HUD Fair Market Rent · FY 2027 · Effective Oct 1, 2026 to Sep 30, 2027
Fair Market Rent in Dawson County, Montana (FY 2027)
HUD's FY 2027 Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom in Dawson County is $1,257 a month. That's the number the housing authority starts from when it sets Section 8 payment standards here.
Two-bedroom FMR
$1,257
+0.2% from FY 2026
Payment standard
$1,131–$1,383
90% to 110% of the FMR, two-bedroom
Income to afford
$50,280
a year, with rent at 30% of income
Rank in Montana
34th of 56
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 | $961 | $865–$1,057 | $38,440 | $18.48/hr | +2.2% |
| 1 bedroom | $961 | $865–$1,057 | $38,440 | $18.48/hr | +0.5% |
| 2 bedroom | $1,257 | $1,131–$1,383 | $50,280 | $24.17/hr | +0.2% |
| 3 bedroom | $1,587 | $1,428–$1,746 | $63,480 | $30.52/hr | +5.5% |
| 4 bedroom | $2,065 | $1,859–$2,272 | $82,600 | $39.71/hr | +6.3% |
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 | $2,375 | $2,138–$2,613 |
| 6 bedroom Estimate | $2,685 | $2,417–$2,954 |
| 7 bedroom Estimate | $2,994 | $2,695–$3,293 |
| 8 bedroom Estimate | $3,304 | $2,974–$3,634 |
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 Dawson actually rent for?
Search any address in Dawson 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 Dawson somewhere between $1,131 and $1,383. 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.
$1,257 a month is affordable, by HUD's 30% rule, on an income of roughly $50,280 a year. Put another way, $24 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%$1,131 | Voucher pays at 100%$1,257 | Voucher pays at 110%$1,383 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $2,500 | $750 | $381 | $507 | $633 |
| $4,000 | $1,200 | $0 | $57 | $183 |
Rate history
The two-bedroom rate went up 0% from FY 2026 ($1,254) to FY 2027 ($1,257). Since FY 2020 it's up 41% in total, about 5.0% a year. The Montana median held flat over the same year.
| Fiscal year | Studio | 1 BR | 2 BR | 3 BR | 4 BR | 2BR change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY 2020 | $583 | $757 | $894 | $1,114 | $1,211 | — |
| FY 2021 | $700 | $877 | $1,000 | $1,244 | $1,356 | +11.9% |
| FY 2022 | $650 | $807 | $920 | $1,137 | $1,248 | -8.0% |
| FY 2023 | $654 | $803 | $907 | $1,104 | $1,218 | -1.4% |
| FY 2024 | $658 | $723 | $905 | $1,094 | $1,274 | -0.2% |
| FY 2025 | $891 | $934 | $1,215 | $1,464 | $1,827 | +34.3% |
| FY 2026 | $940 | $956 | $1,254 | $1,504 | $1,942 | +3.2% |
| FY 2027In effect | $961 | $961 | $1,257 | $1,587 | $2,065 | +0.2% |
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 Dawson, that runs from $961 for a studio up to $2,065 for four bedrooms, all five rates in the table above.
Because Dawson 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, Richey included.
Among Montana's 56 counties, Dawson ranks 34th for two-bedroom FMR. That's about 4% below the state median of $1,310 and about 18% above the national median county at $1,063. About 8,827 people live here, 26th in the state.
Rates by ZIP code
Zoom in and the picture changes. HUD's Small Area FMRs put a two-bedroom at $1,190 in 59315 (Bloomfield) and $1,540 in 59259 (Richey), with the 4 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.
Nearby counties
Two-bedroom FMR, with how each compares to Dawson.
McCone County
32 mi · 1,670 people
$1,552
+23%
Prairie County
40 mi · 1,250 people
$1,552
+23%
Richland County
40 mi · 11,235 people
$1,315
+5%
Wibaux County
45 mi · 1,193 people
$1,552
+23%
Roosevelt County
62 mi · 10,526 people
$1,203
-4%
Fallon County
75 mi · 2,760 people
$1,404
+12%
Custer County
77 mi · 11,961 people
$1,612
+28%
Sheridan County
98 mi · 3,669 people
$1,214
-3%
Questions people ask
$1,257 a month for FY 2027, which runs October 1, 2026 through September 30, 2027. The other rates are $961 for a studio, $961 for one bedroom, $1,587 for three and $2,065 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 Dawson actually go for?
HUD's number is one input. Search any address in Dawson for a rent estimate built from nearby comps. Free to start, no card.
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