HUD Fair Market Rent · FY 2026 · effective Oct 1, 2025 to Sep 30, 2026
Fair Market Rent in Cass County, Michigan (FY 2026)
$993 a month. That's HUD's FY 2026 Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom in Cass County, and it's the baseline every voucher in Cass is measured against.
2 bedroom FMR
$993
FY 2026, utilities included
Payment standard range
$894 to $1,092
90% to 110% of FMR
Income to afford 2BR
$39,720
per year, at 30% of income
Rank in Michigan
52nd of 83
by 2BR FMR
HUD has already published FY 2027. On October 1, 2026 the two-bedroom rate in Cass moves to $1,095. That's up 10%. The full FY 2027 table is in the history section below.
HUD's number is one input. What does a two-bedroom in Cass actually rent for?
Search any address in Cass 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 | $775 | $698 to $853 | $31,000 | $14.90/hr | +6.3% |
| 1 bedroom | $906 | $815 to $997 | $36,240 | $17.42/hr | +7.5% |
| 2 bedroom | $993 | $894 to $1,092 | $39,720 | $19.10/hr | +6.4% |
| 3 bedroom | $1,272 | $1,145 to $1,399 | $50,880 | $24.46/hr | +7.3% |
| 4 bedroom | $1,666 | $1,499 to $1,833 | $66,640 | $32.04/hr | +7.2% |
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 | $1,916 | $1,724 to $2,108 |
| 6 bedroom Estimate | $2,166 | $1,949 to $2,383 |
| 7 bedroom Estimate | $2,416 | $2,174 to $2,658 |
| 8 bedroom Estimate | $2,666 | $2,399 to $2,933 |
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 Cass, that runs from $775 for a studio up to $1,666 for four bedrooms, all five rates in the table above.
Cass is its own HUD metro area (Cass County, MI), so the rate here is set from rents inside the county rather than a wider region.
Among Michigan's 83 counties, Cass ranks 52nd for two-bedroom FMR. That's about 4% below the state median of $1,033 and about 2% below the national median county at $1,018. About 51,604 people live here, 35th in the state.
Rates by ZIP code
Zoom in and the picture changes. HUD's Small Area FMRs put a two-bedroom at $970 in 49031 (Cassopolis) and $1,180 in 49095 (Vandalia), with the 7 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 Cass somewhere between $894 and $1,092. 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.
$993 a month is affordable, by HUD's 30% rule, on an income of roughly $39,720 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% ($894) | HAP at 100% ($993) | HAP at 110% ($1,092) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $2,500 | $750 | $144 | $243 | $342 |
| $4,000 | $1,200 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
Rate history
The two-bedroom rate went up 6% from FY 2025 ($933) to FY 2026 ($993). Since FY 2020 it's up 23% in total, about 3.5% 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 | $525 | $612 | $806 | $1,008 | $1,092 | — |
| FY 2021 | $529 | $609 | $802 | $1,026 | $1,088 | -0.5% |
| FY 2022 | $593 | $655 | $845 | $1,102 | $1,151 | +5.4% |
| FY 2023 | $692 | $721 | $889 | $1,194 | $1,298 | +5.2% |
| FY 2024 | $708 | $798 | $905 | $1,187 | $1,410 | +1.8% |
| FY 2025 | $729 | $843 | $933 | $1,186 | $1,554 | +3.1% |
| FY 2026 | $775 | $906 | $993 | $1,272 | $1,666 | +6.4% |
| FY 2027 | $869 | $974 | $1,095 | $1,393 | $1,830 | +10.3% |
Nearby counties
St. Joseph County
$1,01923 mi · pop 60,887
Berrien County
$1,18428 mi · pop 153,938
Van Buren County
$1,01628 mi · pop 75,636
Kalamazoo County
$1,16232 mi · pop 261,426
Branch County
$97345 mi · pop 44,795
Allegan County
$1,26749 mi · pop 120,189
Calhoun County
$1,17649 mi · pop 134,011
Barry County
$1,33458 mi · pop 62,581
Questions people ask
$993 a month for FY 2026, which runs October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026. The other rates are $775 for a studio, $906 for one bedroom, $1,272 for three and $1,666 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 Cass actually go for?
HUD's number is one input. Search any address in Cass for a rent estimate built from nearby comps. 3 free searches, no card.
Free tier. No credit card.