HUD Fair Market Rent · FY 2026 · effective Oct 1, 2025 to Sep 30, 2026
Fair Market Rent in Aitkin County, Minnesota (FY 2026)
A two-bedroom in Aitkin County carries a FY 2026 Fair Market Rent of $973 a month, effective October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026. Everything Section 8 pays in Aitkin keys off that figure.
2 bedroom FMR
$973
FY 2026, utilities included
Payment standard range
$876 to $1,070
90% to 110% of FMR
Income to afford 2BR
$38,920
per year, at 30% of income
Rank in Minnesota
50th of 87
by 2BR FMR
HUD has already published FY 2027. On October 1, 2026 the two-bedroom rate in Aitkin moves to $1,048. 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 Aitkin actually rent for?
Search any address in Aitkin 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 | $737 | $663 to $811 | $29,480 | $14.17/hr | +4.2% |
| 1 bedroom | $742 | $668 to $816 | $29,680 | $14.27/hr | +4.4% |
| 2 bedroom | $973 | $876 to $1,070 | $38,920 | $18.71/hr | +4.3% |
| 3 bedroom | $1,353 | $1,218 to $1,488 | $54,120 | $26.02/hr | +3.5% |
| 4 bedroom | $1,471 | $1,324 to $1,618 | $58,840 | $28.29/hr | +10.9% |
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 | $1,692 | $1,523 to $1,861 |
| 6 bedroom Estimate | $1,912 | $1,721 to $2,103 |
| 7 bedroom Estimate | $2,133 | $1,920 to $2,346 |
| 8 bedroom Estimate | $2,354 | $2,119 to $2,589 |
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 Aitkin, that runs from $737 for a studio up to $1,471 for four bedrooms, all five rates in the table above.
Because Aitkin 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, Hill City included.
Among Minnesota's 87 counties, Aitkin ranks 50th for two-bedroom FMR. That's about 3% below the state median of $999 and about 4% below the national median county at $1,018. About 15,859 people live here, 53rd 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 55760 (Mcgregor) and $1,060 in 56350 (Mc Grath), with the 8 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 Aitkin somewhere between $876 and $1,070. 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.
$973 a month is affordable, by HUD's 30% rule, on an income of roughly $38,920 a year. Put another way, $19 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% ($876) | HAP at 100% ($973) | HAP at 110% ($1,070) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $2,500 | $750 | $126 | $223 | $320 |
| $4,000 | $1,200 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
Rate history
The two-bedroom rate went up 4% from FY 2025 ($933) to FY 2026 ($973). Since FY 2020 it's up 27% in total, about 4.0% a year. The Minnesota median moved up 7% over the same year.
| Year | Studio | 1 BR | 2 BR | 3 BR | 4 BR | 2BR change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY 2020 | $574 | $583 | $768 | $996 | $1,144 | — |
| FY 2021 | $524 | $557 | $734 | $985 | $1,058 | -4.4% |
| FY 2022 | $561 | $603 | $793 | $1,077 | $1,078 | +8.0% |
| FY 2023 | $632 | $643 | $847 | $1,134 | $1,138 | +6.8% |
| FY 2024 | $677 | $709 | $932 | $1,274 | $1,278 | +10.0% |
| FY 2025 | $707 | $711 | $933 | $1,307 | $1,327 | +0.1% |
| FY 2026 | $737 | $742 | $973 | $1,353 | $1,471 | +4.3% |
| FY 2027 | $796 | $801 | $1,048 | $1,451 | $1,515 | +7.7% |
Nearby counties
Questions people ask
$973 a month for FY 2026, which runs October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026. The other rates are $737 for a studio, $742 for one bedroom, $1,353 for three and $1,471 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 Aitkin actually go for?
HUD's number is one input. Search any address in Aitkin for a rent estimate built from nearby comps. 3 free searches, no card.
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