County FMR · HUD FY2026
Union County Fair Market Rent
HUD's FY2026 Fair Market Rent for Union County, IN - 24% below the US average.
- $729
- 1-bedroom FMR
- $956
- 2-bedroom FMR
- -6.8%
- YoY change
- -24%
- vs US avg
The verdict
Union is the 27th cheapest of 92 counties in Indiana by 2-bedroom FMR; nationally it ranks #850 most affordable of 3,145 HUD counties; rent here has fallen 6.8% since FY 2025, a modest shift relative to most counties.
- #850
- most affordable of 3,145 US counties (2BR)
- #27
- cheapest of 92 in Indiana (2BR)
- -17%
- vs the state average
- $29,160
- income to afford it (30% rule)
General and Operations Managers spend the smallest share of income on rent here (8.1%), while Fast Food and Counter Workers spend the most (30.9%); 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 Union County, IN. Verify with HUD →
The Fair Market Rent for a 1-bedroom apartment in Union County, Indiana is $729 per month in FY 2026, according to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). A 2-bedroom costs $956/mo and a studio is $685/mo. This is 24% lower than the national average of $959 and 17% below the Indiana average of $882.
Rent decreased6.8% from FY 2025 ($782), declining against the trend. The 30% affordability floor is comparatively reachable here at $29,160/year.
FY 2026 HUD Fair Market Rents in Indiana. Population: 7,041. Population has held roughly steady over the past five years (-1.7%, Census ACS). That's slower than Indiana's statewide growth of +2.6% over the same period.
FMR filing desk
Area UNION·COUNTY·IN·IN
Union County, IN: $729/mo 1BR · #850 of 3145 counties (2BR) · FY2026
- FMR-AREA IN
- 1BR-FMR $729
- 2BR-FMR $956
- RANK-MID #850
- YOY-DOWN -6.8%
- VSUS-BELOW -24%
- VS-ST-LOW -17% IN
- INC-ROOM 11%
- POP-SMALL 7K
- PHOTO-NEAR Marion County
- VOUCH-90-110 $656–$802
- FY-2026 FY2026
Photo-finish peer: Marion ($538 1BR gap)
Read with: Section 8 housing guide
Fair Market Rents (2026)
Year-over-Year Comparison
| Bedrooms | FY 2025 | FY 2026 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Studio | $709 | $685 | $-24 (-3.4%) |
| 1 Bedroom | $782 | $729 | $-53 (-6.8%) |
| 2 Bedroom | $1,026 | $956 | $-70 (-6.8%) |
| 3 Bedroom | $1,344 | $1,220 | $-124 (-9.2%) |
| 4 Bedroom | $1,641 | $1,477 | $-164 (-10.0%) |
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
$956 higher than 27% 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 Indiana counties
- Marion
Marion County
$1,267 1BR FMR / mo
- Hamilton
Hamilton County
$1,267 1BR FMR / mo
- St. Joseph
St. Joseph County
$1,105 1BR FMR / mo
- Lake
Lake County
$1,082 1BR FMR / mo
- Elkhart
Elkhart County
$992 1BR FMR / mo
- Allen
Allen County
$916 1BR FMR / mo
- Union
Union County
$729 1BR FMR / mo
What this shows Union is highlighted. Nearby Indiana counties by 1-bedroom FMR, highest to lowest: Marion County ($1,267), Hamilton County ($1,267), St. Joseph County ($1,105), Lake County ($1,082), Elkhart County ($992), Allen County ($916), Union County (this county) ($729).
Can Common Jobs Afford Rent Here?
With a below-average 1-bedroom at $729/mo, most of these Indiana occupations clear, or miss, the 30% affordability line.
| Occupation | IN Salary | Rent Burden | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|
| General & Operations Managers | $108,410 | 8.1% | Affordable |
| Software Developers | $103,570 | 8.4% | Affordable |
| Registered Nurses | $80,740 | 10.8% | Affordable |
| Accountants & Auditors | $77,410 | 11.3% | Affordable |
| Police & Sheriff's Patrol Officers | $71,540 | 12.2% | Affordable |
| Electricians | $65,480 | 13.4% | Affordable |
| Heavy & Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers | $60,090 | 14.6% | Affordable |
| Elementary School Teachers | $58,370 | 15% | Affordable |
| Paralegals & Legal Assistants | $50,690 | 17.3% | Affordable |
| Customer Service Representatives | $41,600 | 21% | Affordable |
| Pharmacy Technicians | $40,020 | 21.9% | Affordable |
| Janitors & Cleaners | $35,240 | 24.8% | Affordable |
| Teaching Assistants | $30,460 | 28.7% | Affordable |
| Retail Salespersons | $30,300 | 28.9% | Affordable |
| Fast Food & Counter Workers | $28,290 | 30.9% | Stretched |
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 34.5% overall, from $542 to $729. Most of that movement was gradual except for a single sharp jump of +15.3% in FY 2023, well above this county's typical year-to-year change.
| Year | Studio | 1 BR | 2 BR |
|---|---|---|---|
| FY 2026 ↓6.8% | $685 | $729 | $956 |
| FY 2025 ↑9.5% | $709 | $782 | $1,026 |
| FY 2024 ↑2.1% | $628 | $714 | $926 |
| FY 2023 ↑15.3% | $609 | $699 | $909 |
| FY 2022 ↑6.1% | $524 | $606 | $788 |
| FY 2021 ↑5.4% | $495 | $571 | $747 |
| FY 2020 | $471 | $542 | $714 |
Where Union County Ranks in Indiana
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 #27 of 92 counties in Indiana. Nearest by rank: Perry County ($956), Pike County ($956), Pulaski County ($956), Randolph County ($956), Rush County ($956), Spencer County ($956), Starke County ($956), Switzerland County ($956), Union County (this county) ($956), Wabash County ($956), Warren County ($956), Wayne County ($956), DeKalb County ($960), Jennings County ($961), Fulton County ($962), Parke County ($964), Montgomery County ($966).
Nationwide peers by 2BR FMR & rent burden
Two PlainRent-derived comparison paths for Union 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).
Similar rent burden
Nearest 2BR FMR as a share of median household income (outside IN).
Nearby Counties in Indiana
Largest counties by population in Indiana
Showing the 8 largest of 91 other counties in Indiana.
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.