Fair Market Rents: Cook County, IL (FY2026)
HUD's FY2026 Fair Market Rents for Cook County set the ceiling for what Housing Choice Vouchers pay locally. FMR equals the estimated 40th-percentile gross rent — shelter plus utilities — for modest, non-luxury units.
| Unit size | FY2026 FMR | IL median* |
|---|---|---|
| Studio (0-BR) | $1,480/mo | $694 (+113%) |
| 1 Bedroom | $1,581/mo | $789 (+100%) |
| 2 Bedrooms | $1,781/mo | $954 (+87%) |
| 3 Bedrooms | $2,294/mo | $1,271 (+80%) |
| 4+ Bedrooms | $2,653/mo | $1,449 (+83%) |
*Median across all FMR-publishing counties in IL. Source: HUD FY2026 FMR schedule.
Using FMR as a voucher holder in Cook County
- Your housing authority sets payment standards per bedroom, typically 90–110% of these figures. How payment standards work →
- You may rent above the standard by paying the difference, subject to a 40%-of-income cap at lease-up.
- In high-cost pockets, ask about exception standards or Small Area FMRs by ZIP code.
Subsidized housing in Cook County
We track 1,042 assisted properties countywide:
| City | Properties | Assisted units |
|---|---|---|
| Arlington Heights | 6 | 532 |
| Barrington | 3 | 173 |
| Calumet City | 6 | 1,153 |
| Chicago | 982 | 93,531 |
| Chicago Heights | 13 | 1,882 |
| Cicero | 3 | 129 |
| Evanston | 12 | 620 |
| Harvey | 5 | 383 |
| Matteson | 3 | 151 |
| Maywood | 7 | 409 |
| Morton Grove | 3 | 194 |
| Mount Prospect | 3 | 411 |
| Mt Prospect | 3 | 130 |
| Oak Park | 6 | 543 |
| Palatine | 7 | 405 |
| Riverdale | 4 | 519 |
| Robbins | 5 | 616 |
| Schaumburg | 4 | 289 |
| Skokie | 5 | 269 |
| Wheeling | 3 | 58 |