County FMR · HUD FY2026

Wapello County Fair Market Rent

HUD's FY2026 Fair Market Rent for Wapello County, IA - 15% below the US average.

$814
1-bedroom FMR
$1,068
2-bedroom FMR
+4.9%
YoY change
-15%
vs US avg

The verdict

Wapello is the 18th most expensive of 99 counties in Iowa by 2-bedroom FMR; nationally it ranks #1,415 most expensive of 3,145 HUD counties.

#1,415
most expensive of 3,145 US counties (2BR)
#18
most expensive of 99 in Iowa (2BR)
+3%
vs the state average
$32,560
income to afford it (30% rule)

Software Developers spend the smallest share of income on rent here (8.9%), while Fast Food and Counter Workers spend the most (34.4%).

FY 2026 HUD Fair Market Rent for Wapello County, IA. Verify with HUD →

Wapello County, Iowa carries an FY 2026 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent of $814 per month, the federal benchmark HUD publishes for this county. A 2-bedroom costs $1,068/mo and a studio is $793/mo. That's 15% below the national benchmark of $959 and 3% above the Iowa average of $788.

Rent increased4.9% from FY 2025 ($776), outpacing inflation. The 30% affordability floor is comparatively reachable here at $32,560/year.

Observed renter burden: 43.4% of the 4,587 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 Iowa. Population: 35,292. Population has held roughly steady over the past five years (-0.1%, Census ACS). That's slower than Iowa's statewide growth of +2.0% over the same period.

FMR filing desk

Area WAPELLO·COUNTY·IA·IA

Wapello County, IA: $814/mo 1BR · #1415 of 3145 counties (2BR) · FY2026

  • FMR-AREA IA
  • 1BR-FMR $814
  • 2BR-FMR $1,068
  • RANK-MID #1,415
  • YOY-UP +4.9%
  • VSUS-BELOW -15%
  • VS-ST-NEAR +3% IA
  • INC-ROOM 16%
  • POP-SMALL 35K
  • PHOTO-NEAR Polk County
  • VOUCH-90-110 $733–$895
  • FY-2026 FY2026

Photo-finish peer: Polk ($295 1BR gap)

Read with: Section 8 housing guide

Fair Market Rents (2026)

Studio
State avg: $738 · US avg: $893
$793/mo
↑ 5.7% YoY +7% vs state -11% vs US
1 Bedroom
State avg: $788 · US avg: $959
$814/mo
↑ 4.9% YoY +3% vs state -15% vs US
2 Bedroom
State avg: $989 · US avg: $1,175
$1,068/mo
↑ 4.9% YoY +8% vs state -9% vs US
3 Bedroom
State avg: $1,282 · US avg: $1,525
$1,354/mo
↑ 6.5% YoY +6% vs state -11% vs US
4 Bedroom
State avg: $1,420 · US avg: $1,756
$1,468/mo
↑ 0.1% YoY +3% vs state -16% vs US

Year-over-Year Comparison

Bedrooms FY 2025 FY 2026 Change
Studio $750
$793
+$43 (+5.7%)
1 Bedroom $776
$814
+$38 (+4.9%)
2 Bedroom $1,018
$1,068
+$50 (+4.9%)
3 Bedroom $1,271
$1,354
+$83 (+6.5%)
4 Bedroom $1,467
$1,468
+$1 (+0.1%)

Rent Burden Analysis

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

Studio
15.9%
Affordable
Need $31,720/yr for 30% rule
1 Bedroom
16.3%
Affordable
Need $32,560/yr for 30% rule
2 Bedroom
21.3%
Affordable
Need $42,720/yr for 30% rule
3 Bedroom
27.1%
Affordable
Need $54,160/yr for 30% rule
4 Bedroom
29.3%
Affordable
Need $58,720/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%21.3%
Wapello County 2-bedroom rent burden
County median income: $60,034 · National avg burden: 21.7% ·View Iowa rent burden →

Where Wapello sits among every US county

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

$1,068 higher than 55% 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%). This entry sits in this band. $1,200–$1,400: 417 counties (13%). Above this entry. $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 Wapello compares on 1-bedroom rent

1-bedroom FMR vs other Iowa counties

1BR FMR / mo

What this shows Wapello is highlighted. Nearby Iowa counties by 1-bedroom FMR, highest to lowest: Polk County ($1,109), Johnson County ($961), Scott County ($928), Woodbury County ($925), Linn County ($816), Wapello County (this county) ($814), Black Hawk County ($801).

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

Can Common Jobs Afford Rent Here?

With a below-average 1-bedroom at $814/mo, most of these Iowa occupations clear, or miss, the 30% affordability line.

