HUD Fair Market Rent · FY 2026 · effective Oct 1, 2025 to Sep 30, 2026
Fair Market Rent in Montrose County, Colorado (FY 2026)
HUD's FY 2026 Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom in Montrose County is $1,168 a month. That's the number the housing authority starts from when it sets Section 8 payment standards here.
2 bedroom FMR
$1,168
FY 2026, utilities included
Payment standard range
$1,051 to $1,285
90% to 110% of FMR
Income to afford 2BR
$46,720
per year, at 30% of income
Rank in Colorado
36th of 64
by 2BR FMR
HUD has already published FY 2027. On October 1, 2026 the two-bedroom rate in Montrose moves to $1,321. That's up 13%. The full FY 2027 table is in the history section below.
HUD's number is one input. What does a two-bedroom in Montrose actually rent for?
Search any address in Montrose for a rent estimate built from nearby comps, with the HUD figure right next to it.
FY 2026 Fair Market Rents
| Bedrooms | FMR | Payment standard | Income needed | Hourly wage | vs FY 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Studio | $884 | $796 to $972 | $35,360 | $17.00/hr | +2.0% |
| 1 bedroom | $890 | $801 to $979 | $35,600 | $17.12/hr | +1.9% |
| 2 bedroom | $1,168 | $1,051 to $1,285 | $46,720 | $22.46/hr | +2.0% |
| 3 bedroom | $1,624 | $1,462 to $1,786 | $64,960 | $31.23/hr | +1.2% |
| 4 bedroom | $1,959 | $1,763 to $2,155 | $78,360 | $37.67/hr | +1.9% |
5 to 8 bedrooms (PropMetrics estimates)
HUD stops at four bedrooms. These add 15% of the four-bedroom rent per extra bedroom. It's our estimate, not a HUD number.
| Bedrooms | Estimated FMR | Payment standard |
|---|---|---|
| 5 bedroom Estimate | $2,253 | $2,028 to $2,478 |
| 6 bedroom Estimate | $2,547 | $2,292 to $2,802 |
| 7 bedroom Estimate | $2,841 | $2,557 to $3,125 |
| 8 bedroom Estimate | $3,134 | $2,821 to $3,447 |
Source: HUD Office of Policy Development and Research, FY 2026 Fair Market Rents. Rents include utilities. huduser.gov
Fair Market Rent is HUD's estimate of what a modest, decent unit rents for in an area, utilities included. It's set once a year and runs October to September. For FY 2026 that's October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026. In Montrose, that runs from $884 for a studio up to $1,959 for four bedrooms, all five rates in the table above.
Because Montrose sits outside any HUD metro area, its rate is a county-wide figure built from local rents. One number covers every address in the county, Montrose included.
Among Colorado's 64 counties, Montrose ranks 36th for two-bedroom FMR. That's about 6% below the state median of $1,247 and about 15% above the national median county at $1,018. About 42,823 people live here, 17th in the state.
Rates by ZIP code
Zoom in and the picture changes. HUD's Small Area FMRs put a two-bedroom at $1,040 in 81422 (Naturita) and $1,570 in 81431 (Redvale), with the 10 ZIP codes in between. Housing authorities in HUD-designated metros use those ZIP rates instead of the county rate. Everywhere else the ZIP numbers show where rents actually sit, and the county rate stays the official standard.
What a voucher pays here
The voucher doesn't pay the FMR itself. It pays the payment standard. Housing authorities set it anywhere from 90% to 110% of FMR, which puts a two-bedroom standard in Montrose somewhere between $1,051 and $1,285. The tenant pays roughly 30% of their income, the voucher covers the rest up to the standard, and the PHA won't approve a rent above what comparable unassisted units get.
$1,168 a month is affordable, by HUD's 30% rule, on an income of roughly $46,720 a year. Put another way, $22 an hour full time.
Worked example for a two-bedroom, assuming the rent equals the payment standard. Tenant pays 30% of monthly income, HUD's housing assistance payment covers the rest.
| Monthly household income | Tenant pays (30%) | HAP at 90% ($1,051) | HAP at 100% ($1,168) | HAP at 110% ($1,285) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $2,500 | $750 | $301 | $418 | $535 |
| $4,000 | $1,200 | $0 | $0 | $85 |
Rate history
The two-bedroom rate went up 2% from FY 2025 ($1,145) to FY 2026 ($1,168). Since FY 2020 it's up 43% in total, about 6.1% a year. The Colorado median held flat over the same year.
| Year | Studio | 1 BR | 2 BR | 3 BR | 4 BR | 2BR change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY 2020 | $616 | $620 | $817 | $1,151 | $1,155 | — |
| FY 2021 | $681 | $685 | $903 | $1,292 | $1,385 | +10.5% |
| FY 2022 | $772 | $777 | $1,022 | $1,452 | $1,548 | +13.2% |
| FY 2023 | $801 | $807 | $1,062 | $1,509 | $1,809 | +3.9% |
| FY 2024 | $914 | $920 | $1,209 | $1,704 | $2,052 | +13.8% |
| FY 2025 | $867 | $873 | $1,145 | $1,604 | $1,923 | -5.3% |
| FY 2026 | $884 | $890 | $1,168 | $1,624 | $1,959 | +2.0% |
| FY 2027 | $995 | $1,054 | $1,321 | $1,829 | $2,208 | +13.1% |
Nearby counties
Questions people ask
$1,168 a month for FY 2026, which runs October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026. The other rates are $884 for a studio, $890 for one bedroom, $1,624 for three and $1,959 for four.
Tools for this county
Fair Market Rent lookup
Look up any ZIP code's Small Area FMR by bedroom count.
Section 8 rent calculator
Work out the payment standard and tenant share for a specific rent.
What is Fair Market Rent?
How HUD calculates FMR and what it means for landlords.
Rent affordability calculator
See what income a household needs for a given rent.
What does a rental in Montrose actually go for?
HUD's number is one input. Search any address in Montrose for a rent estimate built from nearby comps. 3 free searches, no card.
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