County FMR · HUD FY2026
Wilson County Fair Market Rent
HUD's FY2026 Fair Market Rent for Wilson County, KS - 30% below the US average.
- $668
- 1-bedroom FMR
- $877
- 2-bedroom FMR
- +0.5%
- YoY change
- -30%
- vs US avg
The verdict
Wilson is the 42nd most expensive of 105 counties in Kansas by 2-bedroom FMR; nationally it ranks #221 most affordable of 3,145 HUD counties.
- #221
- most affordable of 3,145 US counties (2BR)
- #42
- most expensive of 105 in Kansas (2BR)
- -11%
- vs the state average
- $26,720
- income to afford it (30% rule)
Software Developers spend the smallest share of income on rent here (7.5%), while Fast Food and Counter Workers spend the most (29.7%); 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 Wilson County, KS. Verify with HUD →
HUD sets the FY 2026 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent for Wilson County, Kansas at $668 per month - the federal rental-assistance benchmark for this county. A 2-bedroom costs $877/mo and a studio is $643/mo. This is 30% lower than the national average of $959 and 11% below the Kansas average of $753.
Rent increased0.5% from FY 2025 ($665), roughly tracking inflation. The 30% affordability floor is comparatively reachable here at $26,720/year.
Observed renter burden: 36.8% of the 905 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 Kansas. Population: 8,667. Population has held roughly steady over the past five years (-2.5%, Census ACS). That's slower than Kansas's statewide growth of +1.0% over the same period.
FMR filing desk
Area WILSON·COUNTY·KS·KS
Wilson County, KS: $668/mo 1BR · #221 of 3145 counties (2BR) · FY2026
- FMR-AREA KS
- 1BR-FMR $668
- 2BR-FMR $877
- RANK-LOW #221
- YOY-FLAT +0.5%
- VSUS-LOW -30%
- VS-ST-LOW -11% KS
- INC-ROOM 14%
- POP-SMALL 9K
- PHOTO-NEAR Johnson County
- VOUCH-90-110 $601–$735
- FY-2026 FY2026
Photo-finish peer: Johnson ($529 1BR gap)
Read with: Section 8 housing guide
Fair Market Rents (2026)
Year-over-Year Comparison
| Bedrooms | FY 2025 | FY 2026 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Studio | $625 | $643 | +$18 (+2.9%) |
| 1 Bedroom | $665 | $668 | +$3 (+0.5%) |
| 2 Bedroom | $872 | $877 | +$5 (+0.6%) |
| 3 Bedroom | $1,211 | $1,103 | $-108 (-8.9%) |
| 4 Bedroom | $1,440 | $1,419 | $-21 (-1.5%) |
Rent Burden Analysis
How much of household income goes to rent in Wilson 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 Wilson sits among every US county
2-bedroom Fair Market Rent vs. all 3,145 HUD counties
$877 higher than 7% 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 Wilson compares on 1-bedroom rent
1-bedroom FMR vs other Kansas counties
- Johnson
Johnson County
$1,197 1BR FMR / mo
- Wyandotte
Wyandotte County
$1,197 1BR FMR / mo
- Leavenworth
Leavenworth County
$1,197 1BR FMR / mo
- Douglas
Douglas County
$1,006 1BR FMR / mo
- Sedgwick
Sedgwick County
$849 1BR FMR / mo
- Shawnee
Shawnee County
$820 1BR FMR / mo
- Wilson
Wilson County
$668 1BR FMR / mo
What this shows Wilson is highlighted. Nearby Kansas counties by 1-bedroom FMR, highest to lowest: Johnson County ($1,197), Wyandotte County ($1,197), Leavenworth County ($1,197), Douglas County ($1,006), Sedgwick County ($849), Shawnee County ($820), Wilson County (this county) ($668).
Can Common Jobs Afford Rent Here?
With a below-average 1-bedroom at $668/mo, most of these Kansas occupations clear, or miss, the 30% affordability line.
| Occupation | KS Salary | Rent Burden | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|
| Software Developers | $106,660 | 7.5% | Affordable |
| General & Operations Managers | $85,600 | 9.4% | Affordable |
| Registered Nurses | $78,060 | 10.3% | Affordable |
| Accountants & Auditors | $76,400 | 10.5% | Affordable |
| Electricians | $61,830 | 13% | Affordable |
| Heavy & Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers | $56,940 | 14.1% | Affordable |
| Police & Sheriff's Patrol Officers | $56,610 | 14.2% | Affordable |
| Elementary School Teachers | $50,820 | 15.8% | Affordable |
| Paralegals & Legal Assistants | $48,910 | 16.4% | Affordable |
| Pharmacy Technicians | $39,210 | 20.4% | Affordable |
| Customer Service Representatives | $38,330 | 20.9% | Affordable |
| Janitors & Cleaners | $32,690 | 24.5% | Affordable |
| Retail Salespersons | $31,670 | 25.3% | Affordable |
| Teaching Assistants | $27,960 | 28.7% | Affordable |
| Fast Food & Counter Workers | $27,000 | 29.7% | Affordable |
Rent Trends (2020–2026)
7-year Fair Market Rent history for Wilson County. Shows how HUD rental rates have changed over time.
Over the 6-year span HUD has tracked for Wilson (FY 2020-2026), the 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent has risen 21.5% overall, from $550 to $668. Most of that movement was gradual except for a single sharp jump of +12.0% in FY 2024, well above this county's typical year-to-year change.
| Year | Studio | 1 BR | 2 BR |
|---|---|---|---|
| FY 2026 ↑0.5% | $643 | $668 | $877 |
| FY 2025 ↓0.9% | $625 | $665 | $872 |
| FY 2024 ↑12.0% | $633 | $671 | $882 |
| FY 2023 ↑6.2% | $584 | $599 | $788 |
| FY 2022 ↑3.5% | $560 | $564 | $742 |
| FY 2021 ↓0.9% | $543 | $545 | $718 |
| FY 2020 | $524 | $550 | $714 |
Where Wilson County Ranks in Kansas
Wilson 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 #64 of 105 counties in Kansas. Nearest by rank: Smith County ($877), Stafford County ($877), Stanton County ($877), Thomas County ($877), Trego County ($877), Wallace County ($877), Washington County ($877), Wichita County ($877), Wilson County (this county) ($877), Woodson County ($877), Dickinson County ($878), Coffey County ($879), Crawford County ($901), Stevens County ($903), Logan County ($912), McPherson County ($920), Sherman County ($932).
Nationwide peers by 2BR FMR & rent burden
Two PlainRent-derived comparison paths for Wilson County, both outside Kansas 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 KS (FY2026).
Similar rent burden
Nearest 2BR FMR as a share of median household income (outside KS).
Nearby Counties in Kansas
Largest counties by population in Kansas
Showing the 8 largest of 104 other counties in Kansas.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the average rent in Wilson County? ▼
How does Wilson County rent compare to the national average? ▼
Where does Wilson County rank nationally for Fair Market Rent? ▼
What income do I need to afford rent in Wilson County? ▼
Is rent going up or down in Wilson County? ▼
Which jobs can afford rent in Wilson County? ▼
How much has rent changed in Wilson County over time? ▼
How does Fair Market Rent affect Section 8 vouchers in Wilson County? ▼
What does Fair Market Rent mean for Wilson 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.