Counties in Iowa by fair Market Rent, three bedrooms (HUD, monthly)

Johnson County had the highest fair Market Rent, three bedrooms (HUD, monthly) of 99 counties in 2018, at $1,391. Taylor County had the lowest, at $815. The median was $895. Source: the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Office of Policy Development and Research.

Keep it in a collection in your library.
Highest1,391Johnson County
Lowest815Taylor County
Median89599 counties

Map of counties, 2018

Adair County: 815 USDAdams County: 945 USDAllamakee County: 815 USDAppanoose County: 834 USDAudubon County: 894 USDBenton County: 840 USDBlack Hawk County: 988 USDBoone County: 932 USDBremer County: 907 USDBuchanan County: 917 USDBuena Vista County: 915 USDButler County: 842 USDCalhoun County: 823 USDCarroll County: 815 USDCass County: 841 USDCedar County: 928 USDCerro Gordo County: 931 USDCherokee County: 903 USDChickasaw County: 882 USDClarke County: 913 USDClay County: 941 USDClayton County: 834 USDClinton County: 926 USDCrawford County: 815 USDDallas County: 1,181 USDDavis County: 909 USDDecatur County: 843 USDDelaware County: 927 USDDes Moines County: 918 USDDickinson County: 895 USDDubuque County: 1,032 USDEmmet County: 882 USDFayette County: 815 USDFloyd County: 882 USDFranklin County: 882 USDFremont County: 815 USDGreene County: 815 USDGrundy County: 988 USDGuthrie County: 1,181 USDHamilton County: 882 USDHancock County: 822 USDHardin County: 935 USDHarrison County: 1,248 USDHenry County: 892 USDHoward County: 894 USDHumboldt County: 821 USDIda County: 934 USDIowa County: 945 USDJackson County: 884 USDJasper County: 923 USDJefferson County: 935 USDJohnson County: 1,391 USDJones County: 852 USDKeokuk County: 906 USDKossuth County: 882 USDLee County: 861 USDLinn County: 1,095 USDLouisa County: 876 USDLucas County: 915 USDLyon County: 815 USDMadison County: 1,181 USDMahaska County: 871 USDMarion County: 918 USDMarshall County: 950 USDMills County: 1,248 USDMitchell County: 815 USDMonona County: 887 USDMonroe County: 840 USDMontgomery County: 882 USDMuscatine County: 1,064 USDO'Brien County: 905 USDOsceola County: 880 USDPage County: 879 USDPalo Alto County: 897 USDPlymouth County: 848 USDPocahontas County: 882 USDPolk County: 1,181 USDPottawattamie County: 1,248 USDPoweshiek County: 875 USDRinggold County: 886 USDSac County: 926 USDScott County: 1,013 USDShelby County: 906 USDSioux County: 862 USDStory County: 1,209 USDTama County: 859 USDTaylor County: 815 USDUnion County: 930 USDVan Buren County: 886 USDWapello County: 923 USDWarren County: 1,181 USDWashington County: 974 USDWayne County: 856 USDWebster County: 886 USDWinnebago County: 945 USDWinneshiek County: 863 USDWoodbury County: 1,011 USDWorth County: 900 USDWright County: 838 USD
  • Under 840
  • 840 to 880
  • 880 to 900
  • 900 to 920
  • 920 to 980
  • 980 and over
USD, 2018. Source: HUD, HUD Fair Market Rents by county: three bedrooms, monthly gross rent in dollars. Boundaries: U.S. Census Bureau cartographic boundary files.

