County FMR · HUD FY2026

Wayne County Fair Market Rent

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

$816
1-bedroom FMR
$1,041
2-bedroom FMR
+10.6%
YoY change
-15%
vs US avg

The verdict

Wayne is the 39th most expensive of 88 counties in Ohio by 2-bedroom FMR; nationally it ranks #1,510 most expensive of 3,145 HUD counties; rent here has climbed 10.6% since FY 2025, a sharp move relative to most counties.

#1,510
most expensive of 3,145 US counties (2BR)
#39
most expensive of 88 in Ohio (2BR)
-7%
vs the state average
$32,640
income to afford it (30% rule)

Software Developers spend the smallest share of income on rent here (9.1%), while Fast Food and Counter Workers spend the most (34.8%); 13 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 Wayne County, OH. Verify with HUD →

The Fair Market Rent for a 1-bedroom apartment in Wayne County, Ohio is $816 per month in FY 2026, according to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). A 2-bedroom costs $1,041/mo and a studio is $718/mo. This is 15% lower than the national average of $959 and 7% below the Ohio average of $873.

Rent increased10.6% from FY 2025 ($738), outpacing inflation. Under the 30% rule, affordability starts near $32,640/year for a 1-bedroom.

FY 2026 HUD Fair Market Rents in Ohio. Population: 116,680. Population has held roughly steady over the past five years (+0.4%, Census ACS). That's in line with Ohio's statewide growth of +1.2% over the same period.

FMR filing desk

Area WAYNE·COUNTY·OH·OH

Wayne County, OH: $816/mo 1BR · #1510 of 3145 counties (2BR) · FY2026

  • FMR-AREA OH
  • 1BR-FMR $816
  • 2BR-FMR $1,041
  • RANK-MID #1,510
  • YOY-SURGE +10.6%
  • VSUS-BELOW -15%
  • VS-ST-NEAR -7% OH
  • INC-ROOM 14%
  • POP-MID 117K
  • PHOTO-NEAR Franklin County
  • VOUCH-90-110 $734–$898
  • FY-2026 FY2026

Photo-finish peer: Franklin ($378 1BR gap)

Read with: How Fair Market Rent works

Fair Market Rents (2026)

Studio
State avg: $816 · US avg: $893
$718/mo
↑ 10.3% YoY -12% vs state -20% vs US
1 Bedroom
State avg: $873 · US avg: $959
$816/mo
↑ 10.6% YoY -7% vs state -15% vs US
2 Bedroom
State avg: $1,092 · US avg: $1,175
$1,041/mo
↑ 9.6% YoY -5% vs state -11% vs US
3 Bedroom
State avg: $1,388 · US avg: $1,525
$1,269/mo
↑ 8.8% YoY -9% vs state -17% vs US
4 Bedroom
State avg: $1,550 · US avg: $1,756
$1,491/mo
↑ 11.8% YoY -4% vs state -15% vs US

Year-over-Year Comparison

Bedrooms FY 2025 FY 2026 Change
Studio $651
$718
+$67 (+10.3%)
1 Bedroom $738
$816
+$78 (+10.6%)
2 Bedroom $950
$1,041
+$91 (+9.6%)
3 Bedroom $1,166
$1,269
+$103 (+8.8%)
4 Bedroom $1,334
$1,491
+$157 (+11.8%)

Rent Burden Analysis

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

Studio
12%
Affordable
Need $28,720/yr for 30% rule
1 Bedroom
13.6%
Affordable
Need $32,640/yr for 30% rule
2 Bedroom
17.4%
Affordable
Need $41,640/yr for 30% rule
3 Bedroom
21.2%
Affordable
Need $50,760/yr for 30% rule
4 Bedroom
24.9%
Affordable
Need $59,640/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%17.4%
Wayne County 2-bedroom rent burden
County median income: $71,769 · National avg burden: 21.7% ·View Ohio rent burden →

Where Wayne sits among every US county

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

$1,041 higher than 52% 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 Wayne compares on 1-bedroom rent

1-bedroom FMR vs other Ohio counties

1BR FMR / mo

What this shows Wayne is highlighted. Nearby Ohio counties by 1-bedroom FMR, highest to lowest: Franklin County ($1,194), Cuyahoga County ($1,058), Hamilton County ($1,051), Montgomery County ($1,009), Summit County ($985), Lucas County ($820), Wayne County (this county) ($816).

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

Can Common Jobs Afford Rent Here?

How a 1-bedroom at $816/mo compares to Ohio salaries for popular occupations (BLS wage data, 30%-of-income rule).

