HUD Fair Market Rent · FY 2026 · effective Oct 1, 2025 to Sep 30, 2026
Fair Market Rent in Stevens County, Minnesota (FY 2026)
$991 a month. That's HUD's FY 2026 Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom in Stevens County, and it's the baseline every voucher in Stevens is measured against.
2 bedroom FMR
$991
FY 2026, utilities included
Payment standard range
$892 to $1,090
90% to 110% of FMR
Income to afford 2BR
$39,640
per year, at 30% of income
Rank in Minnesota
47th of 87
by 2BR FMR
HUD has already published FY 2027. On October 1, 2026 the two-bedroom rate in Stevens moves to $1,027. That's up 4%. The full FY 2027 table is in the history section below.
HUD's number is one input. What does a two-bedroom in Stevens actually rent for?
Search any address in Stevens 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 | $683 | $615 to $751 | $27,320 | $13.13/hr | +6.7% |
| 1 bedroom | $755 | $680 to $831 | $30,200 | $14.52/hr | +6.2% |
| 2 bedroom | $991 | $892 to $1,090 | $39,640 | $19.06/hr | +6.2% |
| 3 bedroom | $1,378 | $1,240 to $1,516 | $55,120 | $26.50/hr | +5.4% |
| 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 Stevens, that runs from $683 for a studio up to $1,662 for four bedrooms, all five rates in the table above.
Because Stevens 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, Alberta included.
Among Minnesota's 87 counties, Stevens ranks 47th 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 9,682 people live here, 69th 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 56207 (Alberta) and $1,190 in 56235 (Donnelly), with the 5 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 Stevens somewhere between $892 and $1,090. 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.
$991 a month is affordable, by HUD's 30% rule, on an income of roughly $39,640 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% ($892) | HAP at 100% ($991) | HAP at 110% ($1,090) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $2,500 | $750 | $142 | $241 | $340 |
| $4,000 | $1,200 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
Rate history
The two-bedroom rate went up 6% from FY 2025 ($933) to FY 2026 ($991). Since FY 2020 it's up 39% in total, about 5.6% 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 | $471 | $627 | $714 | $957 | $1,200 | — |
| FY 2021 | $484 | $644 | $734 | $1,050 | $1,236 | +2.8% |
| FY 2022 | $503 | $664 | $757 | $1,075 | $1,218 | +3.1% |
| FY 2023 | $563 | $702 | $842 | $1,197 | $1,344 | +11.2% |
| FY 2024 | $657 | $738 | $970 | $1,367 | $1,603 | +15.2% |
| FY 2025 | $640 | $711 | $933 | $1,307 | $1,567 | -3.8% |
| FY 2026 | $683 | $755 | $991 | $1,378 | $1,662 | +6.2% |
| FY 2027 | $715 | $785 | $1,027 | $1,422 | $1,717 | +3.6% |
Nearby counties
Questions people ask
$991 a month for FY 2026, which runs October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026. The other rates are $683 for a studio, $755 for one bedroom, $1,378 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 Stevens actually go for?
HUD's number is one input. Search any address in Stevens for a rent estimate built from nearby comps. 3 free searches, no card.
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