HUD Fair Market Rent · FY 2026 · effective Oct 1, 2025 to Sep 30, 2026
Fair Market Rent in Otter Tail County, Minnesota (FY 2026)
HUD's FY 2026 Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom in Otter Tail County is $983 a month. That's the number the housing authority starts from when it sets Section 8 payment standards here.
2 bedroom FMR
$983
FY 2026, utilities included
Payment standard range
$885 to $1,081
90% to 110% of FMR
Income to afford 2BR
$39,320
per year, at 30% of income
Rank in Minnesota
48th of 87
by 2BR FMR
HUD has already published FY 2027. On October 1, 2026 the two-bedroom rate in Otter Tail moves to $1,071. 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 Otter Tail actually rent for?
Search any address in Otter Tail 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 | $678 | $610 to $746 | $27,120 | $13.04/hr | +4.5% |
| 1 bedroom | $749 | $674 to $824 | $29,960 | $14.40/hr | +3.9% |
| 2 bedroom | $983 | $885 to $1,081 | $39,320 | $18.90/hr | +3.9% |
| 3 bedroom | $1,367 | $1,230 to $1,504 | $54,680 | $26.29/hr | +4.6% |
| 4 bedroom | $1,432 | $1,289 to $1,575 | $57,280 | $27.54/hr | +3.7% |
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 | $1,647 | $1,482 to $1,812 |
| 6 bedroom Estimate | $1,862 | $1,676 to $2,048 |
| 7 bedroom Estimate | $2,076 | $1,868 to $2,284 |
| 8 bedroom Estimate | $2,291 | $2,062 to $2,520 |
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 Otter Tail, that runs from $678 for a studio up to $1,432 for four bedrooms, all five rates in the table above.
Because Otter Tail 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, Fergus Falls included.
Among Minnesota's 87 counties, Otter Tail ranks 48th for two-bedroom FMR. That's within a couple percent of the state median of $999 and about 3% below the national median county at $1,018. About 60,072 people live here, 17th 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 56324 (Dalton) and $1,410 in 56528 (Dent), with the 20 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 56324 | Dalton | $970 | -1.3% |
| 56361 | Parkers Prairie | $970 | -1.3% |
| 56515 | Battle Lake | $1,070 | +8.9% |
| 56518 | Bluffton | $1,020 | +3.8% |
| 56524 | Clitherall | $1,100 | +11.9% |
| 56527 | Deer Creek | $990 | +0.7% |
| 56528 | Dent | $1,410 | +43.4% |
| 56533 | Elizabeth | $1,280 | +30.2% |
| 56534 | Erhard | $1,200 | +22.1% |
| 56537 | Fergus Falls | $990 | +0.7% |
| 56538 | Fergus Falls | $980 | -0.3% |
| 56551 | Henning | $970 | -1.3% |
| 56567 | New York Mills | $970 | -1.3% |
| 56571 | Ottertail | $1,150 | +17.0% |
| 56572 | Pelican Rapids | $980 | -0.3% |
| 56573 | Perham | $970 | -1.3% |
| 56576 | Richville | $1,070 | +8.9% |
| 56586 | Underwood | $1,150 | +17.0% |
| 56587 | Vergas | $970 | -1.3% |
| 56588 | Vining | $1,010 | +2.7% |
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 Otter Tail somewhere between $885 and $1,081. 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.
$983 a month is affordable, by HUD's 30% rule, on an income of roughly $39,320 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% ($885) | HAP at 100% ($983) | HAP at 110% ($1,081) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $2,500 | $750 | $135 | $233 | $331 |
| $4,000 | $1,200 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
Rate history
The two-bedroom rate went up 4% from FY 2025 ($946) to FY 2026 ($983). Since FY 2020 it's up 36% in total, about 5.3% 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 | $509 | $549 | $723 | $921 | $979 | — |
| FY 2021 | $553 | $557 | $734 | $957 | $1,015 | +1.5% |
| FY 2022 | $590 | $594 | $781 | $1,029 | $1,128 | +6.4% |
| FY 2023 | $651 | $656 | $863 | $1,151 | $1,261 | +10.5% |
| FY 2024 | $640 | $718 | $944 | $1,289 | $1,395 | +9.4% |
| FY 2025 | $649 | $721 | $946 | $1,307 | $1,381 | +0.2% |
| FY 2026 | $678 | $749 | $983 | $1,367 | $1,432 | +3.9% |
| FY 2027 | $746 | $819 | $1,071 | $1,476 | $1,489 | +9.0% |
Nearby counties
Questions people ask
$983 a month for FY 2026, which runs October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026. The other rates are $678 for a studio, $749 for one bedroom, $1,367 for three and $1,432 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 Otter Tail actually go for?
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