County FMR · HUD FY2026

Putnam County Fair Market Rent

HUD's FY2026 Fair Market Rent for Putnam County, IL - 11% below the US average.

$851
1-bedroom FMR
$937
2-bedroom FMR
+12.6%
YoY change
-11%
vs US avg

The verdict

Putnam is the 48th cheapest of 102 counties in Illinois by 2-bedroom FMR; nationally it ranks #724 most affordable of 3,145 HUD counties; rent here has climbed 12.6% since FY 2025, a sharp move relative to most counties.

#724
most affordable of 3,145 US counties (2BR)
#48
cheapest of 102 in Illinois (2BR)
-0%
vs the state average
$34,040
income to afford it (30% rule)

Software Developers spend the smallest share of income on rent here (8%), while Fast Food and Counter Workers spend the most (32%); 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 Putnam County, IL. Verify with HUD →

HUD sets the FY 2026 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent for Putnam County, Illinois at $851 per month - the federal rental-assistance benchmark for this county. A 2-bedroom costs $937/mo and a studio is $646/mo. This is 11% lower than the national average of $959 and 0% below the Illinois average of $854.

Rent increased12.6% from FY 2025 ($756), outpacing inflation. Under the 30% rule, affordability starts near $34,040/year for a 1-bedroom.

Observed renter burden: 33.8% of the 477 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 Illinois. Population: 5,628. Population has held roughly steady over the past five years (-2.5%, Census ACS). That's slower than Illinois's statewide growth of -1.0% over the same period.

FMR filing desk

Area PUTNAM·COUNTY·IL·IL

Putnam County, IL: $851/mo 1BR · #724 of 3145 counties (2BR) · FY2026

  • FMR-AREA IL
  • 1BR-FMR $851
  • 2BR-FMR $937
  • RANK-MID #724
  • YOY-SURGE +12.6%
  • VSUS-BELOW -11%
  • VS-ST-NEAR -0% IL
  • INC-ROOM 13%
  • POP-SMALL 6K
  • PHOTO-NEAR Cook County
  • VOUCH-90-110 $766–$936
  • FY-2026 FY2026

Photo-finish peer: Cook ($730 1BR gap)

Read with: How Fair Market Rent works

Fair Market Rents (2026)

Studio
State avg: $774 · US avg: $893
$646/mo
↑ 8.2% YoY -17% vs state -28% vs US
1 Bedroom
State avg: $854 · US avg: $959
$851/mo
↑ 12.6% YoY -0% vs state -11% vs US
2 Bedroom
State avg: $1,063 · US avg: $1,175
$937/mo
↑ 7.7% YoY -12% vs state -20% vs US
3 Bedroom
State avg: $1,370 · US avg: $1,525
$1,212/mo
↑ 6.7% YoY -12% vs state -21% vs US
4 Bedroom
State avg: $1,561 · US avg: $1,756
$1,553/mo
↑ 6.3% YoY -1% vs state -12% vs US

Year-over-Year Comparison

Bedrooms FY 2025 FY 2026 Change
Studio $597
$646
+$49 (+8.2%)
1 Bedroom $756
$851
+$95 (+12.6%)
2 Bedroom $870
$937
+$67 (+7.7%)
3 Bedroom $1,136
$1,212
+$76 (+6.7%)
4 Bedroom $1,461
$1,553
+$92 (+6.3%)

Rent Burden Analysis

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

Studio
10%
Affordable
Need $25,840/yr for 30% rule
1 Bedroom
13.2%
Affordable
Need $34,040/yr for 30% rule
2 Bedroom
14.5%
Affordable
Need $37,480/yr for 30% rule
3 Bedroom
18.8%
Affordable
Need $48,480/yr for 30% rule
4 Bedroom
24%
Affordable
Need $62,120/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%14.5%
Putnam County 2-bedroom rent burden
County median income: $77,526 · National avg burden: 21.7% ·View Illinois rent burden →

Where Putnam sits among every US county

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

$937 higher than 23% 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 Putnam compares on 1-bedroom rent

1-bedroom FMR vs other Illinois counties

1BR FMR / mo

What this shows Putnam is highlighted. Nearby Illinois counties by 1-bedroom FMR, highest to lowest: Cook County ($1,581), DuPage County ($1,581), Lake County ($1,581), Will County ($1,581), Kane County ($1,581), McHenry County ($1,581), Putnam County (this county) ($851).

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

Can Common Jobs Afford Rent Here?

How a 1-bedroom at $851/mo compares to Illinois salaries for popular occupations (BLS wage data, 30%-of-income rule).

