HUD Fair Market Rent · FY 2026 · effective Oct 1, 2025 to Sep 30, 2026
Fair Market Rent in Lake of the Woods County, Minnesota (FY 2026)
$1,014 a month. That's HUD's FY 2026 Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom in Lake of the Woods County, and it's the baseline every voucher in Lake of the Woods is measured against.
2 bedroom FMR
$1,014
FY 2026, utilities included
Payment standard range
$913 to $1,115
90% to 110% of FMR
Income to afford 2BR
$40,560
per year, at 30% of income
Rank in Minnesota
41st of 87
by 2BR FMR
HUD has already published FY 2027. On October 1, 2026 the two-bedroom rate in Lake of the Woods moves to $1,154. That's up 14%. The full FY 2027 table is in the history section below.
HUD's number is one input. What does a two-bedroom in Lake of the Woods actually rent for?
Search any address in Lake of the Woods 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 | $699 | $629 to $769 | $27,960 | $13.44/hr | +9.2% |
| 1 bedroom | $773 | $696 to $850 | $30,920 | $14.87/hr | +8.7% |
| 2 bedroom | $1,014 | $913 to $1,115 | $40,560 | $19.50/hr | +8.7% |
| 3 bedroom | $1,216 | $1,094 to $1,338 | $48,640 | $23.38/hr | +8.2% |
| 4 bedroom | $1,474 | $1,327 to $1,621 | $58,960 | $28.35/hr | +9.4% |
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 | $1,695 | $1,526 to $1,865 |
| 6 bedroom Estimate | $1,916 | $1,724 to $2,108 |
| 7 bedroom Estimate | $2,137 | $1,923 to $2,351 |
| 8 bedroom Estimate | $2,358 | $2,122 to $2,594 |
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 Lake of the Woods, that runs from $699 for a studio up to $1,474 for four bedrooms, all five rates in the table above.
Because Lake of the Woods 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, Baudette included.
Among Minnesota's 87 counties, Lake of the Woods ranks 41st for two-bedroom FMR. That's within a couple percent of the state median of $999 and within a couple percent of the national median county at $1,018. About 3,786 people live here, 86th in the state.
Rates by ZIP code
Zoom in and the picture changes. HUD's Small Area FMRs put a two-bedroom at $1,000 in 56623 (Baudette) and $1,190 in 56686 (Williams), with the 4 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 Lake of the Woods somewhere between $913 and $1,115. 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.
$1,014 a month is affordable, by HUD's 30% rule, on an income of roughly $40,560 a year. Put another way, $20 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% ($913) | HAP at 100% ($1,014) | HAP at 110% ($1,115) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $2,500 | $750 | $163 | $264 | $365 |
| $4,000 | $1,200 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
Rate history
The two-bedroom rate went up 9% from FY 2025 ($933) to FY 2026 ($1,014). Since FY 2020 it's up 30% in total, about 4.5% 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 | $513 | $591 | $778 | $970 | $1,096 | — |
| FY 2021 | $497 | $571 | $753 | $937 | $1,089 | -3.2% |
| FY 2022 | $549 | $630 | $826 | $1,021 | $1,201 | +9.7% |
| FY 2023 | $605 | $689 | $905 | $1,101 | $1,317 | +9.6% |
| FY 2024 | $660 | $741 | $974 | $1,178 | $1,408 | +7.6% |
| FY 2025 | $640 | $711 | $933 | $1,124 | $1,347 | -4.2% |
| FY 2026 | $699 | $773 | $1,014 | $1,216 | $1,474 | +8.7% |
| FY 2027 | $804 | $882 | $1,154 | $1,375 | $1,685 | +13.8% |
Nearby counties
Roseau County
$97341 mi · pop 15,294
Koochiching County
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Pennington County
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Marshall County
$97389 mi · pop 9,017
Beltrami County
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Kittson County
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Red Lake County
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Clearwater County
$97399 mi · pop 8,541
Questions people ask
$1,014 a month for FY 2026, which runs October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026. The other rates are $699 for a studio, $773 for one bedroom, $1,216 for three and $1,474 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 Lake of the Woods actually go for?
HUD's number is one input. Search any address in Lake of the Woods for a rent estimate built from nearby comps. 3 free searches, no card.
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