HUD Fair Market Rent · FY 2026 · effective Oct 1, 2025 to Sep 30, 2026
Fair Market Rent in Muskegon County, Michigan (FY 2026)
HUD's FY 2026 Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom in Muskegon County is $1,236 a month. That's the number the housing authority starts from when it sets Section 8 payment standards here.
2 bedroom FMR
$1,236
FY 2026, utilities included
Payment standard range
$1,112 to $1,360
90% to 110% of FMR
Income to afford 2BR
$49,440
per year, at 30% of income
Rank in Michigan
18th of 83
by 2BR FMR
HUD has already published FY 2027. On October 1, 2026 the two-bedroom rate in Muskegon moves to $1,285. 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 Muskegon actually rent for?
Search any address in Muskegon 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 | $866 | $779 to $953 | $34,640 | $16.65/hr | +8.7% |
| 1 bedroom | $942 | $848 to $1,036 | $37,680 | $18.12/hr | +7.2% |
| 2 bedroom | $1,236 | $1,112 to $1,360 | $49,440 | $23.77/hr | +7.2% |
| 3 bedroom | $1,490 | $1,341 to $1,639 | $59,600 | $28.65/hr | +5.8% |
| 4 bedroom | $1,636 | $1,472 to $1,800 | $65,440 | $31.46/hr | +7.0% |
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 | $1,881 | $1,693 to $2,069 |
| 6 bedroom Estimate | $2,127 | $1,914 to $2,340 |
| 7 bedroom Estimate | $2,372 | $2,135 to $2,609 |
| 8 bedroom Estimate | $2,618 | $2,356 to $2,880 |
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 Muskegon, that runs from $866 for a studio up to $1,636 for four bedrooms, all five rates in the table above.
Muskegon is its own HUD metro area (Muskegon-Norton Shores, MI), so the rate here is set from rents inside the county rather than a wider region.
Among Michigan's 83 counties, Muskegon ranks 18th for two-bedroom FMR. That's about 20% above the state median of $1,033 and about 21% above the national median county at $1,018. About 175,947 people live here, 12th 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 49425 (Holton) and $1,520 in 49318 (Casnovia), with the 14 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 49303 | Bailey | $1,300 | +5.2% |
| 49318 | Casnovia | $1,520 | +23.0% |
| 49415 | Fruitport | $1,410 | +14.1% |
| 49425 | Holton | $1,040 | -15.9% |
| 49437 | Montague | $1,040 | -15.9% |
| 49440 | Muskegon | $1,040 | -15.9% |
| 49441 | Muskegon | $1,310 | +6.0% |
| 49442 | Muskegon | $1,150 | -7.0% |
| 49443 | Muskegon | $1,220 | -1.3% |
| 49444 | Muskegon | $1,290 | +4.4% |
| 49445 | Muskegon | $1,460 | +18.1% |
| 49451 | Ravenna | $1,240 | +0.3% |
| 49457 | Twin Lake | $1,260 | +1.9% |
| 49461 | Whitehall | $1,130 | -8.6% |
| 49463 | Sylvan Beach | $1,236County rate | — |
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 Muskegon somewhere between $1,112 and $1,360. 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.
$1,236 a month is affordable, by HUD's 30% rule, on an income of roughly $49,440 a year. Put another way, $24 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% ($1,112) | HAP at 100% ($1,236) | HAP at 110% ($1,360) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $2,500 | $750 | $362 | $486 | $610 |
| $4,000 | $1,200 | $0 | $36 | $160 |
Rate history
The two-bedroom rate went up 7% from FY 2025 ($1,153) to FY 2026 ($1,236). Since FY 2020 it's up 58% in total, about 8.0% 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 | $571 | $593 | $781 | $1,022 | $1,058 | — |
| FY 2021 | $593 | $626 | $825 | $1,069 | $1,119 | +5.6% |
| FY 2022 | $591 | $655 | $855 | $1,091 | $1,159 | +3.6% |
| FY 2023 | $672 | $764 | $993 | $1,242 | $1,334 | +16.1% |
| FY 2024 | $716 | $811 | $1,056 | $1,311 | $1,406 | +6.3% |
| FY 2025 | $797 | $879 | $1,153 | $1,408 | $1,529 | +9.2% |
| FY 2026 | $866 | $942 | $1,236 | $1,490 | $1,636 | +7.2% |
| FY 2027 | $937 | $982 | $1,285 | $1,534 | $1,689 | +4.0% |
Nearby counties
Questions people ask
$1,236 a month for FY 2026, which runs October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026. The other rates are $866 for a studio, $942 for one bedroom, $1,490 for three and $1,636 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 Muskegon actually go for?
HUD's number is one input. Search any address in Muskegon for a rent estimate built from nearby comps. 3 free searches, no card.
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