HUD Fair Market Rent · FY 2026 · effective Oct 1, 2025 to Sep 30, 2026
Fair Market Rent in Houston County, Minnesota (FY 2026)
A two-bedroom in Houston County carries a FY 2026 Fair Market Rent of $1,166 a month, effective October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026. Everything Section 8 pays in Houston keys off that figure.
2 bedroom FMR
$1,166
FY 2026, utilities included
Payment standard range
$1,049 to $1,283
90% to 110% of FMR
Income to afford 2BR
$46,640
per year, at 30% of income
Rank in Minnesota
22nd of 87
by 2BR FMR
HUD has already published FY 2027. On October 1, 2026 the two-bedroom rate in Houston moves to $1,343. That's up 15%. The full FY 2027 table is in the history section below.
HUD's number is one input. What does a two-bedroom in Houston actually rent for?
Search any address in Houston 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 | $804 | $724 to $884 | $32,160 | $15.46/hr | -2.1% |
| 1 bedroom | $889 | $800 to $978 | $35,560 | $17.10/hr | -2.5% |
| 2 bedroom | $1,166 | $1,049 to $1,283 | $46,640 | $22.42/hr | -2.6% |
| 3 bedroom | $1,515 | $1,364 to $1,667 | $60,600 | $29.13/hr | -4.1% |
| 4 bedroom | $1,903 | $1,713 to $2,093 | $76,120 | $36.60/hr | -4.4% |
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 | $2,188 | $1,969 to $2,407 |
| 6 bedroom Estimate | $2,474 | $2,227 to $2,721 |
| 7 bedroom Estimate | $2,759 | $2,483 to $3,035 |
| 8 bedroom Estimate | $3,045 | $2,741 to $3,350 |
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 Houston, that runs from $804 for a studio up to $1,903 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 Houston in with one other county in the La Crosse-Onalaska metro, La Crosse County among them, and every one of them gets $1,166 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, Houston ranks 22nd for two-bedroom FMR. That's about 17% above the state median of $999 and about 15% above the national median county at $1,018. About 18,826 people live here, 51st in the state.
Counties sharing the La Crosse-Onalaska metro rate
Rates by ZIP code
Zoom in and the picture changes. HUD's Small Area FMRs put a two-bedroom at $1,080 in 55919 (Brownsville) and $1,140 in 55947 (La Crescent), with the 7 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 Houston somewhere between $1,049 and $1,283. 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.
$1,166 a month is affordable, by HUD's 30% rule, on an income of roughly $46,640 a year. Put another way, $22 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% ($1,049) | HAP at 100% ($1,166) | HAP at 110% ($1,283) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $2,500 | $750 | $299 | $416 | $533 |
| $4,000 | $1,200 | $0 | $0 | $83 |
Rate history
The two-bedroom rate went down 3% from FY 2025 ($1,197) to FY 2026 ($1,166). Since FY 2020 it's up 41% in total, about 5.8% 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 | $540 | $629 | $829 | $1,152 | $1,455 | — |
| FY 2021 | $577 | $673 | $874 | $1,216 | $1,513 | +5.4% |
| FY 2022 | $618 | $724 | $930 | $1,300 | $1,592 | +6.4% |
| FY 2023 | $685 | $799 | $1,024 | $1,409 | $1,744 | +10.1% |
| FY 2024 | $760 | $866 | $1,122 | $1,515 | $1,904 | +9.6% |
| FY 2025 | $821 | $912 | $1,197 | $1,579 | $1,990 | +6.7% |
| FY 2026 | $804 | $889 | $1,166 | $1,515 | $1,903 | -2.6% |
| FY 2027 | $935 | $1,027 | $1,343 | $1,721 | $2,167 | +15.2% |
Nearby counties
Winona County
$1,06629 mi · pop 49,792
Fillmore County
$1,02231 mi · pop 21,251
Olmsted County
$1,40755 mi · pop 162,307
Wabasha County
$1,00157 mi · pop 21,460
Mower County
$1,04966 mi · pop 40,082
Dodge County
$1,40774 mi · pop 20,893
Goodhue County
$1,09581 mi · pop 47,697
Steele County
$1,14291 mi · pop 37,396
Questions people ask
$1,166 a month for FY 2026, which runs October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026. The other rates are $804 for a studio, $889 for one bedroom, $1,515 for three and $1,903 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 Houston actually go for?
HUD's number is one input. Search any address in Houston for a rent estimate built from nearby comps. 3 free searches, no card.
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