HUD Fair Market Rent · FY 2027 · Effective Oct 1, 2026 to Sep 30, 2027
Fair Market Rent in Berrien County, Michigan (FY 2027)
$1,152 a month. That's HUD's FY 2027 Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom in Berrien County, and it's the baseline every voucher in Berrien is measured against.
Two-bedroom FMR
$1,152
-2.7% from FY 2026
Payment standard
$1,037–$1,267
90% to 110% of the FMR, two-bedroom
Income to afford
$46,080
a year, with rent at 30% of income
Rank in Michigan
31st of 83
by two-bedroom FMR, highest first
FY 2027 Fair Market Rents
Payment standard is the 90% to 110% band a housing authority can set. Income needed puts rent at 30% of gross income, and the hourly wage assumes a 40-hour week.
| Bedrooms | FMR | Payment standard | Income needed | Hourly wage | vs FY 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Studio | $802 | $722–$882 | $32,080 | $15.42/hr | -1.7% |
| 1 bedroom | $887 | $798–$976 | $35,480 | $17.06/hr | -1.7% |
| 2 bedroom | $1,152 | $1,037–$1,267 | $46,080 | $22.15/hr | -2.7% |
| 3 bedroom | $1,512 | $1,361–$1,663 | $60,480 | $29.08/hr | -2.8% |
| 4 bedroom | $1,514 | $1,363–$1,665 | $60,560 | $29.12/hr | -3.4% |
Five to eight 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 | $1,741 | $1,567–$1,915 |
| 6 bedroom Estimate | $1,968 | $1,771–$2,165 |
| 7 bedroom Estimate | $2,195 | $1,976–$2,415 |
| 8 bedroom Estimate | $2,422 | $2,180–$2,664 |
Source: HUD Office of Policy Development and Research, FY 2027 Fair Market Rents. Rents include utilities. huduser.gov
Market check
HUD's number is one input. What does a two-bedroom in Berrien actually rent for?
Search any address in Berrien for a rent estimate built from nearby comps, with the HUD figure right next to it.
No card needed
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 Berrien somewhere between $1,037 and $1,267. 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.
$1,152 a month is affordable, by HUD's 30% rule, on an income of roughly $46,080 a year. Put another way, $22 an hour full time.
Worked example for a two-bedroom renting at the payment standard. The tenant pays 30% of monthly income and the voucher covers the rest.
| Monthly household income | Tenant pays (30%) | Voucher pays at 90%$1,037 | Voucher pays at 100%$1,152 | Voucher pays at 110%$1,267 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $2,500 | $750 | $287 | $402 | $517 |
| $4,000 | $1,200 | $0 | $0 | $67 |
Rate history
The two-bedroom rate went down 3% from FY 2026 ($1,184) to FY 2027 ($1,152). Since FY 2020 it's up 50% in total, about 6.0% a year. The Michigan median moved up 5% over the same year.
| Fiscal year | Studio | 1 BR | 2 BR | 3 BR | 4 BR | 2BR change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY 2020 | $574 | $582 | $767 | $978 | $1,139 | — |
| FY 2021 | $615 | $619 | $801 | $1,034 | $1,196 | +4.4% |
| FY 2022 | $646 | $655 | $845 | $1,094 | $1,252 | +5.5% |
| FY 2023 | $718 | $736 | $957 | $1,229 | $1,366 | +13.3% |
| FY 2024 | $722 | $811 | $1,065 | $1,364 | $1,431 | +11.3% |
| FY 2025 | $790 | $878 | $1,152 | $1,488 | $1,527 | +8.2% |
| FY 2026 | $816 | $902 | $1,184 | $1,556 | $1,568 | +2.8% |
| FY 2027In effect | $802 | $887 | $1,152 | $1,512 | $1,514 | -2.7% |
About this rate
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 2027 that's October 1, 2026 through September 30, 2027. In Berrien, that runs from $802 for a studio up to $1,514 for four bedrooms, all five rates in the table above.
Berrien is its own HUD metro area (Niles, MI), so the rate here is set from rents inside the county rather than a wider region.
Among Michigan's 83 counties, Berrien ranks 31st for two-bedroom FMR. That's about 6% above the state median of $1,085 and about 8% above the national median county at $1,063. About 153,288 people live here, 16th in the state.
Rates by ZIP code
Zoom in and the picture changes. HUD's Small Area FMRs put a two-bedroom at $1,070 in 49107 (Buchanan) and $1,450 in 49098 (Watervliet), with the 24 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.
| ZIP | City | 2BR rate | vs county |
|---|---|---|---|
| 49022 | Benton Harbor | $1,080 | -6.3% |
| 49023 | Benton Harbor | $1,150 | -0.2% |
| 49038 | Coloma | $1,120 | -2.8% |
| 49039 | Hagar Shores | $1,152County rate | — |
| 49084 | Riverside | $1,080 | -6.3% |
| 49085 | Saint Joseph | $1,330 | +15.5% |
| 49098 | Watervliet | $1,450 | +25.9% |
| 49101 | Baroda | $1,210 | +5.0% |
| 49102 | Berrien Center | $1,220 | +5.9% |
| 49103 | Berrien Springs | $1,090 | -5.4% |
| 49104 | Berrien Springs | $1,090 | -5.4% |
| 49106 | Bridgman | $1,360 | +18.1% |
| 49107 | Buchanan | $1,070 | -7.1% |
| 49111 | Eau Claire | $1,070 | -7.1% |
| 49113 | Galien | $1,100 | -4.5% |
| 49115 | Harbert | $1,080 | -6.3% |
| 49116 | Lakeside | $1,180 | +2.4% |
| 49117 | New Buffalo | $1,070 | -7.1% |
| 49119 | New Troy | $1,240 | +7.6% |
| 49120 | Niles | $1,120 | -2.8% |
| 49125 | Sawyer | $1,070 | -7.1% |
| 49126 | Sodus | $1,240 | +7.6% |
| 49127 | Stevensville | $1,330 | +15.5% |
| 49128 | Three Oaks | $1,220 | +5.9% |
| 49129 | Union Pier | $1,070 | -7.1% |
Nearby counties
Two-bedroom FMR, with how each compares to Berrien.
Cass County
28 mi · 51,520 people
$1,095
-5%
Van Buren County
32 mi · 75,795 people
$1,040
-10%
St. Joseph County
50 mi · 60,969 people
$1,046
-9%
Kalamazoo County
51 mi · 262,375 people
$1,158
+1%
Allegan County
54 mi · 121,456 people
$1,296
+13%
Ottawa County
71 mi · 301,203 people
$1,546
+34%
Branch County
72 mi · 45,300 people
$1,093
-5%
Calhoun County
73 mi · 133,778 people
$1,233
+7%
Questions people ask
$1,152 a month for FY 2027, which runs October 1, 2026 through September 30, 2027. The other rates are $802 for a studio, $887 for one bedroom, $1,512 for three and $1,514 for four.
Tools for this county
Fair Market Rent lookup
Any ZIP code's Small Area FMR by bedroom count
Section 8 rent calculator
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
The income a household needs for a given rent
What does a rental in Berrien actually go for?
HUD's number is one input. Search any address in Berrien for a rent estimate built from nearby comps. Free to start, no card.
Free tier. No credit card.