HUD Fair Market Rent · FY 2026 · effective Oct 1, 2025 to Sep 30, 2026
Fair Market Rent in Custer County, Idaho (FY 2026)
$1,079 a month. That's HUD's FY 2026 Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom in Custer County, and it's the baseline every voucher in Custer is measured against.
2 bedroom FMR
$1,079
FY 2026, utilities included
Payment standard range
$971 to $1,187
90% to 110% of FMR
Income to afford 2BR
$43,160
per year, at 30% of income
Rank in Idaho
25th of 44
by 2BR FMR
HUD has already published FY 2027. On October 1, 2026 the two-bedroom rate in Custer moves to $1,136. That's up 5%. The full FY 2027 table is in the history section below.
HUD's number is one input. What does a two-bedroom in Custer actually rent for?
Search any address in Custer 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 | $909 | $818 to $1,000 | $36,360 | $17.48/hr | +21.4% |
| 1 bedroom | $914 | $823 to $1,005 | $36,560 | $17.58/hr | +13.1% |
| 2 bedroom | $1,079 | $971 to $1,187 | $43,160 | $20.75/hr | +11.0% |
| 3 bedroom | $1,501 | $1,351 to $1,651 | $60,040 | $28.87/hr | +10.2% |
| 4 bedroom | $1,810 | $1,629 to $1,991 | $72,400 | $34.81/hr | +10.9% |
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 | $2,082 | $1,874 to $2,290 |
| 6 bedroom Estimate | $2,353 | $2,118 to $2,588 |
| 7 bedroom Estimate | $2,625 | $2,363 to $2,888 |
| 8 bedroom Estimate | $2,896 | $2,606 to $3,186 |
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 Custer, that runs from $909 for a studio up to $1,810 for four bedrooms, all five rates in the table above.
Because Custer 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, Challis included.
Among Idaho's 44 counties, Custer ranks 25th for two-bedroom FMR. That's within a couple percent of the state median of $1,101 and about 6% above the national median county at $1,018. About 4,344 people live here, 40th in the state.
Rates by ZIP code
Zoom in and the picture changes. HUD's Small Area FMRs put a two-bedroom at $1,140 in 83226 (Challis) and $1,330 in 83251 (Mackay), with the 5 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 Custer somewhere between $971 and $1,187. 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.
$1,079 a month is affordable, by HUD's 30% rule, on an income of roughly $43,160 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% ($971) | HAP at 100% ($1,079) | HAP at 110% ($1,187) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $2,500 | $750 | $221 | $329 | $437 |
| $4,000 | $1,200 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
Rate history
The two-bedroom rate went up 11% from FY 2025 ($972) to FY 2026 ($1,079). Since FY 2020 it's up 48% in total, about 6.8% 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 | $537 | $553 | $728 | $1,050 | $1,192 | — |
| FY 2021 | $574 | $577 | $761 | $1,089 | $1,270 | +4.5% |
| FY 2022 | $612 | $616 | $810 | $1,151 | $1,375 | +6.4% |
| FY 2023 | $677 | $681 | $889 | $1,263 | $1,508 | +9.8% |
| FY 2024 | $715 | $748 | $974 | $1,373 | $1,641 | +9.6% |
| FY 2025 | $749 | $808 | $972 | $1,362 | $1,632 | -0.2% |
| FY 2026 | $909 | $914 | $1,079 | $1,501 | $1,810 | +11.0% |
| FY 2027 | $955 | $961 | $1,136 | $1,573 | $1,899 | +5.3% |
Nearby counties
Questions people ask
$1,079 a month for FY 2026, which runs October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026. The other rates are $909 for a studio, $914 for one bedroom, $1,501 for three and $1,810 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 Custer actually go for?
HUD's number is one input. Search any address in Custer for a rent estimate built from nearby comps. 3 free searches, no card.
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