County FMR · HUD FY2026
Perry County Fair Market Rent
HUD's FY2026 Fair Market Rent for Perry County, MO - 9% below the US average.
- $868
- 1-bedroom FMR
- $952
- 2-bedroom FMR
- +10.0%
- YoY change
- -9%
- vs US avg
The verdict
Perry is the 33rd most expensive of 116 counties in Missouri by 2-bedroom FMR; nationally it ranks #819 most affordable of 3,145 HUD counties; rent here has climbed 10.0% since FY 2025, a sharp move relative to most counties.
- #819
- most affordable of 3,145 US counties (2BR)
- #33
- most expensive of 116 in Missouri (2BR)
- +12%
- vs the state average
- $34,720
- income to afford it (30% rule)
Software Developers spend the smallest share of income on rent here (9.1%), while Teaching Assistants, Except Postsecondary spend the most (35.8%).
FY 2026 HUD Fair Market Rent for Perry County, MO. Verify with HUD →
HUD sets the FY 2026 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent for Perry County, Missouri at $868 per month - the federal rental-assistance benchmark for this county. A 2-bedroom costs $952/mo and a studio is $707/mo. This is 9% lower than the national average of $959 and 12% above the Missouri average of $777.
Rent increased10.0% from FY 2025 ($789), outpacing inflation. Under the 30% rule, affordability starts near $34,720/year for a 1-bedroom.
Observed renter burden: 46.1% of the 1,639 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 Missouri. Population: 18,970. Population has held roughly steady over the past five years (-1.0%, Census ACS). That's slower than Missouri's statewide growth of +1.3% over the same period.
FMR filing desk
Area PERRY·COUNTY·MO·MO
Perry County, MO: $868/mo 1BR · #819 of 3145 counties (2BR) · FY2026
- FMR-AREA MO
- 1BR-FMR $868
- 2BR-FMR $952
- RANK-MID #819
- YOY-SURGE +10.0%
- VSUS-BELOW -9%
- VS-ST-HIGH +12% MO
- INC-ROOM 16%
- POP-SMALL 19K
- PHOTO-NEAR St. Louis County
- VOUCH-90-110 $781–$955
- FY-2026 FY2026
Photo-finish peer: St. Louis ($127 1BR gap)
Read with: How Fair Market Rent works
Fair Market Rents (2026)
Year-over-Year Comparison
| Bedrooms | FY 2025 | FY 2026 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Studio | $656 | $707 | +$51 (+7.8%) |
| 1 Bedroom | $789 | $868 | +$79 (+10.0%) |
| 2 Bedroom | $879 | $952 | +$73 (+8.3%) |
| 3 Bedroom | $1,183 | $1,260 | +$77 (+6.5%) |
| 4 Bedroom | $1,254 | $1,265 | +$11 (+0.9%) |
Rent Burden Analysis
How much of household income goes to rent in Perry 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 Perry sits among every US county
2-bedroom Fair Market Rent vs. all 3,145 HUD counties
$952 higher than 26% 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 Perry compares on 1-bedroom rent
1-bedroom FMR vs other Missouri counties
- Jackson
Jackson County
$1,197 1BR FMR / mo
- Clay
Clay County
$1,197 1BR FMR / mo
- St. Louis
St. Louis County
$995 1BR FMR / mo
- St. Charles
St. Charles County
$995 1BR FMR / mo
- St. Louis city
St. Louis city
$995 1BR FMR / mo
- Greene
Greene County
$883 1BR FMR / mo
- Perry
Perry County
$868 1BR FMR / mo
What this shows Perry is highlighted. Nearby Missouri counties by 1-bedroom FMR, highest to lowest: Jackson County ($1,197), Clay County ($1,197), St. Louis County ($995), St. Charles County ($995), St. Louis city ($995), Greene County ($883), Perry County (this county) ($868).
Can Common Jobs Afford Rent Here?
How a 1-bedroom at $868/mo compares to Missouri salaries for popular occupations (BLS wage data, 30%-of-income rule).
| Occupation | MO Salary | Rent Burden | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|
| Software Developers | $114,550 | 9.1% | Affordable |
| Registered Nurses | $79,770 | 13.1% | Affordable |
| General & Operations Managers | $77,410 | 13.5% | Affordable |
| Accountants & Auditors | $73,210 | 14.2% | Affordable |
| Electricians | $70,950 | 14.7% | Affordable |
| Police & Sheriff's Patrol Officers | $60,720 | 17.2% | Affordable |
| Paralegals & Legal Assistants | $58,730 | 17.7% | Affordable |
| Heavy & Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers | $50,540 | 20.6% | Affordable |
| Elementary School Teachers | $48,250 | 21.6% | Affordable |
| Customer Service Representatives | $41,850 | 24.9% | Affordable |
| Pharmacy Technicians | $37,990 | 27.4% | Affordable |
| Janitors & Cleaners | $34,080 | 30.6% | Stretched |
| Retail Salespersons | $31,250 | 33.3% | Stretched |
| Fast Food & Counter Workers | $29,310 | 35.5% | Stretched |
| Teaching Assistants | $29,060 | 35.8% | Stretched |
Rent Trends (2020–2026)
7-year Fair Market Rent history for Perry County. Shows how HUD rental rates have changed over time.
Over the 6-year span HUD has tracked for Perry (FY 2020-2026), the 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent has risen 76.8% overall, from $491 to $868. Most of that movement was gradual except for a single sharp jump of +17.7% in FY 2023, well above this county's typical year-to-year change.
| Year | Studio | 1 BR | 2 BR |
|---|---|---|---|
| FY 2026 ↑10.0% | $707 | $868 | $952 |
| FY 2025 ↑10.8% | $656 | $789 | $879 |
| FY 2024 ↑11.4% | $636 | $712 | $844 |
| FY 2023 ↑17.7% | $578 | $639 | $785 |
| FY 2022 ↑5.8% | $510 | $543 | $714 |
| FY 2021 ↑4.5% | $466 | $513 | $676 |
| FY 2020 | $434 | $491 | $647 |
Where Perry County Ranks in Missouri
Perry 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 #84 of 116 counties in Missouri. Nearest by rank: Scott County ($930), Phelps County ($933), Madison County ($935), Macon County ($936), Camden County ($939), Jasper County ($947), Newton County ($947), Marion County ($952), Perry County (this county) ($952), Cooper County ($958), Johnson County ($965), Pettis County ($978), Bollinger County ($992), Cape Girardeau County ($992), Taney County ($1,029), Callaway County ($1,042), Howard County ($1,044).
Nationwide peers by 2BR FMR & rent burden
Two PlainRent-derived comparison paths for Perry County, both outside Missouri 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 MO (FY2026).
Similar rent burden
Nearest 2BR FMR as a share of median household income (outside MO).
Nearby Counties in Missouri
Largest counties by population in Missouri
Showing the 8 largest of 115 other counties in Missouri.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the average rent in Perry County? ▼
How does Perry County rent compare to the national average? ▼
Where does Perry County rank nationally for Fair Market Rent? ▼
What income do I need to afford rent in Perry County? ▼
Is rent going up or down in Perry County? ▼
Which jobs can afford rent in Perry County? ▼
How much has rent changed in Perry County over time? ▼
How does Fair Market Rent affect Section 8 vouchers in Perry County? ▼
What does Fair Market Rent mean for Perry 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.