HUD Fair Market Rent · FY 2026 · effective Oct 1, 2025 to Sep 30, 2026
Fair Market Rent in Van Buren County, Michigan (FY 2026)
$1,016 a month. That's HUD's FY 2026 Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom in Van Buren County, and it's the baseline every voucher in Van Buren is measured against.
2 bedroom FMR
$1,016
FY 2026, utilities included
Payment standard range
$914 to $1,118
90% to 110% of FMR
Income to afford 2BR
$40,640
per year, at 30% of income
Rank in Michigan
47th of 83
by 2BR FMR
HUD has already published FY 2027. On October 1, 2026 the two-bedroom rate in Van Buren moves to $1,040. That's up 2%. The full FY 2027 table is in the history section below.
HUD's number is one input. What does a two-bedroom in Van Buren actually rent for?
Search any address in Van Buren 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 | $701 | $631 to $771 | $28,040 | $13.48/hr | +5.9% |
| 1 bedroom | $774 | $697 to $851 | $30,960 | $14.88/hr | +5.2% |
| 2 bedroom | $1,016 | $914 to $1,118 | $40,640 | $19.54/hr | +5.3% |
| 3 bedroom | $1,338 | $1,204 to $1,472 | $53,520 | $25.73/hr | +6.5% |
| 4 bedroom | $1,396 | $1,256 to $1,536 | $55,840 | $26.85/hr | +9.1% |
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 | $1,605 | $1,445 to $1,766 |
| 6 bedroom Estimate | $1,815 | $1,634 to $1,997 |
| 7 bedroom Estimate | $2,024 | $1,822 to $2,226 |
| 8 bedroom Estimate | $2,234 | $2,011 to $2,457 |
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 Van Buren, that runs from $701 for a studio up to $1,396 for four bedrooms, all five rates in the table above.
Because Van Buren 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, Bangor included.
Among Michigan's 83 counties, Van Buren ranks 47th 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 75,636 people live here, 26th 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 49045 (Decatur) and $1,230 in 49071 (Mattawan), with the 15 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 49013 | Bangor | $1,000 | -1.6% |
| 49026 | Bloomingdale | $1,050 | +3.3% |
| 49027 | Breedsville | $1,010 | -0.6% |
| 49043 | Covert | $1,110 | +9.3% |
| 49045 | Decatur | $970 | -4.5% |
| 49055 | Gobles | $1,110 | +9.3% |
| 49056 | Grand Junction | $1,000 | -1.6% |
| 49057 | Hartford | $970 | -4.5% |
| 49062 | Kendall | $1,020 | +0.4% |
| 49063 | Lacota | $1,020 | +0.4% |
| 49064 | Lawrence | $1,000 | -1.6% |
| 49065 | Lawton | $1,070 | +5.3% |
| 49071 | Mattawan | $1,230 | +21.1% |
| 49079 | Paw Paw | $1,040 | +2.4% |
| 49090 | South Haven | $1,070 | +5.3% |
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 Van Buren somewhere between $914 and $1,118. 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.
$1,016 a month is affordable, by HUD's 30% rule, on an income of roughly $40,640 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% ($914) | HAP at 100% ($1,016) | HAP at 110% ($1,118) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $2,500 | $750 | $164 | $266 | $368 |
| $4,000 | $1,200 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
Rate history
The two-bedroom rate went up 5% from FY 2025 ($965) to FY 2026 ($1,016). Since FY 2020 it's up 21% in total, about 3.2% 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 | $579 | $678 | $839 | $1,137 | $1,214 | — |
| FY 2021 | $617 | $705 | $881 | $1,169 | $1,259 | +5.0% |
| FY 2022 | $561 | $635 | $793 | $1,053 | $1,134 | -10.0% |
| FY 2023 | $590 | $653 | $855 | $1,099 | $1,149 | +7.8% |
| FY 2024 | $653 | $734 | $964 | $1,255 | $1,284 | +12.7% |
| FY 2025 | $662 | $736 | $965 | $1,256 | $1,279 | +0.1% |
| FY 2026 | $701 | $774 | $1,016 | $1,338 | $1,396 | +5.3% |
| FY 2027 | $724 | $795 | $1,040 | $1,370 | $1,425 | +2.4% |
Nearby counties
Allegan County
$1,26723 mi · pop 120,189
Kalamazoo County
$1,16225 mi · pop 261,426
Cass County
$99328 mi · pop 51,604
Berrien County
$1,18432 mi · pop 153,938
St. Joseph County
$1,01938 mi · pop 60,887
Barry County
$1,33442 mi · pop 62,581
Ottawa County
$1,51945 mi · pop 296,183
Calhoun County
$1,17648 mi · pop 134,011
Questions people ask
$1,016 a month for FY 2026, which runs October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026. The other rates are $701 for a studio, $774 for one bedroom, $1,338 for three and $1,396 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 Van Buren actually go for?
HUD's number is one input. Search any address in Van Buren for a rent estimate built from nearby comps. 3 free searches, no card.
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