HUD Fair Market Rent · FY 2026 · effective Oct 1, 2025 to Sep 30, 2026
Fair Market Rent in Clearwater County, Idaho (FY 2026)
HUD's FY 2026 Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom in Clearwater County is $1,077 a month. That's the number the housing authority starts from when it sets Section 8 payment standards here.
2 bedroom FMR
$1,077
FY 2026, utilities included
Payment standard range
$969 to $1,185
90% to 110% of FMR
Income to afford 2BR
$43,080
per year, at 30% of income
Rank in Idaho
26th of 44
by 2BR FMR
HUD has already published FY 2027. On October 1, 2026 the two-bedroom rate in Clearwater moves to $1,108. That's up 3%. The full FY 2027 table is in the history section below.
HUD's number is one input. What does a two-bedroom in Clearwater actually rent for?
Search any address in Clearwater 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 | $815 | $734 to $897 | $32,600 | $15.67/hr | +11.2% |
| 1 bedroom | $821 | $739 to $903 | $32,840 | $15.79/hr | +11.2% |
| 2 bedroom | $1,077 | $969 to $1,185 | $43,080 | $20.71/hr | +11.3% |
| 3 bedroom | $1,498 | $1,348 to $1,648 | $59,920 | $28.81/hr | +10.6% |
| 4 bedroom | $1,807 | $1,626 to $1,988 | $72,280 | $34.75/hr | +11.1% |
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 | $2,078 | $1,870 to $2,286 |
| 6 bedroom Estimate | $2,349 | $2,114 to $2,584 |
| 7 bedroom Estimate | $2,620 | $2,358 to $2,882 |
| 8 bedroom Estimate | $2,891 | $2,602 to $3,180 |
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 Clearwater, that runs from $815 for a studio up to $1,807 for four bedrooms, all five rates in the table above.
Because Clearwater 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, Ahsahka included.
Among Idaho's 44 counties, Clearwater ranks 26th for two-bedroom FMR. That's about 2% below the state median of $1,101 and about 6% above the national median county at $1,018. About 8,810 people live here, 31st in the state.
Rates by ZIP code
Zoom in and the picture changes. HUD's Small Area FMRs put a two-bedroom at $980 in 83546 (Pierce) and $1,180 in 83541 (Lenore), with the 6 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 Clearwater somewhere between $969 and $1,185. 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.
$1,077 a month is affordable, by HUD's 30% rule, on an income of roughly $43,080 a year. Put another way, $21 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% ($969) | HAP at 100% ($1,077) | HAP at 110% ($1,185) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $2,500 | $750 | $219 | $327 | $435 |
| $4,000 | $1,200 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
Rate history
The two-bedroom rate went up 11% from FY 2025 ($968) to FY 2026 ($1,077). Since FY 2020 it's up 38% in total, about 5.5% a year. The Idaho median moved up 12% over the same year.
| Year | Studio | 1 BR | 2 BR | 3 BR | 4 BR | 2BR change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY 2020 | $577 | $595 | $783 | $1,009 | $1,061 | — |
| FY 2021 | $603 | $607 | $800 | $1,092 | $1,197 | +2.2% |
| FY 2022 | $632 | $636 | $837 | $1,181 | $1,373 | +4.6% |
| FY 2023 | $675 | $680 | $895 | $1,272 | $1,524 | +6.9% |
| FY 2024 | $726 | $753 | $989 | $1,389 | $1,678 | +10.5% |
| FY 2025 | $733 | $738 | $968 | $1,354 | $1,626 | -2.1% |
| FY 2026 | $815 | $821 | $1,077 | $1,498 | $1,807 | +11.3% |
| FY 2027 | $841 | $847 | $1,108 | $1,534 | $1,852 | +2.9% |
Nearby counties
Questions people ask
$1,077 a month for FY 2026, which runs October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026. The other rates are $815 for a studio, $821 for one bedroom, $1,498 for three and $1,807 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 Clearwater actually go for?
HUD's number is one input. Search any address in Clearwater for a rent estimate built from nearby comps. 3 free searches, no card.
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