HUD Fair Market Rent · FY 2026 · effective Oct 1, 2025 to Sep 30, 2026
Fair Market Rent in Ramsey County, Minnesota (FY 2026)
HUD's FY 2026 Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom in Ramsey County is $1,709 a month. That's the number the housing authority starts from when it sets Section 8 payment standards here.
2 bedroom FMR
$1,709
FY 2026, utilities included
Payment standard range
$1,538 to $1,880
90% to 110% of FMR
Income to afford 2BR
$68,360
per year, at 30% of income
Rank in Minnesota
7th of 87
by 2BR FMR
HUD has already published FY 2027. On October 1, 2026 the two-bedroom rate in Ramsey moves to $1,734. That's up 1%. The full FY 2027 table is in the history section below.
HUD's number is one input. What does a two-bedroom in Ramsey actually rent for?
Search any address in Ramsey 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 | $1,242 | $1,118 to $1,366 | $49,680 | $23.88/hr | +1.8% |
| 1 bedroom | $1,405 | $1,265 to $1,546 | $56,200 | $27.02/hr | +1.7% |
| 2 bedroom | $1,709 | $1,538 to $1,880 | $68,360 | $32.87/hr | +1.4% |
| 3 bedroom | $2,262 | $2,036 to $2,488 | $90,480 | $43.50/hr | +0.8% |
| 4 bedroom | $2,531 | $2,278 to $2,784 | $101,240 | $48.67/hr | +0.7% |
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 | $2,911 | $2,620 to $3,202 |
| 6 bedroom Estimate | $3,290 | $2,961 to $3,619 |
| 7 bedroom Estimate | $3,670 | $3,303 to $4,037 |
| 8 bedroom Estimate | $4,050 | $3,645 to $4,455 |
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 Ramsey, that runs from $1,242 for a studio up to $2,531 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 Ramsey in with 12 other counties in the Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington metro, Hennepin County, Dakota County, Anoka County among them, and every one of them gets $1,709 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, Ramsey ranks 7th for two-bedroom FMR. That's about 71% above the state median of $999 and about 68% above the national median county at $1,018. About 547,202 people live here, 2nd in the state.
Counties sharing the Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington metro rate
Hennepin County
$1,709MN · pop 1,270,787
Dakota County
$1,709MN · pop 439,179
Anoka County
$1,709MN · pop 363,985
Washington County
$1,709MN · pop 268,651
Scott County
$1,709MN · pop 151,347
Wright County
$1,709MN · pop 142,543
Carver County
$1,709MN · pop 107,216
Sherburne County
$1,709MN · pop 97,820
St. Croix County
$1,709WI · pop 93,752
Chisago County
$1,709MN · pop 56,927
Pierce County
$1,709WI · pop 42,187
Isanti County
$1,709MN · pop 41,257
Rates by ZIP code
Zoom in and the picture changes. HUD's Small Area FMRs put a two-bedroom at $1,520 in 55103 (Saint Paul) and $2,040 in 55101 (Saint Paul), 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 55101 | Saint Paul | $2,040 | +19.4% |
| 55102 | Saint Paul | $1,770 | +3.6% |
| 55103 | Saint Paul | $1,520 | -11.1% |
| 55104 | Saint Paul | $1,530 | -10.5% |
| 55105 | Saint Paul | $1,640 | -4.0% |
| 55106 | Saint Paul | $1,520 | -11.1% |
| 55107 | Saint Paul | $1,600 | -6.4% |
| 55108 | Saint Paul | $1,730 | +1.2% |
| 55109 | Saint Paul | $1,620 | -5.2% |
| 55110 | Saint Paul | $1,820 | +6.5% |
| 55112 | Saint Paul | $1,570 | -8.1% |
| 55113 | Saint Paul | $1,700 | -0.5% |
| 55114 | Saint Paul | $1,960 | +14.7% |
| 55116 | Saint Paul | $1,720 | +0.6% |
| 55117 | Saint Paul | $1,520 | -11.1% |
| 55119 | Saint Paul | $1,600 | -6.4% |
| 55126 | Saint Paul | $1,820 | +6.5% |
| 55127 | Saint Paul | $1,940 | +13.5% |
| 55130 | Saint Paul | $1,520 | -11.1% |
| 55131 | Saint Paul | $1,709County rate | — |
| 55133 | Saint Paul | $1,709County rate | — |
| 55144 | Saint Paul | $1,709County rate | — |
| 55145 | Saint Paul | $1,709County rate | — |
| 55146 | Saint Paul | $1,709County rate | — |
| 55155 | Saint Paul | $1,580 | -7.5% |
| 55164 | Saint Paul | $1,709County rate | — |
| 55165 | Saint Paul | $1,709County rate | — |
| 55170 | Saint Paul | $1,709County rate | — |
| 55172 | Saint Paul | $1,709County rate | — |
| 55175 | Saint Paul | $1,709County rate | — |
| 55187 | Saint Paul | $1,709County rate | — |
| 55188 | Saint Paul | $1,709County rate | — |
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 Ramsey somewhere between $1,538 and $1,880. 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.
$1,709 a month is affordable, by HUD's 30% rule, on an income of roughly $68,360 a year. Put another way, $33 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% ($1,538) | HAP at 100% ($1,709) | HAP at 110% ($1,880) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $2,500 | $750 | $788 | $959 | $1,130 |
| $4,000 | $1,200 | $338 | $509 | $680 |
Rate history
The two-bedroom rate went up 1% from FY 2025 ($1,685) to FY 2026 ($1,709). Since FY 2020 it's up 41% in total, about 5.9% 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 | $820 | $971 | $1,214 | $1,722 | $2,025 | — |
| FY 2021 | $898 | $1,054 | $1,308 | $1,838 | $2,156 | +7.7% |
| FY 2022 | $932 | $1,078 | $1,329 | $1,841 | $2,145 | +1.6% |
| FY 2023 | $1,007 | $1,149 | $1,410 | $1,916 | $2,209 | +6.1% |
| FY 2024 | $1,174 | $1,327 | $1,622 | $2,188 | $2,478 | +15.0% |
| FY 2025 | $1,220 | $1,381 | $1,685 | $2,244 | $2,513 | +3.9% |
| FY 2026 | $1,242 | $1,405 | $1,709 | $2,262 | $2,531 | +1.4% |
| FY 2027 | $1,265 | $1,427 | $1,734 | $2,264 | $2,538 | +1.5% |
Nearby counties
Washington County
$1,70910 mi · pop 268,651
Hennepin County
$1,70914 mi · pop 1,270,787
Dakota County
$1,70916 mi · pop 439,179
Anoka County
$1,70918 mi · pop 363,985
Scott County
$1,70928 mi · pop 151,347
Carver County
$1,70934 mi · pop 107,216
Chisago County
$1,70934 mi · pop 56,927
Wright County
$1,70941 mi · pop 142,543
Questions people ask
$1,709 a month for FY 2026, which runs October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026. The other rates are $1,242 for a studio, $1,405 for one bedroom, $2,262 for three and $2,531 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 Ramsey actually go for?
HUD's number is one input. Search any address in Ramsey for a rent estimate built from nearby comps. 3 free searches, no card.
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