County FMR · HUD FY2026

Pawnee County Fair Market Rent

HUD's FY2026 Fair Market Rent for Pawnee County, KS - 30% below the US average.

$668
1-bedroom FMR
$877
2-bedroom FMR
+0.5%
YoY change
-30%
vs US avg

The verdict

Pawnee is the 46th cheapest of 105 counties in Kansas by 2-bedroom FMR; nationally it ranks #221 most affordable of 3,145 HUD counties.

#221
most affordable of 3,145 US counties (2BR)
#46
cheapest of 105 in Kansas (2BR)
-11%
vs the state average
$26,720
income to afford it (30% rule)

Software Developers spend the smallest share of income on rent here (7.5%), while Fast Food and Counter Workers spend the most (29.7%); 15 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 Pawnee County, KS. Verify with HUD →

Pawnee County, Kansas carries an FY 2026 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent of $668 per month, the federal benchmark HUD publishes for this county. A 2-bedroom costs $877/mo and a studio is $643/mo. That's 30% below the national benchmark of $959 and 11% below the Kansas average of $753.

Rent increased0.5% from FY 2025 ($665), roughly tracking inflation. The 30% affordability floor is comparatively reachable here at $26,720/year.

Observed renter burden: 36.6% of the 866 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 Kansas. Population: 6,288. Population declined 7.3% 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 Kansas's statewide growth of +1.0% over the same period.

FMR filing desk

Area PAWNEE·COUNTY·KS·KS

Pawnee County, KS: $668/mo 1BR · #221 of 3145 counties (2BR) · FY2026

  • FMR-AREA KS
  • 1BR-FMR $668
  • 2BR-FMR $877
  • RANK-LOW #221
  • YOY-FLAT +0.5%
  • VSUS-LOW -30%
  • VS-ST-LOW -11% KS
  • INC-ROOM 13%
  • POP-SMALL 6K
  • PHOTO-NEAR Johnson County
  • VOUCH-90-110 $601–$735
  • FY-2026 FY2026

Photo-finish peer: Johnson ($529 1BR gap)

Read with: Section 8 housing guide

Fair Market Rents (2026)

Studio
State avg: $702 · US avg: $893
$643/mo
↑ 2.9% YoY -8% vs state -28% vs US
1 Bedroom
State avg: $753 · US avg: $959
$668/mo
↑ 0.5% YoY -11% vs state -30% vs US
2 Bedroom
State avg: $947 · US avg: $1,175
$877/mo
↑ 0.6% YoY -7% vs state -25% vs US
3 Bedroom
State avg: $1,223 · US avg: $1,525
$1,183/mo
↓ 2.1% YoY -3% vs state -22% vs US
4 Bedroom
State avg: $1,397 · US avg: $1,756
$1,276/mo
↑ 2.0% YoY -9% vs state -27% vs US

Year-over-Year Comparison

Bedrooms FY 2025 FY 2026 Change
Studio $625
$643
+$18 (+2.9%)
1 Bedroom $665
$668
+$3 (+0.5%)
2 Bedroom $872
$877
+$5 (+0.6%)
3 Bedroom $1,208
$1,183
$-25 (-2.1%)
4 Bedroom $1,251
$1,276
+$25 (+2.0%)

Rent Burden Analysis

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

Studio
12.1%
Affordable
Need $25,720/yr for 30% rule
1 Bedroom
12.6%
Affordable
Need $26,720/yr for 30% rule
2 Bedroom
16.5%
Affordable
Need $35,080/yr for 30% rule
3 Bedroom
22.3%
Affordable
Need $47,320/yr for 30% rule
4 Bedroom
24.1%
Affordable
Need $51,040/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%16.5%
Pawnee County 2-bedroom rent burden
County median income: $63,625 · National avg burden: 21.7% ·View Kansas rent burden →

Where Pawnee sits among every US county

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

$877 higher than 7% 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 Pawnee compares on 1-bedroom rent

1-bedroom FMR vs other Kansas counties

1BR FMR / mo

What this shows Pawnee is highlighted. Nearby Kansas counties by 1-bedroom FMR, highest to lowest: Johnson County ($1,197), Wyandotte County ($1,197), Leavenworth County ($1,197), Douglas County ($1,006), Sedgwick County ($849), Shawnee County ($820), Pawnee County (this county) ($668).

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 $668/mo, most of these Kansas occupations clear, or miss, the 30% affordability line.

Occupation KS Salary Rent Burden Verdict
Software Developers $106,660 7.5% Affordable
General & Operations Managers $85,600 9.4% Affordable
Registered Nurses $78,060 10.3% Affordable
Accountants & Auditors $76,400 10.5% Affordable
Electricians $61,830 13% Affordable
Heavy & Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers $56,940 14.1% Affordable
Police & Sheriff's Patrol Officers $56,610 14.2% Affordable
Elementary School Teachers $50,820 15.8% Affordable
Paralegals & Legal Assistants $48,910 16.4% Affordable
Pharmacy Technicians $39,210 20.4% Affordable
Customer Service Representatives $38,330 20.9% Affordable
Janitors & Cleaners $32,690 24.5% Affordable
Retail Salespersons $31,670 25.3% Affordable
Teaching Assistants $27,960 28.7% Affordable
Fast Food & Counter Workers $27,000 29.7% Affordable
Salaries: BLS OES (Kansas) median · 30% = affordable threshold · Try the salary calculator →

Rent Trends (2020–2026)

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

Over the 6-year span HUD has tracked for Pawnee (FY 2020-2026), the 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent has risen 6.5% overall, from $627 to $668. The increases have been fairly steady year to year, with no single jump exceeding 7.2% (FY 2023).

