HUD Fair Market Rent · FY 2026 · effective Oct 1, 2025 to Sep 30, 2026
Fair Market Rent in Berrien County, Michigan (FY 2026)
$1,184 a month. That's HUD's FY 2026 Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom in Berrien County, and it's the baseline every voucher in Berrien is measured against.
2 bedroom FMR
$1,184
FY 2026, utilities included
Payment standard range
$1,066 to $1,302
90% to 110% of FMR
Income to afford 2BR
$47,360
per year, at 30% of income
Rank in Michigan
24th of 83
by 2BR FMR
HUD has already published FY 2027. On October 1, 2026 the two-bedroom rate in Berrien moves to $1,152. That's down 3%. The full FY 2027 table is in the history section below.
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.
FY 2026 Fair Market Rents
| Bedrooms | FMR | Payment standard | Income needed | Hourly wage | vs FY 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Studio | $816 | $734 to $898 | $32,640 | $15.69/hr | +3.3% |
| 1 bedroom | $902 | $812 to $992 | $36,080 | $17.35/hr | +2.7% |
| 2 bedroom | $1,184 | $1,066 to $1,302 | $47,360 | $22.77/hr | +2.8% |
| 3 bedroom | $1,556 | $1,400 to $1,712 | $62,240 | $29.92/hr | +4.6% |
| 4 bedroom | $1,568 | $1,411 to $1,725 | $62,720 | $30.15/hr | +2.7% |
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 | $1,803 | $1,623 to $1,983 |
| 6 bedroom Estimate | $2,038 | $1,834 to $2,242 |
| 7 bedroom Estimate | $2,274 | $2,047 to $2,501 |
| 8 bedroom Estimate | $2,509 | $2,258 to $2,760 |
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 Berrien, that runs from $816 for a studio up to $1,568 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 24th for two-bedroom FMR. That's about 15% above the state median of $1,033 and about 16% above the national median county at $1,018. About 153,938 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 $1,040 in 49117 (New Buffalo) and $1,400 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 | $1,070 | -9.6% |
| 49023 | Benton Harbor | $1,180 | -0.3% |
| 49038 | Coloma | $1,140 | -3.7% |
| 49039 | Hagar Shores | $1,184County rate | — |
| 49084 | Riverside | $1,070 | -9.6% |
| 49085 | Saint Joseph | $1,370 | +15.7% |
| 49098 | Watervliet | $1,400 | +18.2% |
| 49101 | Baroda | $1,260 | +6.4% |
| 49102 | Berrien Center | $1,290 | +9.0% |
| 49103 | Berrien Springs | $1,140 | -3.7% |
| 49104 | Berrien Springs | $1,140 | -3.7% |
| 49106 | Bridgman | $1,380 | +16.6% |
| 49107 | Buchanan | $1,070 | -9.6% |
| 49111 | Eau Claire | $1,150 | -2.9% |
| 49113 | Galien | $1,150 | -2.9% |
| 49115 | Harbert | $1,060 | -10.5% |
| 49116 | Lakeside | $1,190 | +0.5% |
| 49117 | New Buffalo | $1,040 | -12.2% |
| 49119 | New Troy | $1,140 | -3.7% |
| 49120 | Niles | $1,130 | -4.6% |
| 49125 | Sawyer | $1,040 | -12.2% |
| 49126 | Sodus | $1,230 | +3.9% |
| 49127 | Stevensville | $1,360 | +14.9% |
| 49128 | Three Oaks | $1,240 | +4.7% |
| 49129 | Union Pier | $1,040 | -12.2% |
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 $1,066 and $1,302. 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.
$1,184 a month is affordable, by HUD's 30% rule, on an income of roughly $47,360 a year. Put another way, $23 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% ($1,066) | HAP at 100% ($1,184) | HAP at 110% ($1,302) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $2,500 | $750 | $316 | $434 | $552 |
| $4,000 | $1,200 | $0 | $0 | $102 |
Rate history
The two-bedroom rate went up 3% from FY 2025 ($1,152) to FY 2026 ($1,184). Since FY 2020 it's up 54% in total, about 7.5% a year. The Michigan median moved up 7% over the same year.
| 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 2027 | $802 | $887 | $1,152 | $1,512 | $1,514 | -2.7% |
Nearby counties
Cass County
$99328 mi · pop 51,604
Van Buren County
$1,01632 mi · pop 75,636
St. Joseph County
$1,01950 mi · pop 60,887
Kalamazoo County
$1,16251 mi · pop 261,426
Allegan County
$1,26754 mi · pop 120,189
Ottawa County
$1,51971 mi · pop 296,183
Branch County
$97372 mi · pop 44,795
Calhoun County
$1,17673 mi · pop 134,011
Questions people ask
$1,184 a month for FY 2026, which runs October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026. The other rates are $816 for a studio, $902 for one bedroom, $1,556 for three and $1,568 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 Berrien actually go for?
HUD's number is one input. Search any address in Berrien for a rent estimate built from nearby comps. 3 free searches, no card.
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