Top 40 counties, 2018

Johnson County: 1,391 USDJohnson County1,391Harrison County: 1,248 USDHarrison County1,248Mills County: 1,248 USDMills County1,248Pottawattamie County: 1,248 USDPottawattamie County1,248Story County: 1,209 USDStory County1,209Dallas County: 1,181 USDDallas County1,181Guthrie County: 1,181 USDGuthrie County1,181Madison County: 1,181 USDMadison County1,181Polk County: 1,181 USDPolk County1,181Warren County: 1,181 USDWarren County1,181Linn County: 1,095 USDLinn County1,095Muscatine County: 1,064 USDMuscatine County1,064Dubuque County: 1,032 USDDubuque County1,032Scott County: 1,013 USDScott County1,013Woodbury County: 1,011 USDWoodbury County1,011Black Hawk County: 988 USDBlack Hawk County988Grundy County: 988 USDGrundy County988Washington County: 974 USDWashington County974Marshall County: 950 USDMarshall County950Adams County: 945 USDAdams County945Iowa County: 945 USDIowa County945Winnebago County: 945 USDWinnebago County945Clay County: 941 USDClay County941Hardin County: 935 USDHardin County935Jefferson County: 935 USDJefferson County935Ida County: 934 USDIda County934Boone County: 932 USDBoone County932Cerro Gordo County: 931 USDCerro Gordo County931Union County: 930 USDUnion County930Cedar County: 928 USDCedar County928Delaware County: 927 USDDelaware County927Clinton County: 926 USDClinton County926Sac County: 926 USDSac County926Jasper County: 923 USDJasper County923Wapello County: 923 USDWapello County923Des Moines County: 918 USDDes Moines County918Marion County: 918 USDMarion County918Buchanan County: 917 USDBuchanan County917Buena Vista County: 915 USDBuena Vista County915Lucas County: 915 USDLucas County915Johnson County: 1,391 USDJohnson County1,391Harrison County: 1,248 USDHarrison County1,248Mills County: 1,248 USDMills County1,248Pottawattamie County: 1,248 USDPottawattamie County1,248Story County: 1,209 USDStory County1,209Dallas County: 1,181 USDDallas County1,181Guthrie County: 1,181 USDGuthrie County1,181Madison County: 1,181 USDMadison County1,181Polk County: 1,181 USDPolk County1,181Warren County: 1,181 USDWarren County1,181Linn County: 1,095 USDLinn County1,095Muscatine County: 1,064 USDMuscatine County1,064Dubuque County: 1,032 USDDubuque County1,032Scott County: 1,013 USDScott County1,013Woodbury County: 1,011 USDWoodbury County1,011Black Hawk County: 988 USDBlack Hawk County988Grundy County: 988 USDGrundy County988Washington County: 974 USDWashington County974Marshall County: 950 USDMarshall County950Adams County: 945 USDAdams County945Iowa County: 945 USDIowa County945Winnebago County: 945 USDWinnebago County945Clay County: 941 USDClay County941Hardin County: 935 USDHardin County935Jefferson County: 935 USDJefferson County935Ida County: 934 USDIda County934Boone County: 932 USDBoone County932Cerro Gordo County: 931 USDCerro Gordo County931Union County: 930 USDUnion County930Cedar County: 928 USDCedar County928Delaware County: 927 USDDelaware County927Clinton County: 926 USDClinton County926Sac County: 926 USDSac County926Jasper County: 923 USDJasper County923Wapello County: 923 USDWapello County923Des Moines County: 918 USDDes Moines County918Marion County: 918 USDMarion County918Buchanan County: 917 USDBuchanan County917Buena Vista County: 915 USDBuena Vista County915Lucas County: 915 USDLucas County915
USD. Source: HUD, HUD Fair Market Rents by county: three bedrooms, monthly gross rent in dollars. Retrieved 2026-10-12.

