County FMR · HUD FY2026
Ray County Fair Market Rent
HUD's FY2026 Fair Market Rent for Ray County, MO - 25% above the US average.
- $1,197
- 1-bedroom FMR
- $1,358
- 2-bedroom FMR
- +1.2%
- YoY change
- +25%
- vs US avg
The verdict
Ray is the 1st most expensive of 116 counties in Missouri by 2-bedroom FMR; nationally it ranks #629 most expensive of 3,145 HUD counties.
- #629
- most expensive of 3,145 US counties (2BR)
- #1
- most expensive of 116 in Missouri (2BR)
- +54%
- vs the state average
- $47,880
- income to afford it (30% rule)
Software Developers spend the smallest share of income on rent here (12.5%), while Teaching Assistants, Except Postsecondary spend the most (49.4%).
FY 2026 HUD Fair Market Rent for Ray County, MO. Verify with HUD →
HUD sets the FY 2026 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent for Ray County, Missouri at $1,197 per month - the federal rental-assistance benchmark for this county. A 2-bedroom costs $1,358/mo and a studio is $1,095/mo. This is 25% higher than the national average of $959 and 54% above the Missouri average of $777.
Rent increased1.2% from FY 2025 ($1,183), roughly tracking inflation. A household needs about $47,880/year to stay under the 30% rent-to-income line.
Observed renter burden: 34.1% of the 2,039 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.
Market slack: The ACS rental vacancy rate here is 2.4%, a tight rental market where HUD's annual FMR schedule can lag what landlords are actually asking.
Local labor market: The county's BLS unemployment rate has averaged 3.8% over the past 12 months, close to the typical US county range.
FY 2026 HUD Fair Market Rents in Missouri. Population: 23,122. Population has held roughly steady over the past five years (+1.4%, Census ACS). That's in line with Missouri's statewide growth of +1.3% over the same period.
FMR filing desk
Area RAY·COUNTY·MO·MO
Ray County, MO: $1,197/mo 1BR · #629 of 3145 counties (2BR) · FY2026
- FMR-AREA MO
- 1BR-FMR $1,197
- 2BR-FMR $1,358
- RANK-MID #629
- YOY-FLAT +1.2%
- VSUS-ABOVE +25%
- VS-ST-HIGH +54% MO
- INC-ROOM 20%
- POP-SMALL 23K
- PHOTO-NEAR St. Louis County
- VOUCH-90-110 $1,077–$1,317
- FY-2026 FY2026
Photo-finish peer: St. Louis ($202 1BR gap)
Read with: Understanding rent burden
Fair Market Rents (2026)
Year-over-Year Comparison
| Bedrooms | FY 2025 | FY 2026 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Studio | $1,074 | $1,095 | +$21 (+2.0%) |
| 1 Bedroom | $1,183 | $1,197 | +$14 (+1.2%) |
| 2 Bedroom | $1,346 | $1,358 | +$12 (+0.9%) |
| 3 Bedroom | $1,756 | $1,769 | +$13 (+0.7%) |
| 4 Bedroom | $2,078 | $2,103 | +$25 (+1.2%) |
Rent Burden Analysis
How much of household income goes to rent in Ray 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 Ray sits among every US county
2-bedroom Fair Market Rent vs. all 3,145 HUD counties
$1,358 Top 20% higher than 80% 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 Ray compares on 1-bedroom rent
1-bedroom FMR vs other Missouri counties
- Ray
Ray County
$1,197 1BR FMR / mo
- 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
What this shows Ray is highlighted. Nearby Missouri counties by 1-bedroom FMR, highest to lowest: Ray County (this county) ($1,197), Jackson County ($1,197), Clay County ($1,197), St. Louis County ($995), St. Charles County ($995), St. Louis city ($995), Greene County ($883).
Can Common Jobs Afford Rent Here?
Against a high local FMR of $1,197/mo, which of 15 common occupations still clear the 30% line using Missouri BLS wages?
| Occupation | MO Salary | Rent Burden | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|
| Software Developers | $114,550 | 12.5% | Affordable |
| Registered Nurses | $79,770 | 18% | Affordable |
| General & Operations Managers | $77,410 | 18.6% | Affordable |
| Accountants & Auditors | $73,210 | 19.6% | Affordable |
| Electricians | $70,950 | 20.2% | Affordable |
| Police & Sheriff's Patrol Officers | $60,720 | 23.7% | Affordable |
| Paralegals & Legal Assistants | $58,730 | 24.5% | Affordable |
| Heavy & Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers | $50,540 | 28.4% | Affordable |
| Elementary School Teachers | $48,250 | 29.8% | Affordable |
| Customer Service Representatives | $41,850 | 34.3% | Stretched |
| Pharmacy Technicians | $37,990 | 37.8% | Stretched |
| Janitors & Cleaners | $34,080 | 42.1% | Stretched |
| Retail Salespersons | $31,250 | 46% | Stretched |
| Fast Food & Counter Workers | $29,310 | 49% | Stretched |
| Teaching Assistants | $29,060 | 49.4% | Stretched |
Rent Trends (2020–2026)
7-year Fair Market Rent history for Ray County. Shows how HUD rental rates have changed over time.
