County FMR · HUD FY2026

St. Clair County Fair Market Rent

HUD's FY2026 Fair Market Rent for St. Clair County, IL - 4% above the US average.

$995
1-bedroom FMR
$1,218
2-bedroom FMR
+1.1%
YoY change
+4%
vs US avg

The verdict

St. Clair is the 12th most expensive of 102 counties in Illinois by 2-bedroom FMR; nationally it ranks #944 most expensive of 3,145 HUD counties.

#944
most expensive of 3,145 US counties (2BR)
#12
most expensive of 102 in Illinois (2BR)
+17%
vs the state average
$39,800
income to afford it (30% rule)

Software Developers spend the smallest share of income on rent here (9.3%), while Fast Food and Counter Workers spend the most (37.4%).

FY 2026 HUD Fair Market Rent for St. Clair County, IL. Verify with HUD →

HUD sets the FY 2026 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent for St. Clair County, Illinois at $995 per month - the federal rental-assistance benchmark for this county. A 2-bedroom costs $1,218/mo and a studio is $955/mo. This is 4% higher than the national average of $959 and 17% above the Illinois average of $854.

Rent increased1.1% from FY 2025 ($984), roughly tracking inflation. Under the 30% rule, affordability starts near $39,800/year for a 1-bedroom.

Observed renter burden: 43.6% of the 32,620 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: 256,791. Population has held roughly steady over the past five years (-3.3%, Census ACS). That's slower than Illinois's statewide growth of -1.0% over the same period.

FMR filing desk

Area ST·CLAIR·COUNTY·IL·IL

St. Clair County, IL: $995/mo 1BR · #944 of 3145 counties (2BR) · FY2026

  • FMR-AREA IL
  • 1BR-FMR $995
  • 2BR-FMR $1,218
  • RANK-MID #944
  • YOY-FLAT +1.1%
  • VSUS-NEAR +4%
  • VS-ST-HIGH +17% IL
  • INC-ROOM 17%
  • POP-MAJOR 257K
  • PHOTO-NEAR Cook County
  • VOUCH-90-110 $896–$1,095
  • FY-2026 FY2026

Photo-finish peer: Cook ($586 1BR gap)

Read with: How Fair Market Rent works

Fair Market Rents (2026)

Studio
State avg: $774 · US avg: $893
$955/mo
↑ 0.4% YoY +23% vs state +7% vs US
1 Bedroom
State avg: $854 · US avg: $959
$995/mo
↑ 1.1% YoY +17% vs state +4% vs US
2 Bedroom
State avg: $1,063 · US avg: $1,175
$1,218/mo
↑ 0.2% YoY +15% vs state +4% vs US
3 Bedroom
State avg: $1,370 · US avg: $1,525
$1,568/mo
↓ 0.1% YoY +14% vs state +3% vs US
4 Bedroom
State avg: $1,561 · US avg: $1,756
$1,812/mo
↑ 0.3% YoY +16% vs state +3% vs US

Year-over-Year Comparison

Bedrooms FY 2025 FY 2026 Change
Studio $951
$955
+$4 (+0.4%)
1 Bedroom $984
$995
+$11 (+1.1%)
2 Bedroom $1,215
$1,218
+$3 (+0.2%)
3 Bedroom $1,570
$1,568
$-2 (-0.1%)
4 Bedroom $1,806
$1,812
+$6 (+0.3%)

Rent Burden Analysis

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

Studio
16.3%
Affordable
Need $38,200/yr for 30% rule
1 Bedroom
17%
Affordable
Need $39,800/yr for 30% rule
2 Bedroom
20.8%
Affordable
Need $48,720/yr for 30% rule
3 Bedroom
26.8%
Affordable
Need $62,720/yr for 30% rule
4 Bedroom
31%
Burdened
Need $72,480/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%20.8%
St. Clair County 2-bedroom rent burden
County median income: $70,178 · National avg burden: 21.7% ·View Illinois rent burden →

Where St. Clair sits among every US county

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

$1,218 Top 30% higher than 70% of 3,145 counties

$600–$800: 23 counties (1%). Below this entry. $800–$1,000: 1,406 counties (45%). Below this entry. $1,000–$1,200: 723 counties (23%). Below this entry. $1,200–$1,400: 417 counties (13%). This entry sits in this band. $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 St. Clair compares on 1-bedroom rent

1-bedroom FMR vs other Illinois counties

1BR FMR / mo

What this shows St. Clair 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), St. Clair County (this county) ($995).

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

Can Common Jobs Afford Rent Here?

