HUD Fair Market Rent · FY 2026 · effective Oct 1, 2025 to Sep 30, 2026
Fair Market Rent in Kalkaska County, Michigan (FY 2026)
HUD's FY 2026 Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom in Kalkaska County is $973 a month. That's the number the housing authority starts from when it sets Section 8 payment standards here.
2 bedroom FMR
$973
FY 2026, utilities included
Payment standard range
$876 to $1,070
90% to 110% of FMR
Income to afford 2BR
$38,920
per year, at 30% of income
Rank in Michigan
71st of 83
by 2BR FMR
HUD has already published FY 2027. On October 1, 2026 the two-bedroom rate in Kalkaska moves to $1,014. That's up 4%. The full FY 2027 table is in the history section below.
HUD's number is one input. What does a two-bedroom in Kalkaska actually rent for?
Search any address in Kalkaska 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 | $719 | $647 to $791 | $28,760 | $13.83/hr | +9.9% |
| 1 bedroom | $766 | $689 to $843 | $30,640 | $14.73/hr | +6.7% |
| 2 bedroom | $973 | $876 to $1,070 | $38,920 | $18.71/hr | +4.3% |
| 3 bedroom | $1,286 | $1,157 to $1,415 | $51,440 | $24.73/hr | +2.0% |
| 4 bedroom | $1,291 | $1,162 to $1,420 | $51,640 | $24.83/hr | +2.0% |
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 | $1,485 | $1,337 to $1,634 |
| 6 bedroom Estimate | $1,678 | $1,510 to $1,846 |
| 7 bedroom Estimate | $1,872 | $1,685 to $2,059 |
| 8 bedroom Estimate | $2,066 | $1,859 to $2,273 |
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 Kalkaska, that runs from $719 for a studio up to $1,291 for four bedrooms, all five rates in the table above.
Kalkaska is its own HUD metro area (Kalkaska County, MI), so the rate here is set from rents inside the county rather than a wider region.
Among Michigan's 83 counties, Kalkaska ranks 71st for two-bedroom FMR. That's about 6% below the state median of $1,033 and about 4% below the national median county at $1,018. About 17,934 people live here, 66th 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 49646 (Kalkaska) and $1,210 in 49680 (South Boardman), with the 3 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 Kalkaska somewhere between $876 and $1,070. 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.
$973 a month is affordable, by HUD's 30% rule, on an income of roughly $38,920 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% ($876) | HAP at 100% ($973) | HAP at 110% ($1,070) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $2,500 | $750 | $126 | $223 | $320 |
| $4,000 | $1,200 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
Rate history
The two-bedroom rate went up 4% from FY 2025 ($933) to FY 2026 ($973). Since FY 2020 it's up 36% in total, about 5.3% 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 | $465 | $541 | $713 | $958 | $1,032 | — |
| FY 2021 | $489 | $562 | $741 | $985 | $1,072 | +3.9% |
| FY 2022 | $503 | $575 | $757 | $998 | $1,103 | +2.2% |
| FY 2023 | $552 | $628 | $826 | $1,084 | $1,140 | +9.1% |
| FY 2024 | $613 | $689 | $905 | $1,211 | $1,275 | +9.6% |
| FY 2025 | $654 | $718 | $933 | $1,261 | $1,266 | +3.1% |
| FY 2026 | $719 | $766 | $973 | $1,286 | $1,291 | +4.3% |
| FY 2027 | $813 | $818 | $1,014 | $1,404 | $1,426 | +4.2% |
Nearby counties
Grand Traverse County
$1,35717 mi · pop 95,315
Antrim County
$1,16218 mi · pop 23,662
Crawford County
$1,03827 mi · pop 13,197
Missaukee County
$97331 mi · pop 15,089
Leelanau County
$1,49732 mi · pop 22,426
Wexford County
$1,08432 mi · pop 33,766
Otsego County
$1,10034 mi · pop 25,221
Roscommon County
$97338 mi · pop 23,556
Questions people ask
$973 a month for FY 2026, which runs October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026. The other rates are $719 for a studio, $766 for one bedroom, $1,286 for three and $1,291 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 Kalkaska actually go for?
HUD's number is one input. Search any address in Kalkaska for a rent estimate built from nearby comps. 3 free searches, no card.
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