Over the 6-year span HUD has tracked for Ray (FY 2020-2026), the 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent has risen 47.2% overall, from $813 to $1,197. Most of that movement was gradual except for a single sharp jump of +14.5% in FY 2023, well above this county's typical year-to-year change.
| Year | Studio | 1 BR | 2 BR |
|---|---|---|---|
| FY 2026 ↑1.2% | $1,095 | $1,197 | $1,358 |
| FY 2025 ↑7.7% | $1,074 | $1,183 | $1,346 |
| FY 2024 ↑9.6% | $985 | $1,098 | $1,258 |
| FY 2023 ↑14.5% | $885 | $1,002 | $1,164 |
| FY 2022 ↑2.1% | $762 | $875 | $1,030 |
| FY 2021 ↑5.4% | $731 | $857 | $1,021 |
| FY 2020 | $678 | $813 | $978 |
Part of the Kansas City, MO-KS Metro Area
Ray County is a outlying county of the Kansas City, MO-KS metropolitan statistical area, alongside 13 other metro-area counties.
Ray County ranks #13 of 14 counties in this metro area by 1-bedroom FMR. Every county sharing this metro, highest to lowest: Jackson County ($1,197), Johnson County ($1,197), Clay County ($1,197), Wyandotte County ($1,197), Cass County ($1,197), Platte County ($1,197), Leavenworth County ($1,197), Miami County ($1,197), Lafayette County ($1,197), Clinton County ($1,197), Linn County ($1,197), Caldwell County ($1,197), Ray County (this county) ($1,197), Bates County ($706).
Show all 14 counties in this metro area
Nationwide peers by 2BR FMR & rent burden
Two PlainRent-derived comparison paths for Ray 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 Ray County?
The FY 2026 Fair Market Rent for a 1-bedroom in Ray County is $1,197 per month. A 2-bedroom is $1,358 and a studio is $1,095.
How does Ray County rent compare to the national average?
Rent in Ray County is 25% above the national average. A 1-bedroom here costs $1,197 compared to $959 nationally.
Where does Ray County rank nationally for Fair Market Rent?
According to HUD's FY 2026 Fair Market Rent schedule, Ray County's 2-bedroom FMR of $1,358 ranks #629 most expensive among 3,145 HUD counties, placing it in the upper-rent quarter of HUD counties.
What income do I need to afford rent in Ray County?
Based on the 30% affordability rule, you need an annual income of at least $47,880 ($3,990/month) to afford a 1-bedroom at Fair Market Rent in Ray County.
Is rent going up or down in Ray County?
The 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent in Ray County increased by 1.2% from FY 2025 to FY 2026, going from $1,183 to $1,197.
Which jobs can afford rent in Ray County?
Based on Missouri BLS salary data and the 30% affordability rule, jobs like Software Developers, Registered Nurses, General and Operations Managers can afford a 1-bedroom at $1,197/mo. 9 of 15 common occupations are affordable here.
How much has rent changed in Ray County over time?
The 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent in Ray County went from $813 in FY 2020 to $1,197 in FY 2026, a total change of +47.2% over 6 years.
How does Fair Market Rent affect Section 8 vouchers in Ray County?
In Ray County, the FY 2026 FMR of $1,197/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 Ray County?
For Ray County, it's the specific 40th-percentile rent HUD publishes each year ($1,197/mo for a 1-bedroom in FY 2026).
Is the rental market tight or loose in Ray County?
The ACS rental vacancy rate here is 2.4%, a tight rental market where HUD's annual FMR schedule can lag what landlords are actually asking.
What is the unemployment rate in Ray County?
The county's BLS unemployment rate has averaged 3.8% over the past 12 months, close to the typical US county range.
Data sources
What this means for renters
Treat Ray's FY2026 Fair Market Rent as HUD's affordability benchmark, not a single market quote.
- Budget to roughly 30% of income: the FY2026 1-bedroom FMR of $1,197 implies about $47,880/yr to rent without being cost-burdened. Run your numbers
- Missouri counties vary widely around this figure - compare specific counties before assuming this applies to yours. Compare vs St. Louis
- See where Ray ranks nationally on rent. National rankings
Fair Market Rent is HUD's 40th-percentile policy benchmark used to set Housing Choice Voucher payment standards. Actual asking rents can run higher or lower, and HUD updates FMRs once a year. This site is informational and not financial or relocation advice.
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.