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Bloomington, IN

The Fair Market Rent for a 2-bedroom in Bloomington, IN is $1,210 per month, ranking #378 out of 693 areas nationwide. The area median household income is $62,949, meaning a household spending Fair Market Rent on a 2-bedroom would pay 23.1% of income on housing. Rent in Bloomington has increased 7.5% year over year. The area has a population of 161K, with 41.8% of households renting.

23.1%
Moderately Affordable
of income → rent
$1,210
2BR Fair Market Rent
vs $1,250 national median
$62,949
Median Income
vs $71,049 national
$1,137
Actual Median Rent
Census ACS estimate
+7.5%
Year-over-Year
2BR FMR change
161K
Population
Census ACS
41.8%
Renters
of occupied housing
$242,800
Median Home Value
10.5%
Vacancy Rate
of housing units
19%
Poverty Rate
below poverty line

Fair Market Rent by Bedroom Size

$966
Studio
$1,072
1 Bedroom
$1,210
2 Bedroom
$1,572
3 Bedroom
$1,906
4 Bedroom

Fair Market Rents (FMRs) are set annually by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and represent the 40th percentile of gross rents for standard-quality units in an area. FMRs are used to determine payment standards for the Housing Choice Voucher program and other federal housing assistance.

Housing Affordability

In Bloomington, IN, a household earning the area median income of $62,949 would spend 23.1% of their gross income on a 2-bedroom at Fair Market Rent. This falls below HUD's 30% cost-burden threshold, meaning housing is relatively affordable for median-income households in this area.

Income Needed for 2BR
$48,400
annual (30% threshold)
Hourly Wage Needed
$23
full-time (2,080 hrs/yr)
Actual Median Rent
$1,137
$73 below FMR

5-Year Rent Trend

+30.5% since 2021
$9272021$9712022$1,1242023$1,1262024$1,2232025$1,2102026

2-bedroom Fair Market Rent by fiscal year. Source: HUD FMR API.

Minimum Wage Affordability

The minimum wage in Indiana is $7.25/hr. A minimum-wage worker would need to work 128.4 hours per week to afford a 2-bedroom at Fair Market Rent without exceeding 30% of income on housing. This means a single minimum-wage earner cannot afford a 2-bedroom working a standard 40-hour week. The poverty rate in Bloomington is 19%, near the national average of approximately 12.4%.

State Min Wage
$7.25/hr
Hours/Week Needed
128.4 hrs
Poverty Rate
19%

Housing Market Context

The median home value in Bloomington is $242,800. At a median income of $62,949, this represents a price-to-income ratio of 3.9x. 10.5% of housing units in the area are vacant, which is near the national average.

Rent vs. Buy
$1,700 est. mortgage
vs $1,210 FMR rent
Vacancy Rate
10.5%
of housing units

Other Areas in Indiana

Indianapolis-Carmel
$1,473/mo
2BR FMR · 22.9% burden
Columbus
$1,415/mo
2BR FMR · 21.1% burden
Cincinnati
$1,353/mo
2BR FMR · 20.4% burden
Gary
$1,317/mo
2BR FMR · 17.8% burden
South Bend-Mishawaka
$1,292/mo
2BR FMR · 23.7% burden

Compare Bloomington

vs Indianapolis-Carmel, INvs Columbus, INvs Cincinnati, IN

Areas With Similar Rent to Bloomington

Frequently Asked Questions

The HUD Fair Market Rent for a 2-bedroom in Bloomington, IN is $1,210 per month. A studio is $966/mo, a 1-bedroom is $1,072/mo, and a 3-bedroom is $1,572/mo. The actual median gross rent from Census data is $1,137/mo.

Bloomington has a rent burden of 23.1%, meaning a household earning the median income of $62,949 would spend 23.1% of income on a 2-bedroom at Fair Market Rent. This is below HUD's 30% cost-burden threshold, indicating relatively affordable housing. To afford a 2-bedroom without being cost-burdened, a household would need an annual income of at least $48,400.

Bloomington's 2-bedroom Fair Market Rent of $1,210/mo is $40 below the national median of $1,250/mo. Bloomington ranks #378 out of 693 areas for highest rent in the United States.

To afford a 2-bedroom at Fair Market Rent in Bloomington without spending more than 30% of income on housing, you would need an annual household income of at least $48,400, or a full-time hourly wage of $23/hour. The area median income is $62,949.

The 2-bedroom Fair Market Rent in Bloomington increased by 7.5% compared to the prior year. This is a significant increase, suggesting growing demand in the local housing market.

Fair Market Rents represent the 40th percentile of gross rents for standard-quality rental units. Rent burden is calculated as annual 2BR FMR divided by area median household income. Census data (income, home value, population, vacancy) is from the ACS 5-Year estimates. Unemployment rates are from BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics.