County housing & cost profile

Barton County, MO

Official Fair Market Rent from HUD and childcare costs from the U.S. Department of Labor for Barton County - a 2-bedroom benchmarks at $888/month against the county's $48,105 median household income, the housing figures the federal government publishes at true county resolution.

#1,670
of 3,222 counties for affordability
$888
2-BR Fair Market Rent
$48,105
Median income

The verdict

A 2-bedroom at HUD's Fair Market Rent costs $10,656 a year in Barton County, about 22% of the county's median household income, under the 30% line HUD uses to flag a housing-cost burden.

$888
2-BR Fair Market Rent / mo
22%
of median income on rent
$48,105
median household income
MO
parent state
Affordability gauge

Rent burden in Barton County

A 2-bedroom at HUD's Fair Market Rent takes 22% of the county's median household income, HUD flags anything above 30% as a housing-cost burden.

30% burden line
22%
0% · more affordable severely burdened · 50%+

Nationally, that ranks Barton County #1,670 of 3,222 US counties on rent-to-income affordability, more affordable than 48% of counties with comparable HUD and Census data.

Every figure here comes from official federal data, reported at the county level for the two costs that are actually measured that finely. According to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Fair Market Rent is set each fiscal year to anchor Housing Choice Voucher payment standards across all 3,224 U.S. counties; the childcare estimates are drawn from the U.S. Department of Labor National Database of Childcare Prices, and median household income comes from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey. Cost of living, wages, crime, schools and environment are published only at the state tier, read those on the state profile below.

Fair Market Rent in Barton County

Studio$6601 bedroom$7342 bedroom$8883 bedroom$1,2354 bedroom$1,273
By unit size, FY2026 - the benchmark that sets Housing Choice Voucher payment standards. Source: HUD Fair Market Rents.

The wider picture for Missouri

Housing and childcare are published at true county resolution. Cost of living, wages, crime, schools and environment are reported at the state tier, read those on the Missouri profile, which scores all seven dimensions on the national curve.

See the Missouri Life Score →

Using Barton County's figures

Fair Market Rent and childcare are the housing decisions a county actually controls, use them for a move, then read the state page for the rest.

  • FMR is HUD’s benchmark for Housing Choice Voucher payment standards, not a market quote, a specific listing can run above or below it. How it is sourced
  • Compare Barton County head-to-head with a neighboring county on rent and childcare. Compare counties
  • For crime, schools, wages and environment, read the Missouri state profile. Missouri →

County data here covers housing and childcare; the other dimensions are state-level baselines and vary within a state.

Frequently asked questions

What is the Fair Market Rent in Barton County?

HUD's Fair Market Rent for a 2-bedroom in Barton County, MO is $888/month (FY2026). A studio is $660, a 1-bedroom $734, a 3-bedroom $1,235 and a 4-bedroom $1,273. FMR is the benchmark HUD uses to set Housing Choice Voucher payment standards.

Is Barton County an affordable place to live?

A 2-bedroom at HUD's Fair Market Rent ($10,656/year) is about 22% of the county's median household income of $48,105 - below the 30% cost-burden line HUD uses. Crime, schools and wages are best read at the state level on the Missouri page.

Every figure on PlainCompare is loaded directly from BEA, HUD, FBI UCR, BLS OEWS, NCES, DOL, EPA, and the Census Bureau, no number is typed in by an editor. This county's affordability ranking is computed directly from HUD FMR and Census ACS data. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of 2026.