County FMR · HUD FY2026

St. Joseph County Fair Market Rent

HUD's FY2026 Fair Market Rent for St. Joseph County, IN - 15% above the US average.

$1,105
1-bedroom FMR
$1,292
2-bedroom FMR
+18.1%
YoY change
+15%
vs US avg

The verdict

St. Joseph is the 16th most expensive of 92 counties in Indiana by 2-bedroom FMR; nationally it ranks #755 most expensive of 3,145 HUD counties; rent here has climbed 18.1% since FY 2025, a sharp move relative to most counties.

#755
most expensive of 3,145 US counties (2BR)
#16
most expensive of 92 in Indiana (2BR)
+25%
vs the state average
$44,200
income to afford it (30% rule)

General and Operations Managers spend the smallest share of income on rent here (12.2%), while Fast Food and Counter Workers spend the most (46.9%).

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

St. Joseph County, Indiana carries an FY 2026 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent of $1,105 per month, the federal benchmark HUD publishes for this county. A 2-bedroom costs $1,292/mo and a studio is $898/mo. That's 15% above the national benchmark of $959 and 25% above the Indiana average of $882.

Rent increased18.1% from FY 2025 ($936), outpacing inflation. A household needs about $44,200/year to stay under the 30% rent-to-income line.

FY 2026 HUD Fair Market Rents in Indiana. Population: 272,388. Population has held roughly steady over the past five years (+1.2%, Census ACS). That's in line with Indiana's statewide growth of +2.6% over the same period.

FMR filing desk

Area ST·JOSEPH·COUNTY·IN·IN

St. Joseph County, IN: $1,105/mo 1BR · #755 of 3145 counties (2BR) · FY2026

  • FMR-AREA IN
  • 1BR-FMR $1,105
  • 2BR-FMR $1,292
  • RANK-MID #755
  • YOY-SURGE +18.1%
  • VSUS-ABOVE +15%
  • VS-ST-HIGH +25% IN
  • INC-MID 20%
  • POP-MAJOR 272K
  • PHOTO-NEAR Marion County
  • VOUCH-90-110 $995–$1,216
  • FY-2026 FY2026

Photo-finish peer: Marion ($162 1BR gap)

Read with: Understanding rent burden

Fair Market Rents (2026)

Studio
State avg: $816 · US avg: $893
$898/mo
↑ 19.6% YoY +10% vs state +1% vs US
1 Bedroom
State avg: $882 · US avg: $959
$1,105/mo
↑ 18.1% YoY +25% vs state +15% vs US
2 Bedroom
State avg: $1,096 · US avg: $1,175
$1,292/mo
↑ 18.0% YoY +18% vs state +10% vs US
3 Bedroom
State avg: $1,391 · US avg: $1,525
$1,567/mo
↑ 16.1% YoY +13% vs state +3% vs US
4 Bedroom
State avg: $1,590 · US avg: $1,756
$1,711/mo
↑ 17.8% YoY +8% vs state -3% vs US

Year-over-Year Comparison

Bedrooms FY 2025 FY 2026 Change
Studio $751
$898
+$147 (+19.6%)
1 Bedroom $936
$1,105
+$169 (+18.1%)
2 Bedroom $1,095
$1,292
+$197 (+18.0%)
3 Bedroom $1,350
$1,567
+$217 (+16.1%)
4 Bedroom $1,452
$1,711
+$259 (+17.8%)

Rent Burden Analysis

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

Studio
16.6%
Affordable
Need $35,920/yr for 30% rule
1 Bedroom
20.4%
Affordable
Need $44,200/yr for 30% rule
2 Bedroom
23.9%
Affordable
Need $51,680/yr for 30% rule
3 Bedroom
29%
Affordable
Need $62,680/yr for 30% rule
4 Bedroom
31.6%
Burdened
Need $68,440/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%23.9%
St. Joseph County 2-bedroom rent burden
County median income: $64,885 · National avg burden: 21.7% ·View Indiana rent burden →

Where St. Joseph sits among every US county

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

$1,292 Top 24% higher than 76% 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. Joseph compares on 1-bedroom rent

1-bedroom FMR vs other Indiana counties

1BR FMR / mo

What this shows St. Joseph is highlighted. Nearby Indiana counties by 1-bedroom FMR, highest to lowest: Marion County ($1,267), Hamilton County ($1,267), St. Joseph County (this county) ($1,105), Lake County ($1,082), Tippecanoe County ($1,032), Elkhart County ($992), Allen County ($916).

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

Can Common Jobs Afford Rent Here?

Against a high local FMR of $1,105/mo, which of 15 common occupations still clear the 30% line using Indiana BLS wages?

