HUD Fair Market Rent · FY 2026 · effective Oct 1, 2025 to Sep 30, 2026
Fair Market Rent in Montcalm County, Michigan (FY 2026)
$1,203 a month. That's HUD's FY 2026 Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom in Montcalm County, and it's the baseline every voucher in Montcalm is measured against.
2 bedroom FMR
$1,203
FY 2026, utilities included
Payment standard range
$1,083 to $1,323
90% to 110% of FMR
Income to afford 2BR
$48,120
per year, at 30% of income
Rank in Michigan
22nd of 83
by 2BR FMR
HUD has already published FY 2027. On October 1, 2026 the two-bedroom rate in Montcalm moves to $1,181. That's down 2%. The full FY 2027 table is in the history section below.
HUD's number is one input. What does a two-bedroom in Montcalm actually rent for?
Search any address in Montcalm 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 | $829 | $746 to $912 | $33,160 | $15.94/hr | +12.0% |
| 1 bedroom | $1,016 | $914 to $1,118 | $40,640 | $19.54/hr | +15.1% |
| 2 bedroom | $1,203 | $1,083 to $1,323 | $48,120 | $23.13/hr | +13.7% |
| 3 bedroom | $1,473 | $1,326 to $1,620 | $58,920 | $28.33/hr | +13.6% |
| 4 bedroom | $1,593 | $1,434 to $1,752 | $63,720 | $30.63/hr | +13.5% |
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 | $1,832 | $1,649 to $2,015 |
| 6 bedroom Estimate | $2,071 | $1,864 to $2,278 |
| 7 bedroom Estimate | $2,310 | $2,079 to $2,541 |
| 8 bedroom Estimate | $2,549 | $2,294 to $2,804 |
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 Montcalm, that runs from $829 for a studio up to $1,593 for four bedrooms, all five rates in the table above.
Montcalm is its own HUD metro area (Montcalm County, MI), so the rate here is set from rents inside the county rather than a wider region.
Among Michigan's 83 counties, Montcalm ranks 22nd for two-bedroom FMR. That's about 16% above the state median of $1,033 and about 18% above the national median county at $1,018. About 66,901 people live here, 28th in the state.
Rates by ZIP code
Zoom in and the picture changes. HUD's Small Area FMRs put a two-bedroom at $1,020 in 48850 (Lakeview) and $1,620 in 49322 (Coral), with the 18 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 48811 | Carson City | $1,050 | -12.7% |
| 48812 | Cedar Lake | $1,200 | -0.2% |
| 48818 | Crystal | $1,160 | -3.6% |
| 48829 | Edmore | $1,060 | -11.9% |
| 48834 | Fenwick | $1,300 | +8.1% |
| 48838 | Greenville | $1,300 | +8.1% |
| 48850 | Lakeview | $1,020 | -15.2% |
| 48852 | Mcbrides | $1,060 | -11.9% |
| 48884 | Sheridan | $1,230 | +2.2% |
| 48885 | Sidney | $1,230 | +2.2% |
| 48886 | Six Lakes | $1,380 | +14.7% |
| 48888 | Stanton | $1,240 | +3.1% |
| 48891 | Vestaburg | $1,160 | -3.6% |
| 49322 | Coral | $1,620 | +34.7% |
| 49326 | Gowen | $1,300 | +8.1% |
| 49329 | Howard City | $1,270 | +5.6% |
| 49339 | Pierson | $1,190 | -1.1% |
| 49347 | Trufant | $1,330 | +10.6% |
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 Montcalm somewhere between $1,083 and $1,323. 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.
$1,203 a month is affordable, by HUD's 30% rule, on an income of roughly $48,120 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% ($1,083) | HAP at 100% ($1,203) | HAP at 110% ($1,323) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $2,500 | $750 | $333 | $453 | $573 |
| $4,000 | $1,200 | $0 | $3 | $123 |
Rate history
The two-bedroom rate went up 14% from FY 2025 ($1,058) to FY 2026 ($1,203). Since FY 2020 it's up 61% in total, about 8.2% 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 | $595 | $598 | $748 | $969 | $1,218 | — |
| FY 2021 | $634 | $643 | $790 | $1,009 | $1,301 | +5.6% |
| FY 2022 | $608 | $639 | $782 | $978 | $1,230 | -1.0% |
| FY 2023 | $696 | $756 | $922 | $1,136 | $1,371 | +17.9% |
| FY 2024 | $719 | $818 | $996 | $1,234 | $1,359 | +8.0% |
| FY 2025 | $740 | $883 | $1,058 | $1,297 | $1,403 | +6.2% |
| FY 2026 | $829 | $1,016 | $1,203 | $1,473 | $1,593 | +13.7% |
| FY 2027 | $822 | $1,001 | $1,181 | $1,450 | $1,560 | -1.8% |
Nearby counties
Questions people ask
$1,203 a month for FY 2026, which runs October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026. The other rates are $829 for a studio, $1,016 for one bedroom, $1,473 for three and $1,593 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 Montcalm actually go for?
HUD's number is one input. Search any address in Montcalm for a rent estimate built from nearby comps. 3 free searches, no card.
Free tier. No credit card.