HUD Fair Market Rent · FY 2026 · effective Oct 1, 2025 to Sep 30, 2026
Fair Market Rent in Lemhi County, Idaho (FY 2026)
HUD's FY 2026 Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom in Lemhi County is $992 a month. That's the number the housing authority starts from when it sets Section 8 payment standards here.
2 bedroom FMR
$992
FY 2026, utilities included
Payment standard range
$893 to $1,091
90% to 110% of FMR
Income to afford 2BR
$39,680
per year, at 30% of income
Rank in Idaho
34th of 44
by 2BR FMR
HUD has already published FY 2027. On October 1, 2026 the two-bedroom rate in Lemhi moves to $1,037. 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 Lemhi actually rent for?
Search any address in Lemhi 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 | $864 | $778 to $950 | $34,560 | $16.62/hr | +20.2% |
| 1 bedroom | $883 | $795 to $971 | $35,320 | $16.98/hr | +7.7% |
| 2 bedroom | $992 | $893 to $1,091 | $39,680 | $19.08/hr | +6.3% |
| 3 bedroom | $1,380 | $1,242 to $1,518 | $55,200 | $26.54/hr | +9.9% |
| 4 bedroom | $1,664 | $1,498 to $1,830 | $66,560 | $32.00/hr | +6.2% |
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 | $1,914 | $1,723 to $2,105 |
| 6 bedroom Estimate | $2,163 | $1,947 to $2,379 |
| 7 bedroom Estimate | $2,413 | $2,172 to $2,654 |
| 8 bedroom Estimate | $2,662 | $2,396 to $2,928 |
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 Lemhi, that runs from $864 for a studio up to $1,664 for four bedrooms, all five rates in the table above.
Because Lemhi 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, Cobalt included.
Among Idaho's 44 counties, Lemhi ranks 34th for two-bedroom FMR. That's about 10% below the state median of $1,101 and about 3% below the national median county at $1,018. About 8,043 people live here, 32nd in the state.
Rates by ZIP code
Zoom in and the picture changes. HUD's Small Area FMRs put a two-bedroom at $990 in 83229 (Cobalt) and $1,200 in 83463 (Gibbonsville), 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 Lemhi somewhere between $893 and $1,091. 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.
$992 a month is affordable, by HUD's 30% rule, on an income of roughly $39,680 a year. Put another way, $19 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% ($893) | HAP at 100% ($992) | HAP at 110% ($1,091) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $2,500 | $750 | $143 | $242 | $341 |
| $4,000 | $1,200 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
Rate history
The two-bedroom rate went up 6% from FY 2025 ($933) to FY 2026 ($992). Since FY 2020 it's up 27% in total, about 4.1% 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 | $576 | $593 | $781 | $973 | $1,278 | — |
| FY 2021 | $602 | $606 | $798 | $1,006 | $1,331 | +2.2% |
| FY 2022 | $624 | $628 | $826 | $1,076 | $1,402 | +3.5% |
| FY 2023 | $637 | $641 | $844 | $1,142 | $1,431 | +2.2% |
| FY 2024 | $681 | $733 | $928 | $1,245 | $1,564 | +10.0% |
| FY 2025 | $719 | $820 | $933 | $1,256 | $1,567 | +0.5% |
| FY 2026 | $864 | $883 | $992 | $1,380 | $1,664 | +6.3% |
| FY 2027 | $892 | $898 | $1,037 | $1,436 | $1,733 | +4.5% |
Nearby counties
Questions people ask
$992 a month for FY 2026, which runs October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026. The other rates are $864 for a studio, $883 for one bedroom, $1,380 for three and $1,664 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 Lemhi actually go for?
HUD's number is one input. Search any address in Lemhi for a rent estimate built from nearby comps. 3 free searches, no card.
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