HUD Fair Market Rent · FY 2026 · effective Oct 1, 2025 to Sep 30, 2026
Fair Market Rent in St. Joseph County, Michigan (FY 2026)
A two-bedroom in St. Joseph County carries a FY 2026 Fair Market Rent of $1,019 a month, effective October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026. Everything Section 8 pays in St. Joseph keys off that figure.
2 bedroom FMR
$1,019
FY 2026, utilities included
Payment standard range
$917 to $1,121
90% to 110% of FMR
Income to afford 2BR
$40,760
per year, at 30% of income
Rank in Michigan
46th of 83
by 2BR FMR
HUD has already published FY 2027. On October 1, 2026 the two-bedroom rate in St. Joseph moves to $1,046. That's up 3%. The full FY 2027 table is in the history section below.
HUD's number is one input. What does a two-bedroom in St. Joseph actually rent for?
Search any address in St. Joseph 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 | $721 | $649 to $793 | $28,840 | $13.87/hr | +9.1% |
| 1 bedroom | $777 | $699 to $855 | $31,080 | $14.94/hr | +8.1% |
| 2 bedroom | $1,019 | $917 to $1,121 | $40,760 | $19.60/hr | +8.1% |
| 3 bedroom | $1,380 | $1,242 to $1,518 | $55,200 | $26.54/hr | +6.6% |
| 4 bedroom | $1,480 | $1,332 to $1,628 | $59,200 | $28.46/hr | +5.8% |
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 | $1,702 | $1,532 to $1,872 |
| 6 bedroom Estimate | $1,924 | $1,732 to $2,116 |
| 7 bedroom Estimate | $2,146 | $1,931 to $2,361 |
| 8 bedroom Estimate | $2,368 | $2,131 to $2,605 |
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 St. Joseph, that runs from $721 for a studio up to $1,480 for four bedrooms, all five rates in the table above.
Because St. Joseph 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, Burr Oak included.
Among Michigan's 83 counties, St. Joseph ranks 46th for two-bedroom FMR. That's within a couple percent of the state median of $1,033 and within a couple percent of the national median county at $1,018. About 60,887 people live here, 33rd in the state.
Rates by ZIP code
Zoom in and the picture changes. HUD's Small Area FMRs put a two-bedroom at $970 in 49032 (Centreville) and $1,140 in 49066 (Leonidas), with the 10 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 St. Joseph somewhere between $917 and $1,121. 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.
$1,019 a month is affordable, by HUD's 30% rule, on an income of roughly $40,760 a year. Put another way, $20 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% ($917) | HAP at 100% ($1,019) | HAP at 110% ($1,121) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $2,500 | $750 | $167 | $269 | $371 |
| $4,000 | $1,200 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
Rate history
The two-bedroom rate went up 8% from FY 2025 ($943) to FY 2026 ($1,019). Since FY 2020 it's up 43% in total, about 6.1% 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 | $495 | $546 | $713 | $902 | $1,074 | — |
| FY 2021 | $516 | $583 | $753 | $970 | $1,074 | +5.6% |
| FY 2022 | $526 | $592 | $760 | $1,004 | $1,071 | +0.9% |
| FY 2023 | $571 | $643 | $826 | $1,115 | $1,180 | +8.7% |
| FY 2024 | $646 | $712 | $924 | $1,277 | $1,339 | +11.9% |
| FY 2025 | $661 | $719 | $943 | $1,295 | $1,399 | +2.1% |
| FY 2026 | $721 | $777 | $1,019 | $1,380 | $1,480 | +8.1% |
| FY 2027 | $752 | $800 | $1,046 | $1,382 | $1,461 | +2.6% |
Nearby counties
Branch County
$97322 mi · pop 44,795
Cass County
$99323 mi · pop 51,604
Kalamazoo County
$1,16224 mi · pop 261,426
Calhoun County
$1,17631 mi · pop 134,011
Van Buren County
$1,01638 mi · pop 75,636
Hillsdale County
$1,00246 mi · pop 45,698
Barry County
$1,33449 mi · pop 62,581
Berrien County
$1,18450 mi · pop 153,938
Questions people ask
$1,019 a month for FY 2026, which runs October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026. The other rates are $721 for a studio, $777 for one bedroom, $1,380 for three and $1,480 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 St. Joseph actually go for?
HUD's number is one input. Search any address in St. Joseph for a rent estimate built from nearby comps. 3 free searches, no card.
Free tier. No credit card.