$620$640$660$680$700$720 FY2020FY2021FY2022FY2023FY2024FY2025FY2026 $668
Pawnee County 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent, FY2020–FY2026
Year Studio 1 BR 2 BR
FY 2026 ↑0.5% $643 $668 $877
FY 2025 ↓0.9% $625 $665 $872
FY 2024 ↓3.9% $633 $671 $882
FY 2023 ↑7.2% $584 $698 $788
FY 2022 ↑3.3% $566 $651 $742
FY 2021 ↑0.5% $543 $630 $718
FY 2020 $524 $627 $714
Total change (6yr): +6.5%
Annualized: +1.1%/yr
1 BR: $627 → $668

Where Pawnee County Ranks in Kansas

Pawnee 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 #46 of 105 counties in Kansas. Nearest by rank: Montgomery County ($877), Morris County ($877), Morton County ($877), Nemaha County ($877), Neosho County ($877), Ness County ($877), Norton County ($877), Osborne County ($877), Pawnee County (this county) ($877), Phillips County ($877), Pratt County ($877), Republic County ($877), Rice County ($877), Rooks County ($877), Rush County ($877), Russell County ($877), Scott County ($877).

Montgomery County
2 BR: $877/mo
Morris County
2 BR: $877/mo
Morton County
2 BR: $877/mo
Nemaha County
2 BR: $877/mo
Neosho County
2 BR: $877/mo
Ness County
2 BR: $877/mo
Norton County
2 BR: $877/mo
Osborne County
2 BR: $877/mo
Pawnee County (this county)
2 BR: $877/mo
Phillips County
2 BR: $877/mo
Pratt County
2 BR: $877/mo
Republic County
2 BR: $877/mo
Rice County
2 BR: $877/mo
Rooks County
2 BR: $877/mo
Rush County
2 BR: $877/mo
Russell County
2 BR: $877/mo
Scott County
2 BR: $877/mo

Nationwide peers by 2BR FMR & rent burden

Two PlainRent-derived comparison paths for Pawnee County, both outside Kansas 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 KS (FY2026).

Panola County
MS · 2 BR $878/mo
Henry County
AL · 2 BR $878/mo
Cullman County
AL · 2 BR $879/mo
White County
AR · 2 BR $880/mo

Similar rent burden

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

Watonwan County
MN · 16.5% of income · 2 BR $973/mo
West Baton Rouge Parish
LA · 16.5% of income · 2 BR $1,204/mo
New Kent County
VA · 16.5% of income · 2 BR $1,655/mo
Bailey County
TX · 16.5% of income · 2 BR $973/mo

Nearby Counties in Kansas

Largest counties by population in Kansas

Showing the 8 largest of 104 other counties in Kansas.

Johnson County
1 BR: $1,197/mo Pop: 610,742
Sedgwick County
1 BR: $849/mo Pop: 522,700
Shawnee County
1 BR: $820/mo Pop: 178,625
Wyandotte County
1 BR: $1,197/mo Pop: 167,989
Douglas County
1 BR: $1,006/mo Pop: 119,094
Leavenworth County
1 BR: $1,197/mo Pop: 82,050
Riley County
1 BR: $875/mo Pop: 72,105
Butler County
1 BR: $849/mo Pop: 67,618
View all counties in Kansas →

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the average rent in Pawnee County? ▼
The FY 2026 Fair Market Rent for a 1-bedroom in Pawnee County is $668 per month. A 2-bedroom is $877 and a studio is $643.
How does Pawnee County rent compare to the national average? ▼
Rent in Pawnee County is 30% below the national average. A 1-bedroom here costs $668 compared to $959 nationally.
Where does Pawnee County rank nationally for Fair Market Rent? ▼
According to HUD's FY 2026 Fair Market Rent schedule, Pawnee County's 2-bedroom FMR of $877 ranks #221 most affordable among 3,145 HUD counties, placing it in the lowest-rent tenth of HUD counties.
What income do I need to afford rent in Pawnee County? ▼
Based on the 30% affordability rule, you need an annual income of at least $26,720 ($2,227/month) to afford a 1-bedroom at Fair Market Rent in Pawnee County.
Is rent going up or down in Pawnee County? ▼
The 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent in Pawnee County increased by 0.5% from FY 2025 to FY 2026, going from $665 to $668.
Which jobs can afford rent in Pawnee County? ▼
Based on Kansas BLS salary data and the 30% affordability rule, jobs like Software Developers, General and Operations Managers, Registered Nurses can afford a 1-bedroom at $668/mo. 15 of 15 common occupations are affordable here.
How much has rent changed in Pawnee County over time? ▼
The 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent in Pawnee County went from $627 in FY 2020 to $668 in FY 2026, a total change of +6.5% over 6 years.
How does Fair Market Rent affect Section 8 vouchers in Pawnee County? ▼
In Pawnee County, the FY 2026 FMR of $668/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 Pawnee County? ▼
For Pawnee County, it's the specific 40th-percentile rent HUD publishes each year ($668/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.