Occupation IA Salary Rent Burden Verdict
Software Developers $109,850 8.9% Affordable
General & Operations Managers $80,620 12.1% Affordable
Registered Nurses $76,960 12.7% Affordable
Accountants & Auditors $74,290 13.1% Affordable
Police & Sheriff's Patrol Officers $73,900 13.2% Affordable
Electricians $62,880 15.5% Affordable
Elementary School Teachers $55,540 17.6% Affordable
Heavy & Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers $55,080 17.7% Affordable
Paralegals & Legal Assistants $53,280 18.3% Affordable
Customer Service Representatives $44,990 21.7% Affordable
Pharmacy Technicians $41,380 23.6% Affordable
Janitors & Cleaners $36,130 27% Affordable
Retail Salespersons $30,030 32.5% Stretched
Teaching Assistants $28,500 34.3% Stretched
Fast Food & Counter Workers $28,400 34.4% Stretched
Salaries: BLS OES (Iowa) median · 30% = affordable threshold · Try the salary calculator →

Rent Trends (2020–2026)

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

Over the 6-year span HUD has tracked for Wapello (FY 2020-2026), the 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent has risen 46.4% overall, from $556 to $814. Most of that movement was gradual except for a single sharp jump of +12.9% in FY 2024, well above this county's typical year-to-year change.

$500$600$700$800$900 FY2020FY2021FY2022FY2023FY2024FY2025FY2026 $814
Wapello County 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent, FY2020–FY2026
Year Studio 1 BR 2 BR
FY 2026 ↑4.9% $793 $814 $1,068
FY 2025 ↑2.2% $750 $776 $1,018
FY 2024 ↑12.9% $728 $759 $997
FY 2023 ↑7.5% $647 $672 $885
FY 2022 ↑8.5% $595 $625 $823
FY 2021 ↑3.6% $563 $576 $759
FY 2020 $497 $556 $732
Total change (6yr): +46.4%
Annualized: +6.6%/yr
1 BR: $556 → $814

Part of the Ottumwa, IA Micro Area

Wapello County is a central county of the Ottumwa, IA micropolitan statistical area.

Nationwide peers by 2BR FMR & rent burden

Two PlainRent-derived comparison paths for Wapello County, both outside Iowa 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 IA (FY2026).

Riley County
KS · 2 BR $1,068/mo
Jackson County
FL · 2 BR $1,068/mo
Palo Pinto County
TX · 2 BR $1,068/mo
Pottawatomie County
KS · 2 BR $1,068/mo

Similar rent burden

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

Navarro County
TX · 21.3% of income · 2 BR $1,055/mo
Coshocton County
OH · 21.4% of income · 2 BR $973/mo
Nowata County
OK · 21.3% of income · 2 BR $937/mo
Warren County
KY · 21.4% of income · 2 BR $1,153/mo

Nearby Counties in Iowa

Largest counties by population in Iowa

Showing the 8 largest of 98 other counties in Iowa.

Polk County
1 BR: $1,109/mo Pop: 493,378
Linn County
1 BR: $816/mo Pop: 229,308
Scott County
1 BR: $928/mo Pop: 174,315
Johnson County
1 BR: $961/mo Pop: 153,360
Black Hawk County
1 BR: $801/mo Pop: 131,041
Woodbury County
1 BR: $925/mo Pop: 105,526
Dallas County
1 BR: $1,109/mo Pop: 100,367
Dubuque County
1 BR: $841/mo Pop: 98,812
View all counties in Iowa →

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the average rent in Wapello County? ▼
The FY 2026 Fair Market Rent for a 1-bedroom in Wapello County is $814 per month. A 2-bedroom is $1,068 and a studio is $793.
How does Wapello County rent compare to the national average? ▼
Rent in Wapello County is 15% below the national average. A 1-bedroom here costs $814 compared to $959 nationally.
Where does Wapello County rank nationally for Fair Market Rent? ▼
According to HUD's FY 2026 Fair Market Rent schedule, Wapello County's 2-bedroom FMR of $1,068 ranks #1,415 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 Wapello County? ▼
Based on the 30% affordability rule, you need an annual income of at least $32,560 ($2,713/month) to afford a 1-bedroom at Fair Market Rent in Wapello County.
Is rent going up or down in Wapello County? ▼
The 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent in Wapello County increased by 4.9% from FY 2025 to FY 2026, going from $776 to $814.
Which jobs can afford rent in Wapello County? ▼
Based on Iowa BLS salary data and the 30% affordability rule, jobs like Software Developers, General and Operations Managers, Registered Nurses can afford a 1-bedroom at $814/mo. 12 of 15 common occupations are affordable here.
How much has rent changed in Wapello County over time? ▼
The 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent in Wapello County went from $556 in FY 2020 to $814 in FY 2026, a total change of +46.4% over 6 years.
How does Fair Market Rent affect Section 8 vouchers in Wapello County? ▼
In Wapello County, the FY 2026 FMR of $814/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 Wapello County? ▼
For Wapello County, it's the specific 40th-percentile rent HUD publishes each year ($814/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.