Lower-FMR payment standards - Benton County, IA HUD Metro FMR Area
HUD FY2026 2-BR Fair Market Rent for Benton County, IA HUD Metro FMR Area is $956/month - 4th percentile of 396 published metro FMR areas (#18 cheapest→expensive) ; voucher vs ACS median: 1.2% below market ; FMR rows touch Benton County .
Geography note: HUD divides this CBSA into 3 separate Fair Market Rent areas, each with its own rent schedule. The amounts above are for Benton County, IA HUD Metro FMR Area only, not the whole metro.
Low-FMR rung around Benton County, IA HUD Metro FMR Area
Among the lower published 2-BR amounts nationally. Closest: Davidson County, NC HUD Metro FMR Area ($960), Decatur, AL MSA ($961), Anniston-Oxford, AL MSA ($962) .
Top-quartile contrast metros: Cape Coral-Fort Myers, FL MSA, Charleston-North Charleston, SC MSA, Charlottesville, VA MSA, Chicago-Joliet-Naperville, IL HUD Metro FMR Area, Chico, CA MSA, Burlington-South Burlington, VT MSA - use only for national scale, not local negotiation.
IA-state FMR neighbors for Benton County, IA HUD Metro FMR Area
Closest 2-BR amounts inside IA: Boone County, IA HUD Metro FMR Area ($1,026); Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA HUD Metro FMR Area ($1,051); Dubuque, IA MSA ($1,077); Iowa City, IA HUD Metro FMR Area ($1,141); Davenport-Moline-Rock Island, IA-IL MSA ($1,143); Sioux City, IA-NE-SD MSA ($1,154); Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA HUD Metro FMR Area ($1,318) . Alphabetical “nearby” lists are intentionally not used here - amount proximity is the comparison that matters for payment standards.
What are the HUD FY2026 bedroom FMRs for Benton County, IA HUD Metro FMR Area?
| Size | HUD FMR |
|---|---|
| Studio | $659/mo |
| 1-BR | $729/mo |
| 2-BR | $956/mo |
| 3-BR | $1,209/mo |
| 4-BR | $1,348/mo |
Section 8 payment standard range for Benton County, IA HUD Metro FMR Area
HUD lets each Public Housing Authority set its payment standard between 90% and 110% of the published Fair Market Rent for the bedroom size served. These dollar amounts are derived from HUD FY2026 FMR for Benton County, IA HUD Metro FMR Area; your PHA may choose a figure inside this band. This is not a quote for a specific unit, availability, or waitlist status.
| Size | HUD FMR | 90% floor | 110% ceiling |
|---|---|---|---|
| Studio | $659/mo | $593/mo | $725/mo |
| 1-BR | $729/mo | $656/mo | $802/mo |
| 2-BR | $956/mo | $860/mo | $1,052/mo |
| 3-BR | $1,209/mo | $1,088/mo | $1,330/mo |
| 4-BR | $1,348/mo | $1,213/mo | $1,483/mo |
For a 2-bedroom in Benton County, IA HUD Metro FMR Area, the HUD reference rent is $956/month, so the lawful payment-standard band runs $860–$1,052/month before any tenant income share.
ACS median 2-BR rent $968/mo → 1.2% below market (borderline). Detail: gap analysis for Benton County, IA HUD Metro FMR Area.
IA agencies near this metro's scale key
Housing authorities in IA whose HCV caseload sits closest to a CBSA-stable scale target (not the statewide giants list - that list was identical across siblings):
- Iowa City Housing Authority
- Cedar Rapids Housing Services
- City of Sioux City Housing Authority
- Southern Iowa Regional Housing Authority
- City of Dubuque
- Waterloo Housing Authority
- Northwest Iowa Regional Housing Authority
- Eastern Iowa Regional Housing Authority
- Fort Dodge Municipal Housing Agency
- Central Iowa Regional Housing Authority
Full near-amount ladder
- Davidson County, NC HUD Metro FMR Area · $960
- Decatur, AL MSA · $961
- Anniston-Oxford, AL MSA · $962
- Dothan, AL HUD Metro FMR Area · $950
- Massac County, IL HUD Metro FMR Area · $969
- Bosque County, TX HUD Metro FMR Area · $973
- Cochran County, TX HUD Metro FMR Area · $973
- Eagle Pass, TX MSA · $973
- Huntington-Ashland, WV-KY-OH HUD Metro FMR Area · $973
- Mansfield, OH MSA · $973
- Rock County, MN HUD Metro FMR Area · $973
- Weirton-Steubenville, WV-OH MSA · $973
What to do with this FMR desk
Benton County, IA HUD FY2026 2-BR FMR is $956/mo; use the schedule as a source desk, not a lease quote.
- Open the voucher-vs-market gap board for this CBSA (1.2% below market). Metro gap page
- Confirm how PHAs may set payment standards at 90-110% of FMR, and why the two figures are not interchangeable. FMR vs payment standard
FMR is HUD's published Fair Market Rent for this FMR area. It is not a PHA payment standard, unit quote, eligibility result, or waitlist status. Confirm any leasing figure with the PHA that serves the unit.
Source: HUD USER Fair Market Rent (FY2026) ; Census ACS median gross rent. Confirm the live PHA figure before leasing. Methodology.
Verify with HUD → · Verify with U.S. Census Bureau → · Set a September HUD update reminder