HUD Fair Market Rent · FY 2026 · effective Oct 1, 2025 to Sep 30, 2026
Fair Market Rent in Beaverhead County, Montana (FY 2026)
A two-bedroom in Beaverhead County carries a FY 2026 Fair Market Rent of $1,072 a month, effective October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026. Everything Section 8 pays in Beaverhead keys off that figure.
2 bedroom FMR
$1,072
FY 2026, utilities included
Payment standard range
$965 to $1,179
90% to 110% of FMR
Income to afford 2BR
$42,880
per year, at 30% of income
Rank in Montana
51st of 56
by 2BR FMR
HUD has already published FY 2027. On October 1, 2026 the two-bedroom rate in Beaverhead moves to $1,074. That's unchanged. The full FY 2027 table is in the history section below.
HUD's number is one input. What does a two-bedroom in Beaverhead actually rent for?
Search any address in Beaverhead 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 | $803 | $723 to $883 | $32,120 | $15.44/hr | +5.4% |
| 1 bedroom | $978 | $880 to $1,076 | $39,120 | $18.81/hr | +4.4% |
| 2 bedroom | $1,072 | $965 to $1,179 | $42,880 | $20.62/hr | +3.3% |
| 3 bedroom | $1,491 | $1,342 to $1,640 | $59,640 | $28.67/hr | +2.5% |
| 4 bedroom | $1,798 | $1,618 to $1,978 | $71,920 | $34.58/hr | +3.2% |
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 | $2,068 | $1,861 to $2,275 |
| 6 bedroom Estimate | $2,337 | $2,103 to $2,571 |
| 7 bedroom Estimate | $2,607 | $2,346 to $2,868 |
| 8 bedroom Estimate | $2,877 | $2,589 to $3,165 |
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 Beaverhead, that runs from $803 for a studio up to $1,798 for four bedrooms, all five rates in the table above.
Because Beaverhead 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, Dell included.
Among Montana's 56 counties, Beaverhead ranks 51st for two-bedroom FMR. That's about 18% below the state median of $1,307 and about 5% above the national median county at $1,018. About 9,469 people live here, 22nd in the state.
Rates by ZIP code
Zoom in and the picture changes. HUD's Small Area FMRs put a two-bedroom at $1,010 in 59739 (Lima) and $1,350 in 59725 (Dillon), with the 8 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 Beaverhead somewhere between $965 and $1,179. 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.
$1,072 a month is affordable, by HUD's 30% rule, on an income of roughly $42,880 a year. Put another way, $21 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% ($965) | HAP at 100% ($1,072) | HAP at 110% ($1,179) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $2,500 | $750 | $215 | $322 | $429 |
| $4,000 | $1,200 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
Rate history
The two-bedroom rate went up 3% from FY 2025 ($1,038) to FY 2026 ($1,072). Since FY 2020 it's up 43% in total, about 6.1% a year. The Montana median moved up 3% over the same year.
| Year | Studio | 1 BR | 2 BR | 3 BR | 4 BR | 2BR change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY 2020 | $517 | $627 | $750 | $941 | $1,317 | — |
| FY 2021 | $542 | $643 | $756 | $940 | $1,309 | +0.8% |
| FY 2022 | $541 | $664 | $757 | $980 | $1,296 | +0.1% |
| FY 2023 | $587 | $731 | $826 | $1,110 | $1,407 | +9.1% |
| FY 2024 | $656 | $806 | $905 | $1,275 | $1,536 | +9.6% |
| FY 2025 | $762 | $937 | $1,038 | $1,454 | $1,743 | +14.7% |
| FY 2026 | $803 | $978 | $1,072 | $1,491 | $1,798 | +3.3% |
| FY 2027 | $821 | $987 | $1,074 | $1,487 | $1,795 | +0.2% |
Nearby counties
Silver Bow County
$1,41446 mi · pop 35,306
Madison County
$1,54050 mi · pop 8,742
Deer Lodge County
$1,08061 mi · pop 9,435
Jefferson County
$1,40477 mi · pop 12,273
Gallatin County
$2,15487 mi · pop 119,685
Granite County
$1,05387 mi · pop 3,368
Ravalli County
$1,42387 mi · pop 44,876
Powell County
$1,13395 mi · pop 6,998
Questions people ask
$1,072 a month for FY 2026, which runs October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026. The other rates are $803 for a studio, $978 for one bedroom, $1,491 for three and $1,798 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 Beaverhead actually go for?
HUD's number is one input. Search any address in Beaverhead for a rent estimate built from nearby comps. 3 free searches, no card.
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