HUD Fair Market Rent · FY 2027 · Effective Oct 1, 2026 to Sep 30, 2027
Fair Market Rent in Flathead County, Montana (FY 2027)
$1,682 a month. That's HUD's FY 2027 Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom in Flathead County, and it's the baseline every voucher in Flathead is measured against.
Two-bedroom FMR
$1,682
-0.5% from FY 2026
Payment standard
$1,514–$1,850
90% to 110% of the FMR, two-bedroom
Income to afford
$67,280
a year, with rent at 30% of income
Rank in Montana
4th 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 | $1,277 | $1,149–$1,405 | $51,080 | $24.56/hr | +0.8% |
| 1 bedroom | $1,286 | $1,157–$1,415 | $51,440 | $24.73/hr | -0.2% |
| 2 bedroom | $1,682 | $1,514–$1,850 | $67,280 | $32.35/hr | -0.5% |
| 3 bedroom | $2,263 | $2,037–$2,489 | $90,520 | $43.52/hr | +1.8% |
| 4 bedroom | $2,626 | $2,363–$2,889 | $105,040 | $50.50/hr | -7.4% |
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 | $3,020 | $2,718–$3,322 |
| 6 bedroom Estimate | $3,414 | $3,073–$3,755 |
| 7 bedroom Estimate | $3,808 | $3,427–$4,189 |
| 8 bedroom Estimate | $4,202 | $3,782–$4,622 |
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 Flathead actually rent for?
Search any address in Flathead 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 Flathead somewhere between $1,514 and $1,850. 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.
$1,682 a month is affordable, by HUD's 30% rule, on an income of roughly $67,280 a year. Put another way, $32 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%$1,514 | Voucher pays at 100%$1,682 | Voucher pays at 110%$1,850 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $2,500 | $750 | $764 | $932 | $1,100 |
| $4,000 | $1,200 | $314 | $482 | $650 |
Rate history
The two-bedroom rate went down 1% from FY 2026 ($1,691) to FY 2027 ($1,682). Since FY 2020 it's up 81% in total, about 8.9% 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 | $615 | $731 | $929 | $1,340 | $1,561 | — |
| FY 2021 | $630 | $735 | $955 | $1,367 | $1,583 | +2.8% |
| FY 2022 | $611 | $699 | $920 | $1,307 | $1,568 | -3.7% |
| FY 2023 | $675 | $767 | $1,010 | $1,435 | $1,720 | +9.8% |
| FY 2024 | $733 | $823 | $1,081 | $1,486 | $1,834 | +7.0% |
| FY 2025 | $1,202 | $1,249 | $1,639 | $2,184 | $2,752 | +51.6% |
| FY 2026 | $1,267 | $1,289 | $1,691 | $2,224 | $2,837 | +3.2% |
| FY 2027In effect | $1,277 | $1,286 | $1,682 | $2,263 | $2,626 | -0.5% |
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 Flathead, that runs from $1,277 for a studio up to $2,626 for four bedrooms, all five rates in the table above.
Because Flathead 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, Kalispell included.
Among Montana's 56 counties, Flathead ranks 4th for two-bedroom FMR. That's about 28% above the state median of $1,310 and about 58% above the national median county at $1,063. About 110,695 people live here, 4th in the state.
Rates by ZIP code
Zoom in and the picture changes. HUD's Small Area FMRs put a two-bedroom at $1,530 in 59916 (Essex) and $2,060 in 59937 (Whitefish), with the 17 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 59901 | Kalispell | $1,650 | -1.9% |
| 59903 | Kalispell | $1,680 | -0.1% |
| 59904 | Kalispell | $1,680 | -0.1% |
| 59911 | Bigfork | $1,760 | +4.6% |
| 59912 | Columbia Falls | $1,580 | -6.1% |
| 59913 | Coram | $1,680 | -0.1% |
| 59916 | Essex | $1,530 | -9.0% |
| 59919 | Hungry Horse | $1,680 | -0.1% |
| 59920 | Kila | $1,540 | -8.4% |
| 59921 | Lake Mc Donald | $1,682County rate | — |
| 59922 | Lakeside | $1,710 | +1.7% |
| 59925 | Marion | $1,530 | -9.0% |
| 59926 | Martin City | $1,680 | -0.1% |
| 59927 | Olney | $1,770 | +5.2% |
| 59928 | Polebridge | $1,530 | -9.0% |
| 59932 | Somers | $1,680 | -0.1% |
| 59936 | West Glacier | $1,530 | -9.0% |
| 59937 | Whitefish | $2,060 | +22.5% |
Nearby counties
Two-bedroom FMR, with how each compares to Flathead.
Lake County
47 mi · 32,561 people
$1,448
-14%
Lincoln County
51 mi · 21,175 people
$1,173
-30%
Sanders County
60 mi · 13,285 people
$1,117
-34%
Glacier County
61 mi · 13,637 people
$1,278
-24%
Mineral County
82 mi · 4,959 people
$1,390
-17%
Missoula County
94 mi · 120,672 people
$1,690
same rate
Pondera County
97 mi · 6,035 people
$1,257
-25%
Teton County
106 mi · 6,353 people
$1,363
-19%
Questions people ask
$1,682 a month for FY 2027, which runs October 1, 2026 through September 30, 2027. The other rates are $1,277 for a studio, $1,286 for one bedroom, $2,263 for three and $2,626 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 Flathead actually go for?
HUD's number is one input. Search any address in Flathead for a rent estimate built from nearby comps. Free to start, no card.
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