HUD Fair Market Rent · FY 2026 · effective Oct 1, 2025 to Sep 30, 2026
Fair Market Rent in Jefferson County, Montana (FY 2026)
A two-bedroom in Jefferson County carries a FY 2026 Fair Market Rent of $1,404 a month, effective October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026. Everything Section 8 pays in Jefferson keys off that figure.
2 bedroom FMR
$1,404
FY 2026, utilities included
Payment standard range
$1,264 to $1,544
90% to 110% of FMR
Income to afford 2BR
$56,160
per year, at 30% of income
Rank in Montana
20th of 56
by 2BR FMR
HUD has already published FY 2027. On October 1, 2026 the two-bedroom rate in Jefferson moves to $1,410. 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 Jefferson actually rent for?
Search any address in Jefferson 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 | $968 | $871 to $1,065 | $38,720 | $18.62/hr | +3.8% |
| 1 bedroom | $1,070 | $963 to $1,177 | $42,800 | $20.58/hr | +3.2% |
| 2 bedroom | $1,404 | $1,264 to $1,544 | $56,160 | $27.00/hr | +3.2% |
| 3 bedroom | $1,946 | $1,751 to $2,141 | $77,840 | $37.42/hr | +2.0% |
| 4 bedroom | $1,954 | $1,759 to $2,149 | $78,160 | $37.58/hr | -10.0% |
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 | $2,247 | $2,022 to $2,472 |
| 6 bedroom Estimate | $2,540 | $2,286 to $2,794 |
| 7 bedroom Estimate | $2,833 | $2,550 to $3,116 |
| 8 bedroom Estimate | $3,126 | $2,813 to $3,439 |
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 Jefferson, that runs from $968 for a studio up to $1,954 for four bedrooms, all five rates in the table above.
Jefferson is its own HUD metro area (Jefferson County, MT), so the rate here is set from rents inside the county rather than a wider region.
Among Montana's 56 counties, Jefferson ranks 20th for two-bedroom FMR. That's about 7% above the state median of $1,307 and about 38% above the national median county at $1,018. About 12,273 people live here, 16th in the state.
Rates by ZIP code
Zoom in and the picture changes. HUD's Small Area FMRs put a two-bedroom at $1,230 in 59632 (Boulder) and $1,750 in 59634 (Clancy), with the 6 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 Jefferson somewhere between $1,264 and $1,544. 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.
$1,404 a month is affordable, by HUD's 30% rule, on an income of roughly $56,160 a year. Put another way, $27 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% ($1,264) | HAP at 100% ($1,404) | HAP at 110% ($1,544) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $2,500 | $750 | $514 | $654 | $794 |
| $4,000 | $1,200 | $64 | $204 | $344 |
Rate history
The two-bedroom rate went up 3% from FY 2025 ($1,361) to FY 2026 ($1,404). Since FY 2020 it's up 53% in total, about 7.4% 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 | $631 | $695 | $915 | $1,140 | $1,492 | — |
| FY 2021 | $637 | $690 | $910 | $1,132 | $1,466 | -0.5% |
| FY 2022 | $617 | $664 | $874 | $1,152 | $1,381 | -4.0% |
| FY 2023 | $613 | $697 | $917 | $1,303 | $1,465 | +4.9% |
| FY 2024 | $638 | $716 | $941 | $1,326 | $1,420 | +2.6% |
| FY 2025 | $933 | $1,037 | $1,361 | $1,907 | $2,171 | +44.6% |
| FY 2026 | $968 | $1,070 | $1,404 | $1,946 | $1,954 | +3.2% |
| FY 2027 | $982 | $1,078 | $1,410 | $1,847 | $1,854 | +0.4% |
Nearby counties
Broadwater County
$1,74822 mi · pop 6,977
Silver Bow County
$1,41436 mi · pop 35,306
Lewis and Clark County
$1,64738 mi · pop 71,487
Deer Lodge County
$1,08040 mi · pop 9,435
Powell County
$1,13347 mi · pop 6,998
Madison County
$1,54051 mi · pop 8,742
Gallatin County
$2,15459 mi · pop 119,685
Granite County
$1,05362 mi · pop 3,368
Questions people ask
$1,404 a month for FY 2026, which runs October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026. The other rates are $968 for a studio, $1,070 for one bedroom, $1,946 for three and $1,954 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 Jefferson actually go for?
HUD's number is one input. Search any address in Jefferson for a rent estimate built from nearby comps. 3 free searches, no card.
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