How much will Section 8 pay for rent in Muskegon County?

Up to the housing authority's payment standard, which it sets between 90% and 110% of FMR. For a two-bedroom that's $1,112 to $1,360. The voucher covers the gap between that standard and about 30% of the tenant's income, and it never pays more than the unit would rent for without a voucher.

Why does my ZIP code show a different Fair Market Rent than Muskegon County?

HUD publishes a second set of numbers, Small Area FMRs, for individual ZIP codes. In Muskegon those run from $1,040 to $1,520 for a two-bedroom. Housing authorities in metros HUD has designated for Small Area FMRs use the ZIP rate. The rest use the county rate. Your PHA can tell you which one applies.

When do the next Fair Market Rents for Muskegon County come out?

HUD usually publishes the new fiscal year's rates in late August or September, and they take effect October 1. This page updates as soon as the new Michigan figures are loaded.

What is the FY 2027 Fair Market Rent for Muskegon County?

$1,285 for a two-bedroom, effective October 1, 2026. Studio $937, one bedroom $982, three $1,534, four $1,689.

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.

Two-bedroom FMR

$1,236

+7.2% from FY 2025

Payment standard

$1,112–$1,360

90% to 110% of the FMR, two-bedroom

Income to afford

$49,440

a year, with rent at 30% of income

Rank in Michigan

18th of 83

by two-bedroom FMR, highest first

FY 2027

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.

FY 2026 Fair Market Rents

Payment standard is the 90% to 110% band a housing authority can set. Income needed puts rent at 30% of gross income, and the hourly wage assumes a 40-hour week.

Bedrooms	FMR	Payment standard	Income needed	Hourly wage	vs FY 2025
Studio	$866	$779–$953	$34,640	$16.65/hr	+8.7%
1 bedroom	$942	$848–$1,036	$37,680	$18.12/hr	+7.2%
2 bedroom	$1,236	$1,112–$1,360	$49,440	$23.77/hr	+7.2%
3 bedroom	$1,490	$1,341–$1,639	$59,600	$28.65/hr	+5.8%
4 bedroom	$1,636	$1,472–$1,800	$65,440	$31.46/hr	+7.0%

Five to eight 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–$2,069
6 bedroom Estimate	$2,127	$1,914–$2,340
7 bedroom Estimate	$2,372	$2,135–$2,609
8 bedroom Estimate	$2,618	$2,356–$2,880

Source: HUD Office of Policy Development and Research, FY 2026 Fair Market Rents. Rents include utilities. huduser.gov

Market check

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.

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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 renting at the payment standard. The tenant pays 30% of monthly income and the voucher covers the rest.

Monthly household income	Tenant pays (30%)	Voucher pays at 90%$1,112	Voucher pays at 100%$1,236	Voucher pays at 110%$1,360
$2,500	$750	$362	$486	$610
$4,000	$1,200	$0	$36	$160

Run your own numbers in the Section 8 rent calculator

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.

Fiscal 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 2026In effect	$866	$942	$1,236	$1,490	$1,636	+7.2%
FY 2027From Oct 1, 2026	$937	$982	$1,285	$1,534	$1,689	+4.0%

About this rate

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	—

Nearby counties

Two-bedroom FMR, with how each compares to Muskegon.

Newaygo County

25 mi · 50,130 people

$976

-21%

Ottawa County

25 mi · 296,183 people

$1,519

+23%

Oceana County

27 mi · 26,707 people

$973

-21%

Kent County

35 mi · 657,321 people

$1,531

+24%

Mason County

49 mi · 29,178 people

$1,026

-17%

Allegan County

50 mi · 120,189 people

$1,267

+3%

Lake County

50 mi · 12,285 people

$994

-20%

Mecosta County

50 mi · 40,128 people

$1,010

-18%

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

All Michigan counties All states

Fair Market Rent lookup

Any ZIP code's Small Area FMR by bedroom count

Section 8 rent calculator

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

The income a household needs for a given rent