County FMR · HUD FY2026

Pulaski County Fair Market Rent

HUD's FY2026 Fair Market Rent for Pulaski County, IN - 9% below the US average.

$872
1-bedroom FMR
$956
2-bedroom FMR
+4.1%
YoY change
-9%
vs US avg

The verdict

Pulaski is the 21st cheapest of 92 counties in Indiana by 2-bedroom FMR; nationally it ranks #850 most affordable of 3,145 HUD counties.

#850
most affordable of 3,145 US counties (2BR)
#21
cheapest of 92 in Indiana (2BR)
-1%
vs the state average
$34,880
income to afford it (30% rule)

General and Operations Managers spend the smallest share of income on rent here (9.7%), while Fast Food and Counter Workers spend the most (37%).

FY 2026 HUD Fair Market Rent for Pulaski County, IN. Verify with HUD →

Pulaski County, Indiana carries an FY 2026 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent of $872 per month, the federal benchmark HUD publishes for this county. A 2-bedroom costs $956/mo and a studio is $685/mo. That's 9% below the national benchmark of $959 and 1% below the Indiana average of $882.

Rent increased4.1% from FY 2025 ($838), outpacing inflation. Under the 30% rule, affordability starts near $34,880/year for a 1-bedroom.

FY 2026 HUD Fair Market Rents in Indiana. Population: 12,498. Population has held roughly steady over the past five years (-1.7%, Census ACS). That's slower than Indiana's statewide growth of +2.6% over the same period.

FMR filing desk

Area PULASKI·COUNTY·IN·IN

Pulaski County, IN: $872/mo 1BR · #850 of 3145 counties (2BR) · FY2026

  • FMR-AREA IN
  • 1BR-FMR $872
  • 2BR-FMR $956
  • RANK-MID #850
  • YOY-UP +4.1%
  • VSUS-BELOW -9%
  • VS-ST-NEAR -1% IN
  • INC-ROOM 17%
  • POP-SMALL 12K
  • PHOTO-NEAR Marion County
  • VOUCH-90-110 $785–$959
  • FY-2026 FY2026

Photo-finish peer: Marion ($395 1BR gap)

Read with: How Fair Market Rent works

Fair Market Rents (2026)

Studio
State avg: $816 · US avg: $893
$685/mo
↑ 5.1% YoY -16% vs state -23% vs US
1 Bedroom
State avg: $882 · US avg: $959
$872/mo
↑ 4.1% YoY -1% vs state -9% vs US
2 Bedroom
State avg: $1,096 · US avg: $1,175
$956/mo
↑ 3.0% YoY -13% vs state -19% vs US
3 Bedroom
State avg: $1,391 · US avg: $1,525
$1,330/mo
↑ 3.2% YoY -4% vs state -13% vs US
4 Bedroom
State avg: $1,590 · US avg: $1,756
$1,604/mo
↑ 3.0% YoY +1% vs state -9% vs US

Year-over-Year Comparison

Bedrooms FY 2025 FY 2026 Change
Studio $652
$685
+$33 (+5.1%)
1 Bedroom $838
$872
+$34 (+4.1%)
2 Bedroom $928
$956
+$28 (+3.0%)
3 Bedroom $1,289
$1,330
+$41 (+3.2%)
4 Bedroom $1,558
$1,604
+$46 (+3.0%)

Rent Burden Analysis

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

Studio
13.7%
Affordable
Need $27,400/yr for 30% rule
1 Bedroom
17.5%
Affordable
Need $34,880/yr for 30% rule
2 Bedroom
19.1%
Affordable
Need $38,240/yr for 30% rule
3 Bedroom
26.6%
Affordable
Need $53,200/yr for 30% rule
4 Bedroom
32.1%
Burdened
Need $64,160/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%19.1%
Pulaski County 2-bedroom rent burden
County median income: $59,956 · National avg burden: 21.7% ·View Indiana rent burden →

Where Pulaski sits among every US county

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

$956 higher than 27% 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 Pulaski compares on 1-bedroom rent

1-bedroom FMR vs other Indiana counties

1BR FMR / mo

What this shows Pulaski 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), Pulaski County (this county) ($872).

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

Can Common Jobs Afford Rent Here?

How a 1-bedroom at $872/mo compares to Indiana salaries for popular occupations (BLS wage data, 30%-of-income rule).

Occupation IN Salary Rent Burden Verdict
General & Operations Managers $108,410 9.7% Affordable
Software Developers $103,570 10.1% Affordable
Registered Nurses $80,740 13% Affordable
Accountants & Auditors $77,410 13.5% Affordable
Police & Sheriff's Patrol Officers $71,540 14.6% Affordable
Electricians $65,480 16% Affordable
Heavy & Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers $60,090 17.4% Affordable
Elementary School Teachers $58,370 17.9% Affordable
Paralegals & Legal Assistants $50,690 20.6% Affordable
Customer Service Representatives $41,600 25.2% Affordable
Pharmacy Technicians $40,020 26.1% Affordable
Janitors & Cleaners $35,240 29.7% Affordable
Teaching Assistants $30,460 34.4% Stretched
Retail Salespersons $30,300 34.5% Stretched
Fast Food & Counter Workers $28,290 37% Stretched
Salaries: BLS OES (Indiana) median · 30% = affordable threshold · Try the salary calculator →

Rent Trends (2020–2026)

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

Over the 6-year span HUD has tracked for Pulaski (FY 2020-2026), the 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent has risen 54.1% overall, from $566 to $872. Most of that movement was gradual except for a single sharp jump of +20.8% in FY 2023, well above this county's typical year-to-year change.

