County FMR · HUD FY2026
Union County Fair Market Rent
HUD's FY2026 Fair Market Rent for Union County, IL - 27% below the US average.
- $698
- 1-bedroom FMR
- $916
- 2-bedroom FMR
- +4.6%
- YoY change
- -27%
- vs US avg
The verdict
Union is the 38th cheapest of 102 counties in Illinois by 2-bedroom FMR; nationally it ranks #473 most affordable of 3,145 HUD counties.
- #473
- most affordable of 3,145 US counties (2BR)
- #38
- cheapest of 102 in Illinois (2BR)
- -18%
- vs the state average
- $27,920
- income to afford it (30% rule)
Software Developers spend the smallest share of income on rent here (6.6%), while Fast Food and Counter Workers spend the most (26.3%); 15 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 Union County, IL. Verify with HUD →
Union County, Illinois carries an FY 2026 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent of $698 per month, the federal benchmark HUD publishes for this county. A 2-bedroom costs $916/mo and a studio is $640/mo. That's 27% below the national benchmark of $959 and 18% below the Illinois average of $854.
Rent increased4.6% from FY 2025 ($667), outpacing inflation. The 30% affordability floor is comparatively reachable here at $27,920/year.
Observed renter burden: 42.2% of the 1,602 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: 17,122. Population has held roughly steady over the past five years (-0.9%, Census ACS). That's in line with Illinois's statewide growth of -1.0% over the same period.
FMR filing desk
Area UNION·COUNTY·IL·IL
Union County, IL: $698/mo 1BR · #473 of 3145 counties (2BR) · FY2026
- FMR-AREA IL
- 1BR-FMR $698
- 2BR-FMR $916
- RANK-MID #473
- YOY-UP +4.6%
- VSUS-LOW -27%
- VS-ST-LOW -18% IL
- INC-ROOM 15%
- POP-SMALL 17K
- PHOTO-NEAR Cook County
- VOUCH-90-110 $628–$768
- FY-2026 FY2026
Photo-finish peer: Cook ($883 1BR gap)
Read with: Section 8 housing guide
Fair Market Rents (2026)
Year-over-Year Comparison
| Bedrooms | FY 2025 | FY 2026 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Studio | $663 | $640 | $-23 (-3.5%) |
| 1 Bedroom | $667 | $698 | +$31 (+4.6%) |
| 2 Bedroom | $870 | $916 | +$46 (+5.3%) |
| 3 Bedroom | $1,120 | $1,129 | +$9 (+0.8%) |
| 4 Bedroom | $1,208 | $1,261 | +$53 (+4.4%) |
Rent Burden Analysis
How much of household income goes to rent in Union 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 Union sits among every US county
2-bedroom Fair Market Rent vs. all 3,145 HUD counties
$916 higher than 15% 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 Union compares on 1-bedroom rent
1-bedroom FMR vs other Illinois counties
- Cook
Cook County
$1,581 1BR FMR / mo
- DuPage
DuPage County
$1,581 1BR FMR / mo
- Lake
Lake County
$1,581 1BR FMR / mo
- Will
Will County
$1,581 1BR FMR / mo
- Kane
Kane County
$1,581 1BR FMR / mo
- McHenry
McHenry County
$1,581 1BR FMR / mo
- Union
Union County
$698 1BR FMR / mo
What this shows Union 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), Union County (this county) ($698).
Can Common Jobs Afford Rent Here?
With a below-average 1-bedroom at $698/mo, most of these Illinois occupations clear, or miss, the 30% affordability line.
| Occupation | IL Salary | Rent Burden | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|
| Software Developers | $127,770 | 6.6% | Affordable |
| Police & Sheriff's Patrol Officers | $101,530 | 8.2% | Affordable |
| General & Operations Managers | $101,430 | 8.3% | Affordable |
| Electricians | $96,360 | 8.7% | Affordable |
| Registered Nurses | $86,410 | 9.7% | Affordable |
| Accountants & Auditors | $79,300 | 10.6% | Affordable |
| Elementary School Teachers | $64,160 | 13.1% | Affordable |
| Paralegals & Legal Assistants | $62,290 | 13.4% | Affordable |
| Heavy & Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers | $59,790 | 14% | Affordable |
| Customer Service Representatives | $44,910 | 18.7% | Affordable |
| Pharmacy Technicians | $44,610 | 18.8% | Affordable |
| Janitors & Cleaners | $37,010 | 22.6% | Affordable |
| Teaching Assistants | $35,780 | 23.4% | Affordable |
| Retail Salespersons | $34,490 | 24.3% | Affordable |
| Fast Food & Counter Workers | $31,900 | 26.3% | Affordable |
Rent Trends (2020–2026)
7-year Fair Market Rent history for Union County. Shows how HUD rental rates have changed over time.
Over the 6-year span HUD has tracked for Union (FY 2020-2026), the 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent has risen 31.7% overall, from $530 to $698. Most of that movement was gradual except for a single sharp jump of +12.6% in FY 2024, well above this county's typical year-to-year change.
| Year | Studio | 1 BR | 2 BR |
|---|---|---|---|
| FY 2026 ↑4.6% | $640 | $698 | $916 |
| FY 2025 ↓0.1% | $663 | $667 | $870 |
| FY 2024 ↑12.6% | $620 | $668 | $807 |
| FY 2023 ↑4.4% | $578 | $593 | $774 |
| FY 2022 ↑6.6% | $488 | $568 | $735 |
| FY 2021 ↑0.6% | $462 | $533 | $700 |
| FY 2020 | $455 | $530 | $698 |
Where Union County Ranks in Illinois
Union 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 #38 of 102 counties in Illinois. Nearest by rank: Perry County ($916), Pike County ($916), Pulaski County ($916), Randolph County ($916), Richland County ($916), Schuyler County ($916), Scott County ($916), Stephenson County ($916), Union County (this county) ($916), Wabash County ($916), Warren County ($916), Washington County ($916), Wayne County ($916), White County ($916), Whiteside County ($916), Saline County ($920), Jasper County ($933).
Nationwide peers by 2BR FMR & rent burden
Two PlainRent-derived comparison paths for Union 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).
Similar rent burden
Nearest 2BR FMR as a share of median household income (outside IL).
Nearby Counties in Illinois
Largest counties by population in Illinois
Showing the 8 largest of 101 other counties in Illinois.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the average rent in Union County? ▼
How does Union County rent compare to the national average? ▼
Where does Union County rank nationally for Fair Market Rent? ▼
What income do I need to afford rent in Union County? ▼
Is rent going up or down in Union County? ▼
Which jobs can afford rent in Union County? ▼
How much has rent changed in Union County over time? ▼
How does Fair Market Rent affect Section 8 vouchers in Union County? ▼
What does Fair Market Rent mean for Union County? ▼
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.
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.