HUD Fair Market Rent · FY 2026 · effective Oct 1, 2025 to Sep 30, 2026
Fair Market Rent in Liberty County, Montana (FY 2026)
HUD's FY 2026 Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom in Liberty County is $1,034 a month. That's the number the housing authority starts from when it sets Section 8 payment standards here.
2 bedroom FMR
$1,034
FY 2026, utilities included
Payment standard range
$931 to $1,137
90% to 110% of FMR
Income to afford 2BR
$41,360
per year, at 30% of income
Rank in Montana
53rd of 56
by 2BR FMR
HUD has already published FY 2027. On October 1, 2026 the two-bedroom rate in Liberty moves to $1,036. 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 Liberty actually rent for?
Search any address in Liberty 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 | $775 | $698 to $853 | $31,000 | $14.90/hr | +5.4% |
| 1 bedroom | $807 | $726 to $888 | $32,280 | $15.52/hr | +4.8% |
| 2 bedroom | $1,034 | $931 to $1,137 | $41,360 | $19.88/hr | +3.2% |
| 3 bedroom | $1,438 | $1,294 to $1,582 | $57,520 | $27.65/hr | +2.4% |
| 4 bedroom | $1,672 | $1,505 to $1,839 | $66,880 | $32.15/hr | +4.6% |
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 | $1,923 | $1,731 to $2,115 |
| 6 bedroom Estimate | $2,174 | $1,957 to $2,391 |
| 7 bedroom Estimate | $2,424 | $2,182 to $2,666 |
| 8 bedroom Estimate | $2,675 | $2,408 to $2,943 |
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 Liberty, that runs from $775 for a studio up to $1,672 for four bedrooms, all five rates in the table above.
Because Liberty 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, Chester included.
Among Montana's 56 counties, Liberty ranks 53rd for two-bedroom FMR. That's about 21% below the state median of $1,307 and within a couple percent of the national median county at $1,018. About 1,993 people live here, 45th in the state.
Rates by ZIP code
Zoom in and the picture changes. HUD's Small Area FMRs put a two-bedroom at $1,030 in 59522 (Chester) and $1,170 in 59545 (Whitlash), with the 3 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 Liberty somewhere between $931 and $1,137. 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.
$1,034 a month is affordable, by HUD's 30% rule, on an income of roughly $41,360 a year. Put another way, $20 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% ($931) | HAP at 100% ($1,034) | HAP at 110% ($1,137) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $2,500 | $750 | $181 | $284 | $387 |
| $4,000 | $1,200 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
Rate history
The two-bedroom rate went up 3% from FY 2025 ($1,002) to FY 2026 ($1,034). Since FY 2020 it's up 45% in total, about 6.4% 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 | $547 | $551 | $714 | $980 | $1,141 | — |
| FY 2021 | $629 | $644 | $734 | $1,000 | $1,150 | +2.8% |
| FY 2022 | $567 | $664 | $757 | $1,032 | $1,183 | +3.1% |
| FY 2023 | $596 | $731 | $826 | $1,174 | $1,293 | +9.1% |
| FY 2024 | $658 | $806 | $905 | $1,275 | $1,425 | +9.6% |
| FY 2025 | $735 | $770 | $1,002 | $1,404 | $1,599 | +10.7% |
| FY 2026 | $775 | $807 | $1,034 | $1,438 | $1,672 | +3.2% |
| FY 2027 | $792 | $813 | $1,036 | $1,435 | $1,702 | +0.2% |
Nearby counties
Questions people ask
$1,034 a month for FY 2026, which runs October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026. The other rates are $775 for a studio, $807 for one bedroom, $1,438 for three and $1,672 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 Liberty actually go for?
HUD's number is one input. Search any address in Liberty for a rent estimate built from nearby comps. 3 free searches, no card.
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