$500$600$700$800$900 FY2020FY2021FY2022FY2023FY2024FY2025FY2026 $872
Pulaski County 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent, FY2020–FY2026
Year Studio 1 BR 2 BR
FY 2026 ↑4.1% $685 $872 $956
FY 2025 ↑9.0% $652 $838 $928
FY 2024 ↑5.2% $600 $769 $863
FY 2023 ↑20.8% $576 $731 $826
FY 2022 ↑1.7% $515 $605 $738
FY 2021 ↑5.1% $512 $595 $732
FY 2020 $500 $566 $714
Total change (6yr): +54.1%
Annualized: +7.5%/yr
1 BR: $566 → $872

Where Pulaski County Ranks in Indiana

Pulaski 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 #21 of 92 counties in Indiana. Nearest by rank: Knox County ($956), Lawrence County ($956), Martin County ($956), Miami County ($956), Orange County ($956), Owen County ($956), Perry County ($956), Pike County ($956), Pulaski County (this county) ($956), Randolph County ($956), Rush County ($956), Spencer County ($956), Starke County ($956), Switzerland County ($956), Union County ($956), Wabash County ($956), Warren County ($956).

Knox County
2 BR: $956/mo
Lawrence County
2 BR: $956/mo
Martin County
2 BR: $956/mo
Miami County
2 BR: $956/mo
Orange County
2 BR: $956/mo
Owen County
2 BR: $956/mo
Perry County
2 BR: $956/mo
Pike County
2 BR: $956/mo
Pulaski County (this county)
2 BR: $956/mo
Randolph County
2 BR: $956/mo
Rush County
2 BR: $956/mo
Spencer County
2 BR: $956/mo
Starke County
2 BR: $956/mo
Switzerland County
2 BR: $956/mo
Union County
2 BR: $956/mo
Wabash County
2 BR: $956/mo
Warren County
2 BR: $956/mo

Nationwide peers by 2BR FMR & rent burden

Two PlainRent-derived comparison paths for Pulaski 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).

Clinton County
IA · 2 BR $956/mo
Benton County
IA · 2 BR $956/mo
McCormick County
SC · 2 BR $956/mo
Harrison County
WV · 2 BR $955/mo

Similar rent burden

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

Berkeley County
WV · 19.1% of income · 2 BR $1,233/mo
Pike County
MO · 19.1% of income · 2 BR $918/mo
Hancock County
WV · 19.1% of income · 2 BR $973/mo
Parmer County
TX · 19.1% of income · 2 BR $1,087/mo

Nearby Counties in Indiana

Largest counties by population in Indiana

Showing the 8 largest of 91 other counties in Indiana.

Marion County
1 BR: $1,267/mo Pop: 971,737
Lake County
1 BR: $1,082/mo Pop: 497,682
Allen County
1 BR: $916/mo Pop: 385,456
Hamilton County
1 BR: $1,267/mo Pop: 349,527
St. Joseph County
1 BR: $1,105/mo Pop: 272,388
Elkhart County
1 BR: $992/mo Pop: 206,841
Tippecanoe County
1 BR: $1,032/mo Pop: 186,955
Vanderburgh County
1 BR: $860/mo Pop: 179,900
View all counties in Indiana →

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the average rent in Pulaski County? ▼
The FY 2026 Fair Market Rent for a 1-bedroom in Pulaski County is $872 per month. A 2-bedroom is $956 and a studio is $685.
How does Pulaski County rent compare to the national average? ▼
Rent in Pulaski County is 9% below the national average. A 1-bedroom here costs $872 compared to $959 nationally.
Where does Pulaski County rank nationally for Fair Market Rent? ▼
According to HUD's FY 2026 Fair Market Rent schedule, Pulaski County's 2-bedroom FMR of $956 ranks #850 most affordable among 3,145 HUD counties, placing it in the middle half of HUD counties.
What income do I need to afford rent in Pulaski County? ▼
Based on the 30% affordability rule, you need an annual income of at least $34,880 ($2,907/month) to afford a 1-bedroom at Fair Market Rent in Pulaski County.
Is rent going up or down in Pulaski County? ▼
The 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent in Pulaski County increased by 4.1% from FY 2025 to FY 2026, going from $838 to $872.
Which jobs can afford rent in Pulaski County? ▼
Based on Indiana BLS salary data and the 30% affordability rule, jobs like General and Operations Managers, Software Developers, Registered Nurses can afford a 1-bedroom at $872/mo. 12 of 15 common occupations are affordable here.
How much has rent changed in Pulaski County over time? ▼
The 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent in Pulaski County went from $566 in FY 2020 to $872 in FY 2026, a total change of +54.1% over 6 years.
How does Fair Market Rent affect Section 8 vouchers in Pulaski County? ▼
In Pulaski County, the FY 2026 FMR of $872/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 Pulaski County? ▼
For Pulaski County, it's the specific 40th-percentile rent HUD publishes each year ($872/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.