HUD Fair Market Rent · FY 2026 · effective Oct 1, 2025 to Sep 30, 2026
Fair Market Rent in McLeod County, Minnesota (FY 2026)
A two-bedroom in McLeod County carries a FY 2026 Fair Market Rent of $999 a month, effective October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026. Everything Section 8 pays in McLeod keys off that figure.
2 bedroom FMR
$999
FY 2026, utilities included
Payment standard range
$899 to $1,099
90% to 110% of FMR
Income to afford 2BR
$39,960
per year, at 30% of income
Rank in Minnesota
44th of 87
by 2BR FMR
HUD has already published FY 2027. On October 1, 2026 the two-bedroom rate in McLeod moves to $1,073. That's up 7%. The full FY 2027 table is in the history section below.
HUD's number is one input. What does a two-bedroom in McLeod actually rent for?
Search any address in McLeod 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 | $823 | $741 to $905 | $32,920 | $15.83/hr | +10.0% |
| 1 bedroom | $865 | $779 to $952 | $34,600 | $16.63/hr | +13.5% |
| 2 bedroom | $999 | $899 to $1,099 | $39,960 | $19.21/hr | +7.1% |
| 3 bedroom | $1,198 | $1,078 to $1,318 | $47,920 | $23.04/hr | 0.0% |
| 4 bedroom | $1,662 | $1,496 to $1,828 | $66,480 | $31.96/hr | +6.1% |
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 | $1,911 | $1,720 to $2,102 |
| 6 bedroom Estimate | $2,161 | $1,945 to $2,377 |
| 7 bedroom Estimate | $2,410 | $2,169 to $2,651 |
| 8 bedroom Estimate | $2,659 | $2,393 to $2,925 |
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 McLeod, that runs from $823 for a studio up to $1,662 for four bedrooms, all five rates in the table above.
Because McLeod 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, Brownton included.
Among Minnesota's 87 counties, McLeod ranks 44th 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 36,727 people live here, 29th in the state.
Rates by ZIP code
Zoom in and the picture changes. HUD's Small Area FMRs put a two-bedroom at $970 in 55312 (Brownton) and $1,520 in 55381 (Silver Lake), with the 8 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 McLeod somewhere between $899 and $1,099. 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.
$999 a month is affordable, by HUD's 30% rule, on an income of roughly $39,960 a year. Put another way, $19 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% ($899) | HAP at 100% ($999) | HAP at 110% ($1,099) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $2,500 | $750 | $149 | $249 | $349 |
| $4,000 | $1,200 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
Rate history
The two-bedroom rate went up 7% from FY 2025 ($933) to FY 2026 ($999). Since FY 2020 it's up 29% in total, about 4.3% 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 | $512 | $589 | $776 | $1,119 | $1,280 | — |
| FY 2021 | $493 | $567 | $747 | $1,069 | $1,284 | -3.7% |
| FY 2022 | $606 | $624 | $821 | $1,166 | $1,405 | +9.9% |
| FY 2023 | $641 | $643 | $847 | $1,204 | $1,443 | +3.2% |
| FY 2024 | $732 | $737 | $963 | $1,331 | $1,634 | +13.7% |
| FY 2025 | $748 | $762 | $933 | $1,198 | $1,567 | -3.1% |
| FY 2026 | $823 | $865 | $999 | $1,198 | $1,662 | +7.1% |
| FY 2027 | $882 | $951 | $1,073 | $1,278 | $1,593 | +7.4% |
Nearby counties
Sibley County
$97316 mi · pop 14,950
Carver County
$1,70922 mi · pop 107,216
Meeker County
$99727 mi · pop 23,352
Wright County
$1,70928 mi · pop 142,543
Nicollet County
$1,17136 mi · pop 34,380
Renville County
$97337 mi · pop 14,707
Scott County
$1,70938 mi · pop 151,347
Hennepin County
$1,70941 mi · pop 1,270,787
Questions people ask
$999 a month for FY 2026, which runs October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026. The other rates are $823 for a studio, $865 for one bedroom, $1,198 for three and $1,662 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 McLeod actually go for?
HUD's number is one input. Search any address in McLeod for a rent estimate built from nearby comps. 3 free searches, no card.
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