Occupation IN Salary Rent Burden Verdict
General & Operations Managers $108,410 12.2% Affordable
Software Developers $103,570 12.8% Affordable
Registered Nurses $80,740 16.4% Affordable
Accountants & Auditors $77,410 17.1% Affordable
Police & Sheriff's Patrol Officers $71,540 18.5% Affordable
Electricians $65,480 20.3% Affordable
Heavy & Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers $60,090 22.1% Affordable
Elementary School Teachers $58,370 22.7% Affordable
Paralegals & Legal Assistants $50,690 26.2% Affordable
Customer Service Representatives $41,600 31.9% Stretched
Pharmacy Technicians $40,020 33.1% Stretched
Janitors & Cleaners $35,240 37.6% Stretched
Teaching Assistants $30,460 43.5% Stretched
Retail Salespersons $30,300 43.8% Stretched
Fast Food & Counter Workers $28,290 46.9% Stretched
Salaries: BLS OES (Indiana) median · 30% = affordable threshold · Try the salary calculator →

Rent Trends (2020–2026)

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

Over the 6-year span HUD has tracked for St. Joseph (FY 2020-2026), the 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent has risen 60.8% overall, from $687 to $1,105. The path there hasn't been smooth: year-over-year moves have swung by as much as 18.1% (FY 2026), a volatility pattern that makes single-year comparisons a poor guide to the underlying trend.

$600$700$800$900$1,000$1,100$1,200 FY2020FY2021FY2022FY2023FY2024FY2025FY2026 $1,105
St. Joseph County 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent, FY2020–FY2026
Year Studio 1 BR 2 BR
FY 2026 ↑18.1% $898 $1,105 $1,292
FY 2025 ↑8.6% $751 $936 $1,095
FY 2024 ↓6.6% $689 $862 $1,017
FY 2023 ↑12.2% $755 $923 $1,099
FY 2022 ↑16.6% $708 $823 $981
FY 2021 ↑2.8% $616 $706 $851
FY 2020 $598 $687 $840
Total change (6yr): +60.8%
Annualized: +8.2%/yr
1 BR: $687 → $1,105

Part of the South Bend-Mishawaka, IN-MI Metro Area

St. Joseph County is a central county of the South Bend-Mishawaka, IN-MI metropolitan statistical area, alongside 1 other metro-area county.

St. Joseph County ranks #1 of 2 counties in this metro area by 1-bedroom FMR. Every county sharing this metro, highest to lowest: St. Joseph County (this county) ($1,105), Cass County ($906).

St. Joseph County (this county)
1 BR: $1,105/mo
Cass County
1 BR: $906/mo

Nationwide peers by 2BR FMR & rent burden

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

Glynn County
GA · 2 BR $1,293/mo
Brantley County
GA · 2 BR $1,293/mo
McIntosh County
GA · 2 BR $1,293/mo
Middlesex County
VA · 2 BR $1,291/mo

Similar rent burden

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

Wahkiakum County
WA · 23.9% of income · 2 BR $1,137/mo
Baxter County
AR · 23.9% of income · 2 BR $964/mo
Harrison County
MS · 23.9% of income · 2 BR $1,140/mo
Iron County
MI · 23.9% of income · 2 BR $1,068/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
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
Hendricks County
1 BR: $1,267/mo Pop: 175,639
View all counties in Indiana →

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the average rent in St. Joseph County? ▼
The FY 2026 Fair Market Rent for a 1-bedroom in St. Joseph County is $1,105 per month. A 2-bedroom is $1,292 and a studio is $898.
How does St. Joseph County rent compare to the national average? ▼
Rent in St. Joseph County is 15% above the national average. A 1-bedroom here costs $1,105 compared to $959 nationally.
Where does St. Joseph County rank nationally for Fair Market Rent? ▼
According to HUD's FY 2026 Fair Market Rent schedule, St. Joseph County's 2-bedroom FMR of $1,292 ranks #755 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 St. Joseph County? ▼
Based on the 30% affordability rule, you need an annual income of at least $44,200 ($3,683/month) to afford a 1-bedroom at Fair Market Rent in St. Joseph County.
Is rent going up or down in St. Joseph County? ▼
The 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent in St. Joseph County increased by 18.1% from FY 2025 to FY 2026, going from $936 to $1,105.
Which jobs can afford rent in St. Joseph 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 $1,105/mo. 9 of 15 common occupations are affordable here.
How much has rent changed in St. Joseph County over time? ▼
The 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent in St. Joseph County went from $687 in FY 2020 to $1,105 in FY 2026, a total change of +60.8% over 6 years.
How does Fair Market Rent affect Section 8 vouchers in St. Joseph County? ▼
In St. Joseph County, the FY 2026 FMR of $1,105/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. Joseph County? ▼
For St. Joseph County, it's the specific 40th-percentile rent HUD publishes each year ($1,105/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.