HUD Fair Market Rent · FY 2027 · Effective Oct 1, 2026 to Sep 30, 2027
Fair Market Rent in Clay County, Minnesota (FY 2027)
HUD's FY 2027 Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom in Clay County is $1,104 a month. That's the number the housing authority starts from when it sets Section 8 payment standards here.
Two-bedroom FMR
$1,104
-0.7% from FY 2026
Payment standard
$994–$1,214
90% to 110% of the FMR, two-bedroom
Income to afford
$44,160
a year, with rent at 30% of income
Rank in Minnesota
33rd of 87
by two-bedroom FMR, highest first
FY 2027 Fair Market Rents
Payment standard is the 90% to 110% band a housing authority can set. Income needed puts rent at 30% of gross income, and the hourly wage assumes a 40-hour week.
| Bedrooms | FMR | Payment standard | Income needed | Hourly wage | vs FY 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Studio | $781 | $703–$859 | $31,240 | $15.02/hr | +1.7% |
| 1 bedroom | $903 | $813–$993 | $36,120 | $17.37/hr | -1.5% |
| 2 bedroom | $1,104 | $994–$1,214 | $44,160 | $21.23/hr | -0.7% |
| 3 bedroom | $1,529 | $1,376–$1,682 | $61,160 | $29.40/hr | -1.2% |
| 4 bedroom | $1,845 | $1,661–$2,030 | $73,800 | $35.48/hr | -1.1% |
Five to eight 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 | $2,122 | $1,910–$2,334 |
| 6 bedroom Estimate | $2,399 | $2,159–$2,639 |
| 7 bedroom Estimate | $2,675 | $2,408–$2,943 |
| 8 bedroom Estimate | $2,952 | $2,657–$3,247 |
Source: HUD Office of Policy Development and Research, FY 2027 Fair Market Rents. Rents include utilities. huduser.gov
Market check
HUD's number is one input. What does a two-bedroom in Clay actually rent for?
Search any address in Clay for a rent estimate built from nearby comps, with the HUD figure right next to it.
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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 Clay somewhere between $994 and $1,214. 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.
$1,104 a month is affordable, by HUD's 30% rule, on an income of roughly $44,160 a year. Put another way, $21 an hour full time.
Worked example for a two-bedroom renting at the payment standard. The tenant pays 30% of monthly income and the voucher covers the rest.
| Monthly household income | Tenant pays (30%) | Voucher pays at 90%$994 | Voucher pays at 100%$1,104 | Voucher pays at 110%$1,214 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $2,500 | $750 | $244 | $354 | $464 |
| $4,000 | $1,200 | $0 | $0 | $14 |
Rate history
The two-bedroom rate went down 1% from FY 2026 ($1,112) to FY 2027 ($1,104). Since FY 2020 it's up 32% in total, about 4.1% a year. The Minnesota median moved up 5% over the same year.
| Fiscal year | Studio | 1 BR | 2 BR | 3 BR | 4 BR | 2BR change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY 2020 | $555 | $676 | $834 | $1,203 | $1,464 | — |
| FY 2021 | $593 | $712 | $873 | $1,249 | $1,512 | +4.7% |
| FY 2022 | $597 | $705 | $859 | $1,220 | $1,470 | -1.6% |
| FY 2023 | $634 | $749 | $911 | $1,295 | $1,552 | +6.1% |
| FY 2024 | $656 | $781 | $944 | $1,330 | $1,602 | +3.6% |
| FY 2025 | $694 | $836 | $1,012 | $1,418 | $1,699 | +7.2% |
| FY 2026 | $768 | $917 | $1,112 | $1,547 | $1,865 | +9.9% |
| FY 2027In effect | $781 | $903 | $1,104 | $1,529 | $1,845 | -0.7% |
About this rate
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 2027 that's October 1, 2026 through September 30, 2027. In Clay, that runs from $781 for a studio up to $1,845 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 Clay in with one other county in the Fargo metro, Cass County among them, and every one of them gets $1,104 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, Clay ranks 33rd for two-bedroom FMR. That's about 5% above the state median of $1,048 and about 4% above the national median county at $1,063. About 66,059 people live here, 16th in the state.
Rates by ZIP code
Zoom in and the picture changes. HUD's Small Area FMRs put a two-bedroom at $1,010 in 56536 (Felton) and $1,190 in 56525 (Comstock), with the 14 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 56514 | Barnesville | $1,020 | -7.6% |
| 56525 | Comstock | $1,190 | +7.8% |
| 56529 | Dilworth | $1,180 | +6.9% |
| 56536 | Felton | $1,010 | -8.5% |
| 56546 | Georgetown | $1,180 | +6.9% |
| 56547 | Glyndon | $1,060 | -4.0% |
| 56549 | Hawley | $1,010 | -8.5% |
| 56552 | Hitterdal | $1,010 | -8.5% |
| 56560 | Moorhead | $1,190 | +7.8% |
| 56561 | Moorhead | $1,180 | +6.9% |
| 56562 | Moorhead | $1,190 | +7.8% |
| 56563 | Moorhead | $1,190 | +7.8% |
| 56580 | Sabin | $1,010 | -8.5% |
| 56585 | Ulen | $1,010 | -8.5% |
Counties sharing the Fargo metro rate
HUD sets one rate for the whole metro, so every county here carries the same $1,104 two-bedroom figure as Clay.
Nearby counties
Two-bedroom FMR, with how each compares to Clay.
Norman County
27 mi · 6,367 people
$1,014
-8%
Wilkin County
40 mi · 6,371 people
$1,014
-8%
Becker County
41 mi · 35,343 people
$1,105
same rate
Mahnomen County
45 mi · 5,358 people
$1,014
-8%
Otter Tail County
54 mi · 60,475 people
$1,071
-3%
Polk County
56 mi · 30,705 people
$1,014
-8%
Red Lake County
71 mi · 3,915 people
$1,014
-8%
Grant County
73 mi · 6,127 people
$1,014
-8%
Questions people ask
$1,104 a month for FY 2027, which runs October 1, 2026 through September 30, 2027. The other rates are $781 for a studio, $903 for one bedroom, $1,529 for three and $1,845 for four.
Tools for this county
Fair Market Rent lookup
Any ZIP code's Small Area FMR by bedroom count
Section 8 rent calculator
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
The income a household needs for a given rent
What does a rental in Clay actually go for?
HUD's number is one input. Search any address in Clay for a rent estimate built from nearby comps. Free to start, no card.
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