HUD Fair Market Rent · FY 2026 · effective Oct 1, 2025 to Sep 30, 2026
Fair Market Rent in Benton County, Minnesota (FY 2026)
HUD's FY 2026 Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom in Benton County is $1,206 a month. That's the number the housing authority starts from when it sets Section 8 payment standards here.
2 bedroom FMR
$1,206
FY 2026, utilities included
Payment standard range
$1,085 to $1,327
90% to 110% of FMR
Income to afford 2BR
$48,240
per year, at 30% of income
Rank in Minnesota
17th of 87
by 2BR FMR
HUD has already published FY 2027. On October 1, 2026 the two-bedroom rate in Benton moves to $1,233. 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 Benton actually rent for?
Search any address in Benton 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 | $874 | $787 to $961 | $34,960 | $16.81/hr | +2.1% |
| 1 bedroom | $919 | $827 to $1,011 | $36,760 | $17.67/hr | +4.1% |
| 2 bedroom | $1,206 | $1,085 to $1,327 | $48,240 | $23.19/hr | +4.8% |
| 3 bedroom | $1,604 | $1,444 to $1,764 | $64,160 | $30.85/hr | +6.2% |
| 4 bedroom | $1,873 | $1,686 to $2,060 | $74,920 | $36.02/hr | +4.2% |
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 | $2,154 | $1,939 to $2,369 |
| 6 bedroom Estimate | $2,435 | $2,192 to $2,679 |
| 7 bedroom Estimate | $2,716 | $2,444 to $2,988 |
| 8 bedroom Estimate | $2,997 | $2,697 to $3,297 |
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 Benton, that runs from $874 for a studio up to $1,873 for four bedrooms, all five rates in the table above.
This is a metro rate. The county doesn't get one of its own. HUD lumps Benton in with one other county in the St. Cloud metro, Stearns County among them, and every one of them gets $1,206 for a two-bedroom. Where you are inside the metro doesn't change the county number. It does change the ZIP number, covered below.
Among Minnesota's 87 counties, Benton ranks 17th for two-bedroom FMR. That's about 21% above the state median of $999 and about 18% above the national median county at $1,018. About 41,300 people live here, 24th in the state.
Counties sharing the St. Cloud metro rate
Rates by ZIP code
Zoom in and the picture changes. HUD's Small Area FMRs put a two-bedroom at $1,100 in 56333 (Gilman) and $1,520 in 56329 (Foley), with the 5 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 Benton somewhere between $1,085 and $1,327. 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.
$1,206 a month is affordable, by HUD's 30% rule, on an income of roughly $48,240 a year. Put another way, $23 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% ($1,085) | HAP at 100% ($1,206) | HAP at 110% ($1,327) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $2,500 | $750 | $335 | $456 | $577 |
| $4,000 | $1,200 | $0 | $6 | $127 |
Rate history
The two-bedroom rate went up 5% from FY 2025 ($1,151) to FY 2026 ($1,206). Since FY 2020 it's up 50% in total, about 7.0% 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 | $605 | $657 | $804 | $1,151 | $1,370 | — |
| FY 2021 | $634 | $671 | $821 | $1,160 | $1,357 | +2.1% |
| FY 2022 | $688 | $722 | $886 | $1,216 | $1,429 | +7.9% |
| FY 2023 | $754 | $781 | $972 | $1,309 | $1,552 | +9.7% |
| FY 2024 | $877 | $906 | $1,155 | $1,531 | $1,820 | +18.8% |
| FY 2025 | $856 | $883 | $1,151 | $1,510 | $1,798 | -0.3% |
| FY 2026 | $874 | $919 | $1,206 | $1,604 | $1,873 | +4.8% |
| FY 2027 | $884 | $961 | $1,233 | $1,656 | $1,961 | +2.2% |
Nearby counties
Sherburne County
$1,70922 mi · pop 97,820
Stearns County
$1,20623 mi · pop 158,622
Mille Lacs County
$1,12324 mi · pop 26,680
Morrison County
$97325 mi · pop 34,023
Kanabec County
$97334 mi · pop 16,145
Wright County
$1,70935 mi · pop 142,543
Isanti County
$1,70937 mi · pop 41,257
Meeker County
$99744 mi · pop 23,352
Questions people ask
$1,206 a month for FY 2026, which runs October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026. The other rates are $874 for a studio, $919 for one bedroom, $1,604 for three and $1,873 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 Benton actually go for?
HUD's number is one input. Search any address in Benton for a rent estimate built from nearby comps. 3 free searches, no card.
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