Occupation OH Salary Rent Burden Verdict
Software Developers $107,690 9.1% Affordable
General & Operations Managers $94,990 10.3% Affordable
Registered Nurses $81,250 12.1% Affordable
Accountants & Auditors $77,640 12.6% Affordable
Police & Sheriff's Patrol Officers $77,050 12.7% Affordable
Elementary School Teachers $65,380 15% Affordable
Electricians $63,560 15.4% Affordable
Paralegals & Legal Assistants $58,870 16.6% Affordable
Heavy & Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers $58,080 16.9% Affordable
Customer Service Representatives $43,510 22.5% Affordable
Pharmacy Technicians $37,860 25.9% Affordable
Teaching Assistants $35,380 27.7% Affordable
Janitors & Cleaners $34,710 28.2% Affordable
Retail Salespersons $30,440 32.2% Stretched
Fast Food & Counter Workers $28,100 34.8% Stretched
Salaries: BLS OES (Ohio) median · 30% = affordable threshold · Try the salary calculator →

Rent Trends (2020–2026)

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

Over the 6-year span HUD has tracked for Wayne (FY 2020-2026), the 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent has risen 44.2% overall, from $566 to $816. The increases have been fairly steady year to year, with no single jump exceeding 10.6% (FY 2026).

$500$600$700$800$900 FY2020FY2021FY2022FY2023FY2024FY2025FY2026 $816
Wayne County 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent, FY2020–FY2026
Year Studio 1 BR 2 BR
FY 2026 ↑10.6% $718 $816 $1,041
FY 2025 ↑5.0% $651 $738 $950
FY 2024 ↑7.5% $634 $703 $911
FY 2023 ↑9.4% $611 $654 $861
FY 2022 ↓1.0% $584 $598 $787
FY 2021 ↑6.7% $600 $604 $796
FY 2020 $563 $566 $731
Total change (6yr): +44.2%
Annualized: +6.3%/yr
1 BR: $566 → $816

Part of the Wooster, OH Micro Area

Wayne County is a central county of the Wooster, OH micropolitan statistical area.

Nationwide peers by 2BR FMR & rent burden

Two PlainRent-derived comparison paths for Wayne County, both outside Ohio 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 OH (FY2026).

Vernon Parish
LA · 2 BR $1,041/mo
Finney County
KS · 2 BR $1,041/mo
Marshall County
TN · 2 BR $1,041/mo
Carbon County
UT · 2 BR $1,041/mo

Similar rent burden

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

Stutsman County
ND · 17.4% of income · 2 BR $873/mo
Montgomery County
IN · 17.4% of income · 2 BR $966/mo
Vermilion Parish
LA · 17.4% of income · 2 BR $834/mo
Madison County
TX · 17.4% of income · 2 BR $973/mo

Nearby Counties in Ohio

Largest counties by population in Ohio

Showing the 8 largest of 87 other counties in Ohio.

Franklin County
1 BR: $1,194/mo Pop: 1,318,149
Cuyahoga County
1 BR: $1,058/mo Pop: 1,256,620
Hamilton County
1 BR: $1,051/mo Pop: 827,671
Summit County
1 BR: $985/mo Pop: 539,361
Montgomery County
1 BR: $1,009/mo Pop: 536,121
Lucas County
1 BR: $820/mo Pop: 430,014
Butler County
1 BR: $1,051/mo Pop: 388,327
Stark County
1 BR: $846/mo Pop: 374,199
View all counties in Ohio →

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the average rent in Wayne County? ▼
The FY 2026 Fair Market Rent for a 1-bedroom in Wayne County is $816 per month. A 2-bedroom is $1,041 and a studio is $718.
How does Wayne County rent compare to the national average? ▼
Rent in Wayne County is 15% below the national average. A 1-bedroom here costs $816 compared to $959 nationally.
Where does Wayne County rank nationally for Fair Market Rent? ▼
According to HUD's FY 2026 Fair Market Rent schedule, Wayne County's 2-bedroom FMR of $1,041 ranks #1,510 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 Wayne County? ▼
Based on the 30% affordability rule, you need an annual income of at least $32,640 ($2,720/month) to afford a 1-bedroom at Fair Market Rent in Wayne County.
Is rent going up or down in Wayne County? ▼
The 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent in Wayne County increased by 10.6% from FY 2025 to FY 2026, going from $738 to $816.
Which jobs can afford rent in Wayne County? ▼
Based on Ohio BLS salary data and the 30% affordability rule, jobs like Software Developers, General and Operations Managers, Registered Nurses can afford a 1-bedroom at $816/mo. 13 of 15 common occupations are affordable here.
How much has rent changed in Wayne County over time? ▼
The 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent in Wayne County went from $566 in FY 2020 to $816 in FY 2026, a total change of +44.2% over 6 years.
How does Fair Market Rent affect Section 8 vouchers in Wayne County? ▼
In Wayne County, the FY 2026 FMR of $816/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 Wayne County? ▼
For Wayne County, it's the specific 40th-percentile rent HUD publishes each year ($816/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.