State ranking · HUD FMR + Census ACS

Missouri: County Rent Burden

How much of household income goes to rent in each Missouri county, FY 2026.

19.9%
State avg 2BR burden
1
Counties over 30% (of 115)
0
Severely burdened (>50%)

What rent burden reveals about Missouri

Rent burden measures the share of household income going to rent. The federal standard, used by HUD and the Census Bureau, flags any household paying more than 30% of gross income on rent as "cost-burdened" and any household above 50% as "severely cost-burdened." This page calculates county-level burden by dividing HUD's FY 2026 Fair Market Rents, 1-bedroom and 2-bedroom, by Census-reported median household income for each county in Missouri. Across the 115 counties with complete data, the weighted average 2-bedroom burden is 19.9%, compared with a national average of 21.7% - meaning Missouri sits 1.8 percentage points lower than the US benchmark.

The distribution matters more than the state average. In Missouri, 1 of 115 counties (1%) have a 2-bedroom burden above 30%, and 0 counties cross the severe-burden threshold of 50%. The most burdened county is Hickory County at 30.4%, where the FY 2026 2-bedroom FMR of $888 eats that share of the local median income of $35,084. Because HUD's FMR sits at the 40th percentile of gross rents, this calculation understates the reality faced by renters paying market-rate: many higher-quality units in each county rent well above FMR, pushing actual burden rates even higher than the numbers shown below.

Burden data has direct policy stakes. High-burden counties see stronger demand for Section 8 Housing Choice Vouchers (which cap tenant contribution at 30% of adjusted income and cover the gap up to FMR) and for Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) units, both of which rely on HUD's FMR as the foundational input. High burden also correlates with longer waitlists for public housing and greater housing instability, eviction filings, doubling up, and homelessness all rise in counties above the 50% threshold. Pair this page with the cheapest-counties ranking and year-over-year rent growth to see which Missouri counties are getting more affordable, which are tightening fastest, and where the burden gap between Missouri and the rest of the country is widening or narrowing.

State Avg Burden
19.9%
National Avg
21.7%
Counties > 30%
1
of 115
Severely Burdened
0
> 50% of income