How a 1-bedroom at $995/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 9.3% Affordable
General & Operations Managers $101,430 11.8% Affordable
Police & Sheriff's Patrol Officers $101,530 11.8% Affordable
Electricians $96,360 12.4% Affordable
Registered Nurses $86,410 13.8% Affordable
Accountants & Auditors $79,300 15.1% Affordable
Elementary School Teachers $64,160 18.6% Affordable
Paralegals & Legal Assistants $62,290 19.2% Affordable
Heavy & Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers $59,790 20% Affordable
Customer Service Representatives $44,910 26.6% Affordable
Pharmacy Technicians $44,610 26.8% Affordable
Janitors & Cleaners $37,010 32.3% Stretched
Teaching Assistants $35,780 33.4% Stretched
Retail Salespersons $34,490 34.6% Stretched
Fast Food & Counter Workers $31,900 37.4% Stretched
Salaries: BLS OES (Illinois) median · 30% = affordable threshold · Try the salary calculator →

Rent Trends (2020–2026)

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

Over the 6-year span HUD has tracked for St. Clair (FY 2020-2026), the 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent has risen 41.9% overall, from $701 to $995. Most of that movement was gradual except for a single sharp jump of +22.3% in FY 2024, well above this county's typical year-to-year change.

$600$700$800$900$1,000$1,100 FY2020FY2021FY2022FY2023FY2024FY2025FY2026 $995
St. Clair County 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent, FY2020–FY2026
Year Studio 1 BR 2 BR
FY 2026 ↑1.1% $955 $995 $1,218
FY 2025 ↑1.2% $951 $984 $1,215
FY 2024 ↑22.3% $928 $972 $1,209
FY 2023 ↑6.7% $748 $795 $999
FY 2022 ↑1.9% $689 $745 $947
FY 2021 ↑4.3% $671 $731 $938
FY 2020 $633 $701 $905
Total change (6yr): +41.9%
Annualized: +6.0%/yr
1 BR: $701 → $995

Part of the St. Louis, MO-IL Metro Area

St. Clair County is a central county of the St. Louis, MO-IL metropolitan statistical area, alongside 14 other metro-area counties.

St. Clair County ranks #13 of 15 counties in this metro area by 1-bedroom FMR. Every county sharing this metro, highest to lowest: St. Louis County ($995), St. Charles County ($995), St. Louis city ($995), Madison County ($995), Jefferson County ($995), Franklin County ($995), Lincoln County ($995), Clinton County ($995), Warren County ($995), Monroe County ($995), Jersey County ($995), Calhoun County ($995), St. Clair County (this county) ($995), Bond County ($836), Macoupin County ($698).

St. Louis County
1 BR: $995/mo
St. Charles County
1 BR: $995/mo
St. Louis city
1 BR: $995/mo
Madison County
1 BR: $995/mo
Jefferson County
1 BR: $995/mo
Franklin County
1 BR: $995/mo
Lincoln County
1 BR: $995/mo
Clinton County
1 BR: $995/mo
Warren County
1 BR: $995/mo
Monroe County
1 BR: $995/mo
Jersey County
1 BR: $995/mo
Calhoun County
1 BR: $995/mo
St. Clair County (this county)
1 BR: $995/mo
Show all 15 counties in this metro area
Bond County
1 BR: $836/mo
Macoupin County
1 BR: $698/mo

Nationwide peers by 2BR FMR & rent burden

Two PlainRent-derived comparison paths for St. Clair 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).

St. Louis County
MO · 2 BR $1,218/mo
St. Charles County
MO · 2 BR $1,218/mo
St. Louis city
MO · 2 BR $1,218/mo
Jefferson County
MO · 2 BR $1,218/mo

Similar rent burden

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

Iron County
MO · 20.8% of income · 2 BR $888/mo
Grayson County
KY · 20.8% of income · 2 BR $866/mo
Fulton County
NY · 20.8% of income · 2 BR $1,087/mo
Angelina County
TX · 20.8% of income · 2 BR $1,021/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 St. Clair County? ▼
The FY 2026 Fair Market Rent for a 1-bedroom in St. Clair County is $995 per month. A 2-bedroom is $1,218 and a studio is $955.
How does St. Clair County rent compare to the national average? ▼
Rent in St. Clair County is 4% above the national average. A 1-bedroom here costs $995 compared to $959 nationally.
Where does St. Clair County rank nationally for Fair Market Rent? ▼
According to HUD's FY 2026 Fair Market Rent schedule, St. Clair County's 2-bedroom FMR of $1,218 ranks #944 most expensive among 3,145 HUD counties, placing it in the middle half of HUD counties.
What income do I need to afford rent in St. Clair County? ▼
Based on the 30% affordability rule, you need an annual income of at least $39,800 ($3,317/month) to afford a 1-bedroom at Fair Market Rent in St. Clair County.
Is rent going up or down in St. Clair County? ▼
The 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent in St. Clair County increased by 1.1% from FY 2025 to FY 2026, going from $984 to $995.
Which jobs can afford rent in St. Clair 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 $995/mo. 11 of 15 common occupations are affordable here.
How much has rent changed in St. Clair County over time? ▼
The 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent in St. Clair County went from $701 in FY 2020 to $995 in FY 2026, a total change of +41.9% over 6 years.
How does Fair Market Rent affect Section 8 vouchers in St. Clair County? ▼
In St. Clair County, the FY 2026 FMR of $995/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 St. Clair County? ▼
For St. Clair County, it's the specific 40th-percentile rent HUD publishes each year ($995/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.