HUD Fair Market Rent · FY 2026 · effective Oct 1, 2025 to Sep 30, 2026
Fair Market Rent in Lewis and Clark County, Montana (FY 2026)
A two-bedroom in Lewis and Clark County carries a FY 2026 Fair Market Rent of $1,647 a month, effective October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026. Everything Section 8 pays in Lewis and Clark keys off that figure.
2 bedroom FMR
$1,647
FY 2026, utilities included
Payment standard range
$1,482 to $1,812
90% to 110% of FMR
Income to afford 2BR
$65,880
per year, at 30% of income
Rank in Montana
5th of 56
by 2BR FMR
HUD has already published FY 2027. On October 1, 2026 the two-bedroom rate in Lewis and Clark moves to $1,653. 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 Lewis and Clark actually rent for?
Search any address in Lewis and Clark 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 | $1,136 | $1,022 to $1,250 | $45,440 | $21.85/hr | +3.8% |
| 1 bedroom | $1,319 | $1,187 to $1,451 | $52,760 | $25.37/hr | +4.8% |
| 2 bedroom | $1,647 | $1,482 to $1,812 | $65,880 | $31.67/hr | +3.2% |
| 3 bedroom | $2,250 | $2,025 to $2,475 | $90,000 | $43.27/hr | +6.8% |
| 4 bedroom | $2,496 | $2,246 to $2,746 | $99,840 | $48.00/hr | +4.1% |
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 | $2,870 | $2,583 to $3,157 |
| 6 bedroom Estimate | $3,245 | $2,921 to $3,570 |
| 7 bedroom Estimate | $3,619 | $3,257 to $3,981 |
| 8 bedroom Estimate | $3,994 | $3,595 to $4,393 |
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 Lewis and Clark, that runs from $1,136 for a studio up to $2,496 for four bedrooms, all five rates in the table above.
Lewis and Clark is its own HUD metro area (Lewis and Clark County, MT), so the rate here is set from rents inside the county rather than a wider region.
Among Montana's 56 counties, Lewis and Clark ranks 5th for two-bedroom FMR. That's about 26% above the state median of $1,307 and about 62% above the national median county at $1,018. About 71,487 people live here, 6th in the state.
Rates by ZIP code
Zoom in and the picture changes. HUD's Small Area FMRs put a two-bedroom at $1,180 in 59639 (Lincoln) and $2,040 in 59602 (Helena), with the 15 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 59410 | Augusta | $1,270 | -22.9% |
| 59601 | Helena | $1,640 | -0.4% |
| 59602 | Helena | $2,040 | +23.9% |
| 59604 | Helena | $1,650 | +0.2% |
| 59620 | Helena | $1,650 | +0.2% |
| 59623 | Helena | $1,650 | +0.2% |
| 59624 | Helena | $1,650 | +0.2% |
| 59625 | Helena | $1,640 | -0.4% |
| 59626 | Helena | $1,650 | +0.2% |
| 59633 | Canyon Creek | $1,510 | -8.3% |
| 59635 | East Helena | $1,550 | -5.9% |
| 59636 | Fort Harrison | $1,910 | +16.0% |
| 59639 | Lincoln | $1,180 | -28.4% |
| 59640 | Marysville | $2,040 | +23.9% |
| 59648 | Wolf Creek | $1,690 | +2.6% |
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 Lewis and Clark somewhere between $1,482 and $1,812. 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.
$1,647 a month is affordable, by HUD's 30% rule, on an income of roughly $65,880 a year. Put another way, $32 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% ($1,482) | HAP at 100% ($1,647) | HAP at 110% ($1,812) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $2,500 | $750 | $732 | $897 | $1,062 |
| $4,000 | $1,200 | $282 | $447 | $612 |
Rate history
The two-bedroom rate went up 3% from FY 2025 ($1,596) to FY 2026 ($1,647). 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 | $647 | $782 | $993 | $1,355 | $1,518 | — |
| FY 2021 | $649 | $774 | $984 | $1,300 | $1,484 | -0.9% |
| FY 2022 | $618 | $736 | $923 | $1,206 | $1,415 | -6.2% |
| FY 2023 | $683 | $791 | $1,003 | $1,292 | $1,498 | +8.7% |
| FY 2024 | $729 | $837 | $1,057 | $1,370 | $1,575 | +5.4% |
| FY 2025 | $1,094 | $1,259 | $1,596 | $2,106 | $2,397 | +51.0% |
| FY 2026 | $1,136 | $1,319 | $1,647 | $2,250 | $2,496 | +3.2% |
| FY 2027 | $1,151 | $1,320 | $1,653 | $2,289 | $2,392 | +0.4% |
Nearby counties
Powell County
$1,13332 mi · pop 6,998
Jefferson County
$1,40438 mi · pop 12,273
Broadwater County
$1,74840 mi · pop 6,977
Deer Lodge County
$1,08054 mi · pop 9,435
Granite County
$1,05356 mi · pop 3,368
Cascade County
$1,28459 mi · pop 84,423
Silver Bow County
$1,41463 mi · pop 35,306
Meagher County
$1,39368 mi · pop 1,948
Questions people ask
$1,647 a month for FY 2026, which runs October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026. The other rates are $1,136 for a studio, $1,319 for one bedroom, $2,250 for three and $2,496 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 Lewis and Clark actually go for?
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