Full ranking

RankCounties2018
USD
Change on 2017
1Johnson County1,391-5.6%
2Harrison County1,248+3.7%
2Mills County1,248+3.7%
2Pottawattamie County1,248+3.7%
5Story County1,209+9.3%
6Dallas County1,181+5.7%
6Guthrie County1,181+5.7%
6Madison County1,181+5.7%
6Polk County1,181+5.7%
6Warren County1,181+5.7%
11Linn County1,095+0.6%
12Muscatine County1,064+3.3%
13Dubuque County1,032-2.5%
14Scott County1,013+4.5%
15Woodbury County1,011+7.3%
16Black Hawk County988+0.2%
16Grundy County988+0.2%
18Washington County974-5.3%
19Marshall County950+1.2%
20Adams County945+3.1%
20Iowa County945+3.1%
20Winnebago County945+3.1%
23Clay County941+2.6%
24Hardin County935+5.9%
24Jefferson County935+1.9%
26Ida County934+4.8%
27Boone County932+2.5%
28Cerro Gordo County931+1.2%
29Union County930+5.8%
30Cedar County928+1.1%
31Delaware County927+2%
32Clinton County926+3.7%
32Sac County926+6.4%
34Jasper County923+5.5%
34Wapello County923+1.3%
36Des Moines County918-1.1%
36Marion County918+0.3%
38Buchanan County917-0.7%
39Buena Vista County915+2.5%
39Lucas County915-1.7%
41Clarke County913+2.5%
42Davis County909+1.5%
43Bremer County907-7.6%
44Keokuk County906+4.5%
44Shelby County906+2.8%
46O'Brien County905+4.6%
47Cherokee County903+11.9%
48Worth County900+6.3%
49Palo Alto County897+3.7%
50Dickinson County895+0.4%
51Audubon County894+1.6%
51Howard County894+7.8%
53Henry County892+0.8%
54Monona County887+4.5%
55Ringgold County886+8.3%
55Van Buren County886+2.4%
55Webster County886+0.1%
58Jackson County884+2.2%
59Chickasaw County882+2%
59Emmet County882+2%
59Floyd County882+2%
59Franklin County882+2%
59Hamilton County882+1.6%
59Kossuth County882-3.8%
59Montgomery County882+2%
59Pocahontas County882+3.9%
67Osceola County880+6.5%
68Page County879+0.5%
69Louisa County876+2.1%
70Poweshiek County875-0.3%
71Mahaska County871+3.2%
72Winneshiek County863+5.1%
73Sioux County862+6.7%
74Lee County861+4.1%
75Tama County859+0.9%
76Wayne County856+3.5%
77Jones County852-0.6%
78Plymouth County848+2.5%
79Decatur County843-0.5%
80Butler County842-1.1%
81Cass County841+3.3%
82Benton County840-4.3%
82Monroe County840+6.6%
84Wright County838+6.3%
85Appanoose County834+3.2%
85Clayton County834+0.8%
87Calhoun County823+1%
88Hancock County822-0.6%
89Humboldt County821+2.6%
90Adair County815+3.4%
90Allamakee County815+1.7%
90Carroll County815+2.6%
90Crawford County815+3.4%
90Fayette County815+1.4%
90Fremont County815+0.7%
90Greene County815+1.4%
90Lyon County815+3.4%
90Mitchell County815+1%
90Taylor County815+3.4%

Other periods

About this ranking

Monthly gross rent, in US dollars, that the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) sets for a three-bedroom unit in the HUD area that contains the county.

More on how it is measured
  • Gross rent is the rent plus all utilities paid by the tenant except telephone, cable or satellite television and internet.
  • HUD sets Fair Market Rents at the 40th percentile of gross rents paid by recent movers for standard-quality rental units, from American Community Survey data brought forward to the fiscal year; until 2018 a few metropolitan areas were set at the 50th percentile.
  • They set payment standards for Housing Choice Vouchers and rent ceilings in other HUD programs.

A policy benchmark, not a measured rent: it is lower than the median rent by design and differs from the Census Bureau median gross rent. HUD sets one value per HUD area, a metropolitan area (sometimes split into HUD Metro FMR Areas) or a non-metropolitan county, so every county of a metropolitan area shows the same figure. Counties in the six New England states have no value, because HUD defines their areas by town and a county can span several areas. Where HUD splits off part of a county, the county value is the rest of the county: Howard County, Maryland, without Columbia until FY2015, and Crawford County, Missouri, without its part of Sullivan. The year is HUD's federal fiscal year: FY2027 runs from 1 October 2026 to 30 September 2027.

Every value in the ranking comes from the same publisher and the same period, so the counties are compared on one definition. Equal values share a rank.

How to cite

U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, HUD USER. HUD Fair Market Rents by county: three bedrooms, monthly gross rent in dollars. https://www.huduser.gov/portal/datasets/fmr/fmr2018/FY18_4050_FMRs_rev.xlsx. Retrieved 2026-10-12.

Citation styles

The publisher is the author. Invokely is named only as the place the figures were read, where a style asks for it.