All Counties by Rent Burden

# County 1 BR Rent 2 BR Rent 1 BR Burden 2 BR Burden
1 Hickory County $796 $888 27.2% 30.4%
2 St. Louis city $995 $1,218 21.6% 26.4%
3 Pemiscot County $713 $888 21% 26.2%
4 Caldwell County $1,197 $1,358 23% 26.1%
5 Ozark County $677 $888 19.2% 25.2%
6 Wayne County $810 $888 22.4% 24.6%
7 Jackson County $1,197 $1,358 21.4% 24.3%
8 Ripley County $731 $888 20% 24.3%
9 Oregon County $677 $888 18.4% 24.1%
10 Reynolds County $677 $888 18.3% 24%
11 Carter County $677 $888 18% 23.6%
12 Cedar County $677 $888 17.8% 23.4%
13 Clinton County $1,197 $1,358 20.3% 23.1%
14 Worth County $677 $888 17.6% 23.1%
15 Mississippi County $677 $888 17.6% 23%
16 Greene County $883 $1,095 18.4% 22.9%
17 St. Clair County $677 $888 17.4% 22.8%
18 Ray County $1,197 $1,358 19.9% 22.6%
19 Dunklin County $677 $888 17.2% 22.5%
20 Wright County $677 $888 17.2% 22.5%
21 Texas County $694 $888 17.3% 22.2%
22 McDonald County $677 $888 16.9% 22.1%
23 Monroe County $677 $888 16.8% 22.1%
24 Butler County $682 $895 16.6% 21.8%
25 Buchanan County $832 $1,077 16.8% 21.7%
26 New Madrid County $678 $890 16.5% 21.7%
27 Barton County $734 $888 17.8% 21.5%
28 Morgan County $745 $888 18% 21.5%
29 Benton County $708 $929 16.3% 21.4%
30 Dade County $729 $888 17.5% 21.4%
31 Douglas County $677 $888 16.3% 21.4%
32 Howell County $677 $888 16.3% 21.4%
33 Laclede County $688 $903 16.2% 21.3%
34 Taney County $784 $1,029 16.1% 21.2%
35 Bollinger County $807 $992 16.9% 20.8%
36 Iron County $810 $888 19% 20.8%
37 Clark County $677 $888 15.8% 20.7%
38 Lafayette County $1,197 $1,358 18.2% 20.6%
39 Washington County $774 $888 17.9% 20.5%
40 Lewis County $677 $888 15.5% 20.4%
41 Shelby County $703 $888 16.2% 20.4%
42 Franklin County $995 $1,218 16.6% 20.3%
43 Vernon County $703 $923 15.5% 20.3%
44 Phelps County $742 $933 16.1% 20.2%
45 Dallas County $732 $888 16.5% 20%
46 Harrison County $677 $888 15.2% 20%
47 Howard County $796 $1,044 15.3% 20%
48 Knox County $677 $888 15.2% 20%
49 Boone County $1,011 $1,160 17.4% 19.9%
50 Grundy County $677 $888 15.1% 19.8%
51 Jasper County $765 $947 16% 19.8%
52 St. Francois County $689 $904 15.1% 19.8%
53 Dent County $680 $892 15% 19.7%
54 Stoddard County $677 $888 15% 19.7%
55 Miller County $819 $898 17.8% 19.5%
56 Pettis County $745 $978 14.8% 19.5%
57 Nodaway County $718 $906 15.4% 19.4%
58 Macon County $713 $936 14.7% 19.3%
59 Randolph County $693 $888 15% 19.3%
60 Bates County $706 $927 14.6% 19.2%
61 Madison County $713 $935 14.6% 19.2%
62 Pulaski County $809 $1,062 14.6% 19.2%
63 Sullivan County $809 $888 17.5% 19.2%
64 Lawrence County $677 $888 14.5% 19.1%
65 Pike County $700 $918 14.6% 19.1%
66 Audrain County $690 $888 14.7% 19%
67 Schuyler County $677 $888 14.5% 19%
68 Scott County $709 $930 14.5% 19%
69 Clay County $1,197 $1,358 16.7% 18.9%
70 Crawford County $729 $888 15.5% 18.9%
71 Adair County $708 $888 15% 18.8%
72 Barry County $677 $888 14.4% 18.8%
73 Henry County $677 $888 14.3% 18.8%
74 Polk County $733 $888 15.5% 18.8%
75 Saline County $677 $888 14.4% 18.8%
76 Webster County $883 $1,095 15.2% 18.8%
77 DeKalb County $832 $1,077 14.5% 18.7%
78 Putnam County $698 $888 14.7% 18.7%
79 Warren County $995 $1,218 15.3% 18.7%
80 Cass County $1,197 $1,358 16.4% 18.6%
81 Gentry County $691 $888 14.4% 18.5%
82 Holt County $677 $888 13.9% 18.2%
83 Jefferson County $995 $1,218 14.8% 18.2%
84 Shannon County $677 $888 13.8% 18.1%
85 Stone County $703 $923 13.8% 18.1%
86 Atchison County $677 $888 13.7% 18%
87 Perry County $868 $952 16.4% 18%
88 Ste. Genevieve County $767 $922 15% 18%
89 St. Louis County $995 $1,218 14.7% 18%
90 Camden County $716 $939 13.7% 17.9%
91 Marion County $729 $952 13.7% 17.9%
92 Livingston County $677 $888 13.5% 17.7%
93 Mercer County $677 $888 13.5% 17.7%
94 Daviess County $677 $888 13.4% 17.6%
95 Newton County $765 $947 14.2% 17.6%
96 Andrew County $832 $1,077 13.5% 17.5%
97 Montgomery County $677 $888 13.3% 17.5%
98 Maries County $790 $888 15.5% 17.4%
99 Cape Girardeau County $807 $992 14.1% 17.3%
100 Carroll County $677 $888 13.2% 17.3%
101 Johnson County $815 $965 14.6% 17.3%
102 Callaway County $794 $1,042 13.1% 17.2%
103 Linn County $677 $888 13.1% 17.2%
104 Ralls County $677 $888 13.1% 17.2%
105 Lincoln County $995 $1,218 14% 17.1%
106 Cooper County $730 $958 13% 17%
107 Moniteau County $703 $922 12.9% 17%
108 Platte County $1,197 $1,358 15% 17%
109 Chariton County $677 $888 12.8% 16.8%
110 Gasconade County $677 $888 12.5% 16.4%
111 Christian County $883 $1,095 13% 16.2%
112 Scotland County $705 $888 12.5% 15.8%
113 Cole County $694 $910 11.4% 14.9%
114 Osage County $694 $910 11.1% 14.5%
115 St. Charles County $995 $1,218 11.6% 14.2%
National burden rankings → All Missouri rents → Cheapest counties →

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the rent burden in Missouri? ▼
The average 2-bedroom rent burden in Missouri is 19.9% of household income. 1 of 115 counties exceed the 30% affordability threshold.
Which counties in Missouri are most rent burdened? ▼
The most rent-burdened county is Hickory County at 30.4% of income. No counties exceed the 50% severe burden threshold.
How does Missouri compare to the national average? ▼
Missouri's average rent burden is 19.9% vs the national average of 21.7%. That's 1.8 percentage points lower than average.

Data sources: HUD FY 2026 Fair Market Rents and U.S. Census Bureau median household income. Rent burden = (annual FMR ÷ median income) × 100.

Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.