HUD Fair Market Rent · FY 2026 · effective Oct 1, 2025 to Sep 30, 2026
Fair Market Rent in Blaine County, Montana (FY 2026)
$1,184 a month. That's HUD's FY 2026 Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom in Blaine County, and it's the baseline every voucher in Blaine is measured against.
2 bedroom FMR
$1,184
FY 2026, utilities included
Payment standard range
$1,066 to $1,302
90% to 110% of FMR
Income to afford 2BR
$47,360
per year, at 30% of income
Rank in Montana
42nd of 56
by 2BR FMR
HUD has already published FY 2027. On October 1, 2026 the two-bedroom rate in Blaine moves to $1,187. 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 Blaine actually rent for?
Search any address in Blaine 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 | $887 | $798 to $976 | $35,480 | $17.06/hr | +5.5% |
| 1 bedroom | $902 | $812 to $992 | $36,080 | $17.35/hr | +3.2% |
| 2 bedroom | $1,184 | $1,066 to $1,302 | $47,360 | $22.77/hr | +3.2% |
| 3 bedroom | $1,420 | $1,278 to $1,562 | $56,800 | $27.31/hr | +2.7% |
| 4 bedroom | $1,914 | $1,723 to $2,105 | $76,560 | $36.81/hr | +4.6% |
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 | $2,201 | $1,981 to $2,421 |
| 6 bedroom Estimate | $2,488 | $2,239 to $2,737 |
| 7 bedroom Estimate | $2,775 | $2,498 to $3,053 |
| 8 bedroom Estimate | $3,062 | $2,756 to $3,368 |
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 Blaine, that runs from $887 for a studio up to $1,914 for four bedrooms, all five rates in the table above.
Because Blaine 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, Chinook included.
Among Montana's 56 counties, Blaine ranks 42nd for two-bedroom FMR. That's about 9% below the state median of $1,307 and about 16% above the national median county at $1,018. About 7,030 people live here, 29th in the state.
Rates by ZIP code
Zoom in and the picture changes. HUD's Small Area FMRs put a two-bedroom at $1,040 in 59542 (Turner) and $1,260 in 59527 (Hays), with the 7 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 Blaine somewhere between $1,066 and $1,302. 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.
$1,184 a month is affordable, by HUD's 30% rule, on an income of roughly $47,360 a year. Put another way, $23 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% ($1,066) | HAP at 100% ($1,184) | HAP at 110% ($1,302) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $2,500 | $750 | $316 | $434 | $552 |
| $4,000 | $1,200 | $0 | $0 | $102 |
Rate history
The two-bedroom rate went up 3% from FY 2025 ($1,147) to FY 2026 ($1,184). Since FY 2020 it's up 66% in total, about 8.8% 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 | $492 | $627 | $714 | $958 | $1,031 | — |
| FY 2021 | $514 | $644 | $734 | $986 | $1,100 | +2.8% |
| FY 2022 | $535 | $664 | $757 | $1,018 | $1,124 | +3.1% |
| FY 2023 | $596 | $682 | $826 | $1,083 | $1,195 | +9.1% |
| FY 2024 | $658 | $693 | $905 | $1,128 | $1,265 | +9.6% |
| FY 2025 | $841 | $874 | $1,147 | $1,382 | $1,830 | +26.7% |
| FY 2026 | $887 | $902 | $1,184 | $1,420 | $1,914 | +3.2% |
| FY 2027 | $907 | $932 | $1,187 | $1,433 | $1,950 | +0.3% |
Nearby counties
Phillips County
$97343 mi · pop 4,233
Hill County
$1,30762 mi · pop 16,238
Chouteau County
$1,30793 mi · pop 5,897
Fergus County
$1,44693 mi · pop 11,496
Liberty County
$1,03497 mi · pop 1,993
Petroleum County
$1,548104 mi · pop 416
Judith Basin County
$1,160111 mi · pop 2,039
Valley County
$1,200111 mi · pop 7,552
Questions people ask
$1,184 a month for FY 2026, which runs October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026. The other rates are $887 for a studio, $902 for one bedroom, $1,420 for three and $1,914 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 Blaine actually go for?
HUD's number is one input. Search any address in Blaine for a rent estimate built from nearby comps. 3 free searches, no card.
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