APA 7

U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Office of Policy Development and Research. (2018). HUD Fair Market Rents by county: three bedrooms, monthly gross rent in dollars (Counties in Iowa by fair Market Rent, three bedrooms (HUD, monthly), 2018) [Data set]. Retrieved October 12, 2026, from https://www.huduser.gov/portal/datasets/fmr/fmr2018/FY18_4050_FMRs_rev.xlsx

MLA 9

HUD Fair Market Rents by county: three bedrooms, monthly gross rent in dollars, Counties in Iowa by fair Market Rent, three bedrooms (HUD, monthly), 2018. U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Office of Policy Development and Research, 13 Feb. 2018, https://www.huduser.gov/portal/datasets/fmr/fmr2018/FY18_4050_FMRs_rev.xlsx. Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/fair-market-rent-three-bedroom/iowa-counties?period=2018. Accessed 12 Oct. 2026.

Chicago (author-date)

U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Office of Policy Development and Research. 2018. HUD Fair Market Rents by county: three bedrooms, monthly gross rent in dollars. Counties in Iowa by fair Market Rent, three bedrooms (HUD, monthly), 2018. Dataset. Accessed October 12, 2026. https://www.huduser.gov/portal/datasets/fmr/fmr2018/FY18_4050_FMRs_rev.xlsx. Also distributed by Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/fair-market-rent-three-bedroom/iowa-counties?period=2018.

Harvard

U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Office of Policy Development and Research (2018) HUD Fair Market Rents by county: three bedrooms, monthly gross rent in dollars, Counties in Iowa by fair Market Rent, three bedrooms (HUD, monthly), 2018 [Dataset]. Available at: https://www.huduser.gov/portal/datasets/fmr/fmr2018/FY18_4050_FMRs_rev.xlsx, via Invokely: https://invokely.ai/rankings/fair-market-rent-three-bedroom/iowa-counties?period=2018 (Accessed: 12 October 2026).

BibTeX
@misc{department_counties_in_iowa_by_2018,
  author = {{U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Office of Policy Development and Research}},
  title = {{HUD Fair Market Rents by county: three bedrooms, monthly gross rent in dollars: Counties in Iowa by fair Market Rent, three bedrooms (HUD, monthly), 2018}},
  year = {2018},
  howpublished = {Data set},
  url = {https://www.huduser.gov/portal/datasets/fmr/fmr2018/FY18_4050_FMRs_rev.xlsx},
  urldate = {2026-10-12},
  note = {Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/fair-market-rent-three-bedroom/iowa-counties?period=2018. Publisher attribution: U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, HUD USER. HUD Fair Market Rents by county: three bedrooms, monthly gross rent in dollars. https://www.huduser.gov/portal/datasets/fmr/fmr2018/FY18\_4050\_FMRs\_rev.xlsx. Retrieved 2026-10-12.},
}
RIS
TY  - DATA
AU  - U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Office of Policy Development and Research
TI  - HUD Fair Market Rents by county: three bedrooms, monthly gross rent in dollars: Counties in Iowa by fair Market Rent, three bedrooms (HUD, monthly), 2018
PY  - 2018
DA  - 2018/02/13
PB  - U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Office of Policy Development and Research
DB  - Invokely
UR  - https://www.huduser.gov/portal/datasets/fmr/fmr2018/FY18_4050_FMRs_rev.xlsx
L2  - https://invokely.ai/rankings/fair-market-rent-three-bedroom/iowa-counties?period=2018
Y2  - 2026/10/12
N1  - Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/fair-market-rent-three-bedroom/iowa-counties?period=2018.
N1  - Publisher attribution: U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, HUD USER. HUD Fair Market Rents by county: three bedrooms, monthly gross rent in dollars. https://www.huduser.gov/portal/datasets/fmr/fmr2018/FY18_4050_FMRs_rev.xlsx. Retrieved 2026-10-12.
ER  - 
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Rank Counties in Iowa by fair Market Rent, three bedrooms (HUD, monthly) using official data, and cite the source.
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Questions

Which county has the highest fair Market Rent, three bedrooms (HUD, monthly)?

Johnson County, with $1,391 in 2018, according to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Office of Policy Development and Research.

Which county has the lowest fair Market Rent, three bedrooms (HUD, monthly)?

Taylor County, with $815 in 2018.

Where does this ranking come from?

Every value comes from one source and one period, so the places are comparable: U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Office of Policy Development and Research, HUD Fair Market Rents by county: three bedrooms, monthly gross rent in dollars. Retrieved 2026-10-12.

Fair Market Rent, three bedrooms (HUD, monthly): other rankings

Counties in Iowa: more rankings