HUD Fair Market Rent · FY 2026 · effective Oct 1, 2025 to Sep 30, 2026
Fair Market Rent in Kent County, Michigan (FY 2026)
$1,531 a month. That's HUD's FY 2026 Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom in Kent County, and it's the baseline every voucher in Kent is measured against.
2 bedroom FMR
$1,531
FY 2026, utilities included
Payment standard range
$1,378 to $1,684
90% to 110% of FMR
Income to afford 2BR
$61,240
per year, at 30% of income
Rank in Michigan
2nd of 83
by 2BR FMR
HUD has already published FY 2027. On October 1, 2026 the two-bedroom rate in Kent moves to $1,630. That's up 6%. The full FY 2027 table is in the history section below.
Market check
Two-bedrooms in Grand Rapids are asking $1,460. HUD says $1,531.
That's 5% below the county FMR. Median asking rent across 12 Grand Rapids ZIP codes with active 2BR listings. FMR includes utilities and asking rents usually don't, so the true gap is a little smaller.
Comps for a specific address
A rent estimate built from nearby listings, next to the HUD number.
FY 2026 Fair Market Rents
| Bedrooms | FMR | Payment standard | Income needed | Hourly wage | vs FY 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Studio | $1,232 | $1,109 to $1,355 | $49,280 | $23.69/hr | +5.9% |
| 1 bedroom | $1,278 | $1,150 to $1,406 | $51,120 | $24.58/hr | +5.7% |
| 2 bedroom | $1,531 | $1,378 to $1,684 | $61,240 | $29.44/hr | +6.1% |
| 3 bedroom | $1,980 | $1,782 to $2,178 | $79,200 | $38.08/hr | +5.3% |
| 4 bedroom | $2,189 | $1,970 to $2,408 | $87,560 | $42.10/hr | +6.4% |
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 | $2,517 | $2,265 to $2,769 |
| 6 bedroom Estimate | $2,846 | $2,561 to $3,131 |
| 7 bedroom Estimate | $3,174 | $2,857 to $3,491 |
| 8 bedroom Estimate | $3,502 | $3,152 to $3,852 |
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 Kent, that runs from $1,232 for a studio up to $2,189 for four bedrooms, all five rates in the table above.
Kent is its own HUD metro area (Grand Rapids-Wyoming, MI), so the rate here is set from rents inside the county rather than a wider region.
Among Michigan's 83 counties, Kent ranks 2nd for two-bedroom FMR. That's about 48% above the state median of $1,033 and about 50% above the national median county at $1,018. About 657,321 people live here, 4th in the state.
Rates by ZIP code
Zoom in and the picture changes. HUD's Small Area FMRs put a two-bedroom at $1,300 in 49343 (Sand Lake) and $2,300 in 49301 (Ada), with the 35 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 49301 | Ada | $2,300 | +50.2% |
| 49302 | Alto | $1,470 | -4.0% |
| 49306 | Belmont | $1,740 | +13.7% |
| 49315 | Byron Center | $1,680 | +9.7% |
| 49316 | Caledonia | $1,720 | +12.3% |
| 49317 | Cannonsburg | $1,531County rate | — |
| 49319 | Cedar Springs | $1,390 | -9.2% |
| 49321 | Comstock Park | $1,340 | -12.5% |
| 49330 | Kent City | $1,520 | -0.7% |
| 49331 | Lowell | $1,440 | -5.9% |
| 49341 | Rockford | $1,670 | +9.1% |
| 49343 | Sand Lake | $1,300 | -15.1% |
| 49345 | Sparta | $1,300 | -15.1% |
| 49351 | Rockford | $1,530 | -0.1% |
| 49355 | Ada | $1,531County rate | — |
| 49356 | Ada | $1,531County rate | — |
| 49357 | Ada | $1,531County rate | — |
| 49418 | Grandville | $1,550 | +1.2% |
| 49468 | Grandville | $1,530 | -0.1% |
| 49501 | Grand Rapids | $1,530 | -0.1% |
| 49502 | Grand Rapids | $1,531County rate | — |
| 49503 | Grand Rapids | $1,610 | +5.2% |
| 49504 | Grand Rapids | $1,430 | -6.6% |
| 49505 | Grand Rapids | $1,570 | +2.5% |
| 49506 | Grand Rapids | $1,700 | +11.0% |
| 49507 | Grand Rapids | $1,530 | -0.1% |
| 49508 | Grand Rapids | $1,550 | +1.2% |
| 49509 | Wyoming | $1,320 | -13.8% |
| 49510 | Grand Rapids | $1,530 | -0.1% |
| 49512 | Grand Rapids | $1,530 | -0.1% |
| 49514 | Grand Rapids | $1,530 | -0.1% |
| 49515 | Grand Rapids | $1,530 | -0.1% |
| 49516 | Grand Rapids | $1,530 | -0.1% |
| 49518 | Grand Rapids | $1,530 | -0.1% |
| 49519 | Wyoming | $1,490 | -2.7% |
| 49523 | Grand Rapids | $1,531County rate | — |
| 49525 | Grand Rapids | $1,810 | +18.2% |
| 49528 | Grand Rapids | $1,531County rate | — |
| 49530 | Grand Rapids | $1,531County rate | — |
| 49544 | Grand Rapids | $1,450 | -5.3% |
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 Kent somewhere between $1,378 and $1,684. 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.
$1,531 a month is affordable, by HUD's 30% rule, on an income of roughly $61,240 a year. Put another way, $29 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% ($1,378) | HAP at 100% ($1,531) | HAP at 110% ($1,684) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $2,500 | $750 | $628 | $781 | $934 |
| $4,000 | $1,200 | $178 | $331 | $484 |
Rate history
The two-bedroom rate went up 6% from FY 2025 ($1,443) to FY 2026 ($1,531). Since FY 2020 it's up 59% in total, about 8.1% 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 | $686 | $789 | $962 | $1,296 | $1,481 | — |
| FY 2021 | $739 | $817 | $994 | $1,309 | $1,501 | +3.3% |
| FY 2022 | $798 | $859 | $1,041 | $1,356 | $1,538 | +4.7% |
| FY 2023 | $1,044 | $1,101 | $1,326 | $1,726 | $1,928 | +27.4% |
| FY 2024 | $1,093 | $1,142 | $1,369 | $1,785 | $1,963 | +3.2% |
| FY 2025 | $1,163 | $1,209 | $1,443 | $1,880 | $2,057 | +5.4% |
| FY 2026 | $1,232 | $1,278 | $1,531 | $1,980 | $2,189 | +6.1% |
| FY 2027 | $1,306 | $1,365 | $1,630 | $2,113 | $2,417 | +6.5% |
Nearby counties
Ottawa County
$1,51921 mi · pop 296,183
Ionia County
$1,20927 mi · pop 66,663
Allegan County
$1,26730 mi · pop 120,189
Barry County
$1,33431 mi · pop 62,581
Montcalm County
$1,20331 mi · pop 66,901
Muskegon County
$1,23635 mi · pop 175,947
Newaygo County
$97639 mi · pop 50,130
Eaton County
$1,26846 mi · pop 109,072
Questions people ask
$1,531 a month for FY 2026, which runs October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026. The other rates are $1,232 for a studio, $1,278 for one bedroom, $1,980 for three and $2,189 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 Kent actually go for?
HUD's number is one input. Search any address in Kent for a rent estimate built from nearby comps. 3 free searches, no card.
Free tier. No credit card.