HUD Fair Market Rent · FY 2026 · effective Oct 1, 2025 to Sep 30, 2026
Fair Market Rent in Clay County, Minnesota (FY 2026)
HUD's FY 2026 Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom in Clay County is $1,112 a month. That's the number the housing authority starts from when it sets Section 8 payment standards here.
2 bedroom FMR
$1,112
FY 2026, utilities included
Payment standard range
$1,001 to $1,223
90% to 110% of FMR
Income to afford 2BR
$44,480
per year, at 30% of income
Rank in Minnesota
28th of 87
by 2BR FMR
HUD has already published FY 2027. On October 1, 2026 the two-bedroom rate in Clay moves to $1,104. That's down 1%. The full FY 2027 table is in the history section below.
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.
FY 2026 Fair Market Rents
| Bedrooms | FMR | Payment standard | Income needed | Hourly wage | vs FY 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Studio | $768 | $691 to $845 | $30,720 | $14.77/hr | +10.7% |
| 1 bedroom | $917 | $825 to $1,009 | $36,680 | $17.63/hr | +9.7% |
| 2 bedroom | $1,112 | $1,001 to $1,223 | $44,480 | $21.38/hr | +9.9% |
| 3 bedroom | $1,547 | $1,392 to $1,702 | $61,880 | $29.75/hr | +9.1% |
| 4 bedroom | $1,865 | $1,679 to $2,052 | $74,600 | $35.87/hr | +9.8% |
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 | $2,145 | $1,931 to $2,360 |
| 6 bedroom Estimate | $2,425 | $2,183 to $2,668 |
| 7 bedroom Estimate | $2,704 | $2,434 to $2,974 |
| 8 bedroom Estimate | $2,984 | $2,686 to $3,282 |
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 Clay, that runs from $768 for a studio up to $1,865 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 $1,112 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 28th for two-bedroom FMR. That's about 11% above the state median of $999 and about 9% above the national median county at $1,018. About 65,307 people live here, 16th in the state.
Counties sharing the Fargo metro rate
Rates by ZIP code
Zoom in and the picture changes. HUD's Small Area FMRs put a two-bedroom at $970 in 56536 (Felton) and $1,290 in 56546 (Georgetown), 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 | $1,010 | -9.2% |
| 56525 | Comstock | $1,170 | +5.2% |
| 56529 | Dilworth | $1,150 | +3.4% |
| 56536 | Felton | $970 | -12.8% |
| 56546 | Georgetown | $1,290 | +16.0% |
| 56547 | Glyndon | $1,030 | -7.4% |
| 56549 | Hawley | $980 | -11.9% |
| 56552 | Hitterdal | $970 | -12.8% |
| 56560 | Moorhead | $1,170 | +5.2% |
| 56561 | Moorhead | $1,180 | +6.1% |
| 56562 | Moorhead | $1,170 | +5.2% |
| 56563 | Moorhead | $1,170 | +5.2% |
| 56580 | Sabin | $970 | -12.8% |
| 56585 | Ulen | $970 | -12.8% |
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 $1,001 and $1,223. 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.
$1,112 a month is affordable, by HUD's 30% rule, on an income of roughly $44,480 a year. Put another way, $21 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% ($1,001) | HAP at 100% ($1,112) | HAP at 110% ($1,223) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $2,500 | $750 | $251 | $362 | $473 |
| $4,000 | $1,200 | $0 | $0 | $23 |
Rate history
The two-bedroom rate went up 10% from FY 2025 ($1,012) to FY 2026 ($1,112). Since FY 2020 it's up 33% in total, about 4.9% 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 | $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 2027 | $781 | $903 | $1,104 | $1,529 | $1,845 | -0.7% |
Nearby counties
Questions people ask
$1,112 a month for FY 2026, which runs October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026. The other rates are $768 for a studio, $917 for one bedroom, $1,547 for three and $1,865 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 Clay actually go for?
HUD's number is one input. Search any address in Clay for a rent estimate built from nearby comps. 3 free searches, no card.
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