Occupation IL Salary Rent Burden Verdict
Software Developers $127,770 8% Affordable
General & Operations Managers $101,430 10.1% Affordable
Police & Sheriff's Patrol Officers $101,530 10.1% Affordable
Electricians $96,360 10.6% Affordable
Registered Nurses $86,410 11.8% Affordable
Accountants & Auditors $79,300 12.9% Affordable
Elementary School Teachers $64,160 15.9% Affordable
Paralegals & Legal Assistants $62,290 16.4% Affordable
Heavy & Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers $59,790 17.1% Affordable
Customer Service Representatives $44,910 22.7% Affordable
Pharmacy Technicians $44,610 22.9% Affordable
Janitors & Cleaners $37,010 27.6% Affordable
Teaching Assistants $35,780 28.5% Affordable
Retail Salespersons $34,490 29.6% Affordable
Fast Food & Counter Workers $31,900 32% Stretched
Salaries: BLS OES (Illinois) median · 30% = affordable threshold · Try the salary calculator →

Rent Trends (2020–2026)

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

Over the 6-year span HUD has tracked for Putnam (FY 2020-2026), the 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent has risen 51.2% overall, from $563 to $851. Most of that movement was gradual except for a single sharp jump of +12.6% in FY 2026, well above this county's typical year-to-year change.

$500$600$700$800$900 FY2020FY2021FY2022FY2023FY2024FY2025FY2026 $851
Putnam County 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent, FY2020–FY2026
Year Studio 1 BR 2 BR
FY 2026 ↑12.6% $646 $851 $937
FY 2025 ↑11.7% $597 $756 $870
FY 2024 ↑5.0% $552 $677 $814
FY 2023 ↑9.1% $533 $645 $797
FY 2022 ↑7.7% $534 $591 $757
FY 2021 ↓2.5% $492 $549 $724
FY 2020 $519 $563 $742
Total change (6yr): +51.2%
Annualized: +7.1%/yr
1 BR: $563 → $851

Part of the Ottawa, IL Micro Area

Putnam County is a outlying county of the Ottawa, IL micropolitan statistical area, alongside 2 other micro-area counties.

Putnam County ranks #1 of 3 counties in this metro area by 1-bedroom FMR. Every county sharing this metro, highest to lowest: Putnam County (this county) ($851), La Salle County ($822), Bureau County ($789).

Putnam County (this county)
1 BR: $851/mo
La Salle County
1 BR: $822/mo
Bureau County
1 BR: $789/mo

Nationwide peers by 2BR FMR & rent burden

Two PlainRent-derived comparison paths for Putnam County, both outside Illinois 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 IL (FY2026).

Sebastian County
AR · 2 BR $937/mo
Pottawatomie County
OK · 2 BR $937/mo
Jefferson County
AR · 2 BR $937/mo
Crawford County
AR · 2 BR $937/mo

Similar rent burden

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

Osage County
MO · 14.5% of income · 2 BR $910/mo
Weston County
WY · 14.5% of income · 2 BR $1,059/mo
Grant County
KS · 14.5% of income · 2 BR $877/mo
Delaware County
IA · 14.5% of income · 2 BR $919/mo

Nearby Counties in Illinois

Largest counties by population in Illinois

Showing the 8 largest of 101 other counties in Illinois.

Cook County
1 BR: $1,581/mo Pop: 5,225,367
DuPage County
1 BR: $1,581/mo Pop: 930,559
Lake County
1 BR: $1,581/mo Pop: 713,159
Will County
1 BR: $1,581/mo Pop: 696,774
Kane County
1 BR: $1,581/mo Pop: 517,254
McHenry County
1 BR: $1,581/mo Pop: 311,133
Winnebago County
1 BR: $895/mo Pop: 284,591
Madison County
1 BR: $995/mo Pop: 265,512
View all counties in Illinois →

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the average rent in Putnam County? ▼
The FY 2026 Fair Market Rent for a 1-bedroom in Putnam County is $851 per month. A 2-bedroom is $937 and a studio is $646.
How does Putnam County rent compare to the national average? ▼
Rent in Putnam County is 11% below the national average. A 1-bedroom here costs $851 compared to $959 nationally.
Where does Putnam County rank nationally for Fair Market Rent? ▼
According to HUD's FY 2026 Fair Market Rent schedule, Putnam County's 2-bedroom FMR of $937 ranks #724 most affordable among 3,145 HUD counties, placing it in the lower-rent quarter of HUD counties.
What income do I need to afford rent in Putnam County? ▼
Based on the 30% affordability rule, you need an annual income of at least $34,040 ($2,837/month) to afford a 1-bedroom at Fair Market Rent in Putnam County.
Is rent going up or down in Putnam County? ▼
The 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent in Putnam County increased by 12.6% from FY 2025 to FY 2026, going from $756 to $851.
Which jobs can afford rent in Putnam County? ▼
Based on Illinois BLS salary data and the 30% affordability rule, jobs like Software Developers, General and Operations Managers, Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers can afford a 1-bedroom at $851/mo. 14 of 15 common occupations are affordable here.
How much has rent changed in Putnam County over time? ▼
The 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent in Putnam County went from $563 in FY 2020 to $851 in FY 2026, a total change of +51.2% over 6 years.
How does Fair Market Rent affect Section 8 vouchers in Putnam County? ▼
In Putnam County, the FY 2026 FMR of $851/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 Putnam County? ▼
For Putnam County, it's the specific 40th-percentile rent HUD publishes each year ($851/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.