HUD Fair Market Rent · FY 2026 · effective Oct 1, 2025 to Sep 30, 2026
Fair Market Rent in Lake County, Montana (FY 2026)
$1,444 a month. That's HUD's FY 2026 Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom in Lake County, and it's the baseline every voucher in Lake is measured against.
2 bedroom FMR
$1,444
FY 2026, utilities included
Payment standard range
$1,300 to $1,588
90% to 110% of FMR
Income to afford 2BR
$57,760
per year, at 30% of income
Rank in Montana
15th of 56
by 2BR FMR
HUD has already published FY 2027. On October 1, 2026 the two-bedroom rate in Lake moves to $1,448. 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 Lake actually rent for?
Search any address in Lake 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 | $1,097 | $987 to $1,207 | $43,880 | $21.10/hr | +4.0% |
| 1 bedroom | $1,104 | $994 to $1,214 | $44,160 | $21.23/hr | +2.5% |
| 2 bedroom | $1,444 | $1,300 to $1,588 | $57,760 | $27.77/hr | +3.1% |
| 3 bedroom | $1,865 | $1,679 to $2,052 | $74,600 | $35.87/hr | +5.6% |
| 4 bedroom | $1,990 | $1,791 to $2,189 | $79,600 | $38.27/hr | +7.2% |
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 | $2,289 | $2,060 to $2,518 |
| 6 bedroom Estimate | $2,587 | $2,328 to $2,846 |
| 7 bedroom Estimate | $2,886 | $2,597 to $3,175 |
| 8 bedroom Estimate | $3,184 | $2,866 to $3,502 |
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 Lake, that runs from $1,097 for a studio up to $1,990 for four bedrooms, all five rates in the table above.
Because Lake 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, Arlee included.
Among Montana's 56 counties, Lake ranks 15th for two-bedroom FMR. That's about 10% above the state median of $1,307 and about 42% above the national median county at $1,018. About 31,509 people live here, 9th in the state.
Rates by ZIP code
Zoom in and the picture changes. HUD's Small Area FMRs put a two-bedroom at $1,260 in 59865 (Saint Ignatius) and $1,900 in 59914 (Dayton), with the 12 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 Lake somewhere between $1,300 and $1,588. 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.
$1,444 a month is affordable, by HUD's 30% rule, on an income of roughly $57,760 a year. Put another way, $28 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% ($1,300) | HAP at 100% ($1,444) | HAP at 110% ($1,588) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $2,500 | $750 | $550 | $694 | $838 |
| $4,000 | $1,200 | $100 | $244 | $388 |
Rate history
The two-bedroom rate went up 3% from FY 2025 ($1,400) to FY 2026 ($1,444). Since FY 2020 it's up 72% in total, about 9.5% 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 | $547 | $661 | $839 | $1,075 | $1,209 | — |
| FY 2021 | $558 | $656 | $846 | $1,069 | $1,177 | +0.8% |
| FY 2022 | $534 | $637 | $804 | $1,001 | $1,090 | -5.0% |
| FY 2023 | $594 | $719 | $888 | $1,110 | $1,193 | +10.4% |
| FY 2024 | $633 | $743 | $934 | $1,175 | $1,244 | +5.2% |
| FY 2025 | $1,055 | $1,077 | $1,400 | $1,766 | $1,856 | +49.9% |
| FY 2026 | $1,097 | $1,104 | $1,444 | $1,865 | $1,990 | +3.1% |
| FY 2027 | $1,116 | $1,123 | $1,448 | $1,821 | $2,046 | +0.3% |
Nearby counties
Sanders County
$1,11543 mi · pop 12,615
Flathead County
$1,69147 mi · pop 105,950
Missoula County
$1,65548 mi · pop 118,541
Mineral County
$1,36149 mi · pop 4,652
Lincoln County
$1,17086 mi · pop 20,157
Granite County
$1,05388 mi · pop 3,368
Glacier County
$1,27590 mi · pop 13,781
Powell County
$1,13394 mi · pop 6,998
Questions people ask
$1,444 a month for FY 2026, which runs October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026. The other rates are $1,097 for a studio, $1,104 for one bedroom, $1,865 for three and $1,990 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 Lake actually go for?
HUD's number is one input. Search any address in Lake for a rent estimate built from nearby comps. 3 free searches, no card.
Free tier. No credit card.