. Joseph County ($1,105), Lake County ($1,082), Elkhart County ($992), Allen County ($916), Parke County (this county) ($735).
Can Common Jobs Afford Rent Here?
With a below-average 1-bedroom at $735/mo, most of these Indiana occupations clear, or miss, the 30% affordability line.
| Occupation | IN Salary | Rent Burden | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|
| General & Operations Managers | $108,410 | 8.1% | Affordable |
| Software Developers | $103,570 | 8.5% | Affordable |
| Registered Nurses | $80,740 | 10.9% | Affordable |
| Accountants & Auditors | $77,410 | 11.4% | Affordable |
| Police & Sheriff's Patrol Officers | $71,540 | 12.3% | Affordable |
| Electricians | $65,480 | 13.5% | Affordable |
| Heavy & Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers | $60,090 | 14.7% | Affordable |
| Elementary School Teachers | $58,370 | 15.1% | Affordable |
| Paralegals & Legal Assistants | $50,690 | 17.4% | Affordable |
| Customer Service Representatives | $41,600 | 21.2% | Affordable |
| Pharmacy Technicians | $40,020 | 22% | Affordable |
| Janitors & Cleaners | $35,240 | 25% | Affordable |
| Teaching Assistants | $30,460 | 29% | Affordable |
| Retail Salespersons | $30,300 | 29.1% | Affordable |
| Fast Food & Counter Workers | $28,290 | 31.2% | Stretched |
Rent Trends (2020–2026)
7-year Fair Market Rent history for Parke County. Shows how HUD rental rates have changed over time.
Over the 6-year span HUD has tracked for Parke (FY 2020-2026), the 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent has risen 29.2% overall, from $569 to $735. Most of that movement was gradual except for a single sharp jump of +13.9% in FY 2024, well above this county's typical year-to-year change.
| Year | Studio | 1 BR | 2 BR |
|---|---|---|---|
| FY 2026 ↓2.8% | $691 | $735 | $964 |
| FY 2025 ↑0.5% | $751 | $756 | $992 |
| FY 2024 ↑13.9% | $745 | $752 | $988 |
| FY 2023 ↑13.2% | $641 | $660 | $869 |
| FY 2022 ↓0.9% | $552 | $583 | $767 |
| FY 2021 ↑3.3% | $542 | $588 | $775 |
| FY 2020 | $525 | $569 | $750 |
Where Parke County Ranks in Indiana
Parke 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 #34 of 92 counties in Indiana. Nearest by rank: Switzerland County ($956), Union County ($956), Wabash County ($956), Warren County ($956), Wayne County ($956), DeKalb County ($960), Jennings County ($961), Fulton County ($962), Parke County (this county) ($964), Montgomery County ($966), Noble County ($967), Jefferson County ($971), Carroll County ($973), LaGrange County ($977), Ripley County ($987), Washington County ($988), Wells County ($991).
Nationwide peers by 2BR FMR & rent burden
Two PlainRent-derived comparison paths for Parke County, both outside Indiana 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 IN (FY2026).
Similar rent burden
Nearest 2BR FMR as a share of median household income (outside IN).
Nearby Counties in Indiana
Largest counties by population in Indiana
Showing the 8 largest of 91 other counties in Indiana.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the average rent in Parke County? ▼
How does Parke County rent compare to the national average? ▼
Where does Parke County rank nationally for Fair Market Rent? ▼
What income do I need to afford rent in Parke County? ▼
Is rent going up or down in Parke County? ▼
Which jobs can afford rent in Parke County? ▼
How much has rent changed in Parke County over time? ▼
How does Fair Market Rent affect Section 8 vouchers in Parke County? ▼
What does Fair Market Rent mean for Parke 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.