HUD Fair Market Rent · FY 2026 · effective Oct 1, 2025 to Sep 30, 2026
Fair Market Rent in Otsego County, Michigan (FY 2026)
A two-bedroom in Otsego County carries a FY 2026 Fair Market Rent of $1,100 a month, effective October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026. Everything Section 8 pays in Otsego keys off that figure.
2 bedroom FMR
$1,100
FY 2026, utilities included
Payment standard range
$990 to $1,210
90% to 110% of FMR
Income to afford 2BR
$44,000
per year, at 30% of income
Rank in Michigan
32nd of 83
by 2BR FMR
HUD has already published FY 2027. On October 1, 2026 the two-bedroom rate in Otsego moves to $1,192. That's up 8%. The full FY 2027 table is in the history section below.
HUD's number is one input. What does a two-bedroom in Otsego actually rent for?
Search any address in Otsego 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 | $852 | $767 to $937 | $34,080 | $16.38/hr | +10.8% |
| 1 bedroom | $858 | $772 to $944 | $34,320 | $16.50/hr | +10.9% |
| 2 bedroom | $1,100 | $990 to $1,210 | $44,000 | $21.15/hr | +10.6% |
| 3 bedroom | $1,445 | $1,301 to $1,590 | $57,800 | $27.79/hr | +8.3% |
| 4 bedroom | $1,560 | $1,404 to $1,716 | $62,400 | $30.00/hr | +1.4% |
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 | $1,794 | $1,615 to $1,973 |
| 6 bedroom Estimate | $2,028 | $1,825 to $2,231 |
| 7 bedroom Estimate | $2,262 | $2,036 to $2,488 |
| 8 bedroom Estimate | $2,496 | $2,246 to $2,746 |
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 Otsego, that runs from $852 for a studio up to $1,560 for four bedrooms, all five rates in the table above.
Because Otsego sits outside any HUD metro area, its rate is a county-wide figure built from local rents. One number covers every address in the county, Gaylord included.
Among Michigan's 83 counties, Otsego ranks 32nd for two-bedroom FMR. That's about 6% above the state median of $1,033 and about 8% above the national median county at $1,018. About 25,221 people live here, 57th in the state.
Rates by ZIP code
Zoom in and the picture changes. HUD's Small Area FMRs put a two-bedroom at $1,050 in 49751 (Johannesburg) and $1,140 in 49795 (Vanderbilt), with the 6 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 Otsego somewhere between $990 and $1,210. 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.
$1,100 a month is affordable, by HUD's 30% rule, on an income of roughly $44,000 a year. Put another way, $21 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% ($990) | HAP at 100% ($1,100) | HAP at 110% ($1,210) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $2,500 | $750 | $240 | $350 | $460 |
| $4,000 | $1,200 | $0 | $0 | $10 |
Rate history
The two-bedroom rate went up 11% from FY 2025 ($995) to FY 2026 ($1,100). Since FY 2020 it's up 41% in total, about 5.9% 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 | $543 | $597 | $781 | $1,050 | $1,111 | — |
| FY 2021 | $593 | $656 | $865 | $1,122 | $1,218 | +10.8% |
| FY 2022 | $609 | $669 | $880 | $1,128 | $1,291 | +1.7% |
| FY 2023 | $636 | $699 | $920 | $1,219 | $1,394 | +4.5% |
| FY 2024 | $702 | $764 | $1,004 | $1,347 | $1,546 | +9.1% |
| FY 2025 | $769 | $774 | $995 | $1,334 | $1,539 | -0.9% |
| FY 2026 | $852 | $858 | $1,100 | $1,445 | $1,560 | +10.6% |
| FY 2027 | $938 | $944 | $1,192 | $1,511 | $1,676 | +8.4% |
Nearby counties
Crawford County
$1,03820 mi · pop 13,197
Montmorency County
$97326 mi · pop 9,261
Antrim County
$1,16229 mi · pop 23,662
Charlevoix County
$1,03930 mi · pop 26,174
Cheboygan County
$1,05432 mi · pop 25,709
Kalkaska County
$97334 mi · pop 17,934
Oscoda County
$97334 mi · pop 8,264
Emmet County
$1,23537 mi · pop 34,072
Questions people ask
$1,100 a month for FY 2026, which runs October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026. The other rates are $852 for a studio, $858 for one bedroom, $1,445 for three and $1,560 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 Otsego actually go for?
HUD's number is one input. Search any address in Otsego for a rent estimate built from nearby comps. 3 free searches, no card.
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