HUD Fair Market Rent · FY 2026 · effective Oct 1, 2025 to Sep 30, 2026
Fair Market Rent in Wadena County, Minnesota (FY 2026)
HUD's FY 2026 Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom in Wadena County is $1,016 a month. That's the number the housing authority starts from when it sets Section 8 payment standards here.
2 bedroom FMR
$1,016
FY 2026, utilities included
Payment standard range
$914 to $1,118
90% to 110% of FMR
Income to afford 2BR
$40,640
per year, at 30% of income
Rank in Minnesota
40th of 87
by 2BR FMR
HUD has already published FY 2027. On October 1, 2026 the two-bedroom rate in Wadena moves to $1,059. 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 Wadena actually rent for?
Search any address in Wadena 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 | $701 | $631 to $771 | $28,040 | $13.48/hr | +9.0% |
| 1 bedroom | $783 | $705 to $861 | $31,320 | $15.06/hr | +6.1% |
| 2 bedroom | $1,016 | $914 to $1,118 | $40,640 | $19.54/hr | +8.4% |
| 3 bedroom | $1,218 | $1,096 to $1,340 | $48,720 | $23.42/hr | +7.9% |
| 4 bedroom | $1,345 | $1,211 to $1,480 | $53,800 | $25.87/hr | +8.3% |
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 | $1,547 | $1,392 to $1,702 |
| 6 bedroom Estimate | $1,749 | $1,574 to $1,924 |
| 7 bedroom Estimate | $1,950 | $1,755 to $2,145 |
| 8 bedroom Estimate | $2,152 | $1,937 to $2,367 |
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 Wadena, that runs from $701 for a studio up to $1,345 for four bedrooms, all five rates in the table above.
Because Wadena 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, Aldrich included.
Among Minnesota's 87 counties, Wadena ranks 40th 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 14,108 people live here, 58th 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 56434 (Aldrich) and $1,090 in 56477 (Sebeka), 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 Wadena somewhere between $914 and $1,118. 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.
$1,016 a month is affordable, by HUD's 30% rule, on an income of roughly $40,640 a year. Put another way, $20 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% ($914) | HAP at 100% ($1,016) | HAP at 110% ($1,118) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $2,500 | $750 | $164 | $266 | $368 |
| $4,000 | $1,200 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
Rate history
The two-bedroom rate went up 8% from FY 2025 ($937) to FY 2026 ($1,016). Since FY 2020 it's up 42% in total, about 6.1% 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 | $471 | $560 | $714 | $910 | $1,254 | — |
| FY 2021 | $484 | $620 | $734 | $913 | $1,178 | +2.8% |
| FY 2022 | $503 | $639 | $757 | $936 | $1,072 | +3.1% |
| FY 2023 | $560 | $717 | $837 | $1,019 | $1,124 | +10.6% |
| FY 2024 | $660 | $756 | $974 | $1,178 | $1,297 | +16.4% |
| FY 2025 | $643 | $738 | $937 | $1,129 | $1,242 | -3.8% |
| FY 2026 | $701 | $783 | $1,016 | $1,218 | $1,345 | +8.4% |
| FY 2027 | $737 | $836 | $1,059 | $1,302 | $1,392 | +4.2% |
Nearby counties
Questions people ask
$1,016 a month for FY 2026, which runs October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026. The other rates are $701 for a studio, $783 for one bedroom, $1,218 for three and $1,345 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 Wadena actually go for?
HUD's number is one input. Search any address in Wadena for a rent estimate built from nearby comps. 3 free searches, no card.
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