HUD Fair Market Rent · FY 2026 · effective Oct 1, 2025 to Sep 30, 2026
Fair Market Rent in Meeker County, Minnesota (FY 2026)
HUD's FY 2026 Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom in Meeker County is $997 a month. That's the number the housing authority starts from when it sets Section 8 payment standards here.
2 bedroom FMR
$997
FY 2026, utilities included
Payment standard range
$897 to $1,097
90% to 110% of FMR
Income to afford 2BR
$39,880
per year, at 30% of income
Rank in Minnesota
45th of 87
by 2BR FMR
HUD has already published FY 2027. On October 1, 2026 the two-bedroom rate in Meeker moves to $1,089. That's up 9%. The full FY 2027 table is in the history section below.
HUD's number is one input. What does a two-bedroom in Meeker actually rent for?
Search any address in Meeker 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 | $687 | $618 to $756 | $27,480 | $13.21/hr | +7.3% |
| 1 bedroom | $854 | $769 to $939 | $34,160 | $16.42/hr | +8.8% |
| 2 bedroom | $997 | $897 to $1,097 | $39,880 | $19.17/hr | +6.9% |
| 3 bedroom | $1,387 | $1,248 to $1,526 | $55,480 | $26.67/hr | +6.1% |
| 4 bedroom | $1,407 | $1,266 to $1,548 | $56,280 | $27.06/hr | -1.1% |
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 | $1,618 | $1,456 to $1,780 |
| 6 bedroom Estimate | $1,829 | $1,646 to $2,012 |
| 7 bedroom Estimate | $2,040 | $1,836 to $2,244 |
| 8 bedroom Estimate | $2,251 | $2,026 to $2,476 |
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 Meeker, that runs from $687 for a studio up to $1,407 for four bedrooms, all five rates in the table above.
Because Meeker 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, Darwin included.
Among Minnesota's 87 counties, Meeker ranks 45th for two-bedroom FMR. That's within a couple percent of the state median of $999 and about 2% below the national median county at $1,018. About 23,352 people live here, 43rd 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 55324 (Darwin) and $1,520 in 55325 (Dassel), 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 Meeker somewhere between $897 and $1,097. 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.
$997 a month is affordable, by HUD's 30% rule, on an income of roughly $39,880 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% ($897) | HAP at 100% ($997) | HAP at 110% ($1,097) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $2,500 | $750 | $147 | $247 | $347 |
| $4,000 | $1,200 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
Rate history
The two-bedroom rate went up 7% from FY 2025 ($933) to FY 2026 ($997). Since FY 2020 it's up 27% in total, about 4.1% 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 | $511 | $595 | $784 | $977 | $1,127 | — |
| FY 2021 | $498 | $573 | $755 | $967 | $1,113 | -3.7% |
| FY 2022 | $541 | $619 | $814 | $1,094 | $1,232 | +7.8% |
| FY 2023 | $589 | $679 | $881 | $1,247 | $1,394 | +8.2% |
| FY 2024 | $646 | $766 | $953 | $1,343 | $1,498 | +8.2% |
| FY 2025 | $640 | $785 | $933 | $1,307 | $1,422 | -2.1% |
| FY 2026 | $687 | $854 | $997 | $1,387 | $1,407 | +6.9% |
| FY 2027 | $758 | $954 | $1,089 | $1,490 | $1,495 | +9.2% |
Nearby counties
Kandiyohi County
$97325 mi · pop 43,686
McLeod County
$99927 mi · pop 36,727
Stearns County
$1,20628 mi · pop 158,622
Wright County
$1,70930 mi · pop 142,543
Renville County
$97337 mi · pop 14,707
Sherburne County
$1,70942 mi · pop 97,820
Sibley County
$97342 mi · pop 14,950
Carver County
$1,70943 mi · pop 107,216
Questions people ask
$997 a month for FY 2026, which runs October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026. The other rates are $687 for a studio, $854 for one bedroom, $1,387 for three and $1,407 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 Meeker actually go for?
HUD's number is one input. Search any address in Meeker for a rent estimate built from nearby comps. 3 free searches, no card.
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