HUD Fair Market Rent · FY 2027 · Effective Oct 1, 2026 to Sep 30, 2027
Fair Market Rent in Washington County, Minnesota (FY 2027)
A two-bedroom in Washington County carries a FY 2027 Fair Market Rent of $1,734 a month, effective October 1, 2026 through September 30, 2027. Everything Section 8 pays in Washington keys off that figure.
Two-bedroom FMR
$1,734
+1.5% from FY 2026
Payment standard
$1,561–$1,907
90% to 110% of the FMR, two-bedroom
Income to afford
$69,360
a year, with rent at 30% of income
Rank in Minnesota
10th of 87
by two-bedroom FMR, highest first
FY 2027 Fair Market Rents
Payment standard is the 90% to 110% band a housing authority can set. Income needed puts rent at 30% of gross income, and the hourly wage assumes a 40-hour week.
| Bedrooms | FMR | Payment standard | Income needed | Hourly wage | vs FY 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Studio | $1,265 | $1,139–$1,392 | $50,600 | $24.33/hr | +1.9% |
| 1 bedroom | $1,427 | $1,284–$1,570 | $57,080 | $27.44/hr | +1.6% |
| 2 bedroom | $1,734 | $1,561–$1,907 | $69,360 | $33.35/hr | +1.5% |
| 3 bedroom | $2,264 | $2,038–$2,490 | $90,560 | $43.54/hr | +0.1% |
| 4 bedroom | $2,538 | $2,284–$2,792 | $101,520 | $48.81/hr | +0.3% |
Five to eight 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 | $2,919 | $2,627–$3,211 |
| 6 bedroom Estimate | $3,299 | $2,969–$3,629 |
| 7 bedroom Estimate | $3,680 | $3,312–$4,048 |
| 8 bedroom Estimate | $4,061 | $3,655–$4,467 |
Source: HUD Office of Policy Development and Research, FY 2027 Fair Market Rents. Rents include utilities. huduser.gov
Market check
HUD's number is one input. What does a two-bedroom in Washington actually rent for?
Search any address in Washington for a rent estimate built from nearby comps, with the HUD figure right next to it.
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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 Washington somewhere between $1,561 and $1,907. 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.
$1,734 a month is affordable, by HUD's 30% rule, on an income of roughly $69,360 a year. Put another way, $33 an hour full time.
Worked example for a two-bedroom renting at the payment standard. The tenant pays 30% of monthly income and the voucher covers the rest.
| Monthly household income | Tenant pays (30%) | Voucher pays at 90%$1,561 | Voucher pays at 100%$1,734 | Voucher pays at 110%$1,907 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $2,500 | $750 | $811 | $984 | $1,157 |
| $4,000 | $1,200 | $361 | $534 | $707 |
Rate history
The two-bedroom rate went up 1% from FY 2026 ($1,709) to FY 2027 ($1,734). Since FY 2020 it's up 43% in total, about 5.2% a year. The Minnesota median moved up 5% over the same year.
| Fiscal 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 2027In effect | $1,265 | $1,427 | $1,734 | $2,264 | $2,538 | +1.5% |
About this rate
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 2027 that's October 1, 2026 through September 30, 2027. In Washington, that runs from $1,265 for a studio up to $2,538 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 Washington in with 12 other counties in the Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington metro, Hennepin County, Ramsey County, Dakota County among them, and every one of them gets $1,734 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, Washington ranks 10th for two-bedroom FMR. That's about 65% above the state median of $1,048 and about 63% above the national median county at $1,063. About 276,238 people live here, 5th in the state.
Rates by ZIP code
Zoom in and the picture changes. HUD's Small Area FMRs put a two-bedroom at $1,540 in 55055 (Newport) and $2,600 in 55047 (Marine On Saint Croix), with the 18 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 55001 | Afton | $1,770 | +2.1% |
| 55003 | Bayport | $1,610 | -7.2% |
| 55016 | Cottage Grove | $2,080 | +20.0% |
| 55025 | Forest Lake | $1,720 | -0.8% |
| 55038 | Hugo | $2,140 | +23.4% |
| 55042 | Lake Elmo | $1,810 | +4.4% |
| 55043 | Lakeland | $1,880 | +8.4% |
| 55047 | Marine On Saint Croix | $2,600 | +49.9% |
| 55055 | Newport | $1,540 | -11.2% |
| 55071 | Saint Paul Park | $2,450 | +41.3% |
| 55073 | Scandia | $1,540 | -11.2% |
| 55082 | Stillwater | $1,700 | -2.0% |
| 55083 | Stillwater | $2,010 | +15.9% |
| 55090 | Willernie | $2,070 | +19.4% |
| 55115 | Saint Paul | $2,070 | +19.4% |
| 55125 | Saint Paul | $2,220 | +28.0% |
| 55128 | Saint Paul | $1,770 | +2.1% |
| 55129 | Saint Paul | $2,310 | +33.2% |
Counties sharing the Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington metro rate
HUD sets one rate for the whole metro, so every county here carries the same $1,734 two-bedroom figure as Washington.
Hennepin County
1,269,496 people
$1,734
Ramsey County
542,945 people
$1,734
Dakota County
445,771 people
$1,734
Anoka County
370,349 people
$1,734
Scott County
154,557 people
$1,734
Wright County
148,269 people
$1,734
Carver County
110,041 people
$1,734
Sherburne County
100,560 people
$1,734
St. Croix County
WI · 96,033 people
$1,734
Chisago County
57,991 people
$1,734
Isanti County
42,596 people
$1,734
Pierce County
WI · 42,584 people
$1,734
Nearby counties
Two-bedroom FMR, with how each compares to Washington.
Ramsey County
10 mi · 542,945 people
$1,734
same rate
Dakota County
21 mi · 445,771 people
$1,734
same rate
Anoka County
22 mi · 370,349 people
$1,734
same rate
Hennepin County
24 mi · 1,269,496 people
$1,734
same rate
Chisago County
30 mi · 57,991 people
$1,734
same rate
Scott County
37 mi · 154,557 people
$1,734
same rate
Goodhue County
43 mi · 47,943 people
$1,172
-32%
Carver County
44 mi · 110,041 people
$1,734
same rate
Questions people ask
$1,734 a month for FY 2027, which runs October 1, 2026 through September 30, 2027. The other rates are $1,265 for a studio, $1,427 for one bedroom, $2,264 for three and $2,538 for four.
Tools for this county
Fair Market Rent lookup
Any ZIP code's Small Area FMR by bedroom count
Section 8 rent calculator
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
The income a household needs for a given rent
What does a rental in Washington actually go for?
HUD's number is one input. Search any address in Washington for a rent estimate built from nearby comps. Free to start, no card.
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