HUD Fair Market Rent · FY 2026 · effective Oct 1, 2025 to Sep 30, 2026
Fair Market Rent in Lincoln County, Montana (FY 2026)
$1,170 a month. That's HUD's FY 2026 Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom in Lincoln County, and it's the baseline every voucher in Lincoln is measured against.
2 bedroom FMR
$1,170
FY 2026, utilities included
Payment standard range
$1,053 to $1,287
90% to 110% of FMR
Income to afford 2BR
$46,800
per year, at 30% of income
Rank in Montana
44th of 56
by 2BR FMR
HUD has already published FY 2027. On October 1, 2026 the two-bedroom rate in Lincoln moves to $1,173. 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 Lincoln actually rent for?
Search any address in Lincoln 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 | $919 | $827 to $1,011 | $36,760 | $17.67/hr | +10.5% |
| 1 bedroom | $1,067 | $960 to $1,174 | $42,680 | $20.52/hr | +4.2% |
| 2 bedroom | $1,170 | $1,053 to $1,287 | $46,800 | $22.50/hr | +3.2% |
| 3 bedroom | $1,627 | $1,464 to $1,790 | $65,080 | $31.29/hr | +2.4% |
| 4 bedroom | $1,892 | $1,703 to $2,081 | $75,680 | $36.38/hr | -0.6% |
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 | $2,176 | $1,958 to $2,394 |
| 6 bedroom Estimate | $2,460 | $2,214 to $2,706 |
| 7 bedroom Estimate | $2,743 | $2,469 to $3,017 |
| 8 bedroom Estimate | $3,027 | $2,724 to $3,330 |
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 Lincoln, that runs from $919 for a studio up to $1,892 for four bedrooms, all five rates in the table above.
Because Lincoln 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, Eureka included.
Among Montana's 56 counties, Lincoln ranks 44th for two-bedroom FMR. That's about 10% below the state median of $1,307 and about 15% above the national median county at $1,018. About 20,157 people live here, 10th in the state.
Rates by ZIP code
Zoom in and the picture changes. HUD's Small Area FMRs put a two-bedroom at $1,060 in 59923 (Libby) and $1,610 in 59918 (Fortine), with the 7 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 Lincoln somewhere between $1,053 and $1,287. 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.
$1,170 a month is affordable, by HUD's 30% rule, on an income of roughly $46,800 a year. Put another way, $23 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% ($1,053) | HAP at 100% ($1,170) | HAP at 110% ($1,287) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $2,500 | $750 | $303 | $420 | $537 |
| $4,000 | $1,200 | $0 | $0 | $87 |
Rate history
The two-bedroom rate went up 3% from FY 2025 ($1,134) to FY 2026 ($1,170). Since FY 2020 it's up 57% in total, about 7.8% 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 | $514 | $586 | $746 | $1,076 | $1,282 | — |
| FY 2021 | $533 | $609 | $761 | $1,089 | $1,238 | +2.0% |
| FY 2022 | $535 | $644 | $757 | $1,075 | $1,220 | -0.5% |
| FY 2023 | $596 | $731 | $826 | $1,174 | $1,325 | +9.1% |
| FY 2024 | $658 | $806 | $905 | $1,275 | $1,441 | +9.6% |
| FY 2025 | $832 | $1,024 | $1,134 | $1,589 | $1,904 | +25.3% |
| FY 2026 | $919 | $1,067 | $1,170 | $1,627 | $1,892 | +3.2% |
| FY 2027 | $1,034 | $1,078 | $1,173 | $1,624 | $1,927 | +0.3% |
Nearby counties
Flathead County
$1,69151 mi · pop 105,950
Sanders County
$1,11570 mi · pop 12,615
Lake County
$1,44486 mi · pop 31,509
Mineral County
$1,36197 mi · pop 4,652
Glacier County
$1,27599 mi · pop 13,781
Missoula County
$1,655132 mi · pop 118,541
Pondera County
$1,254143 mi · pop 5,987
Teton County
$1,360155 mi · pop 6,238
Questions people ask
$1,170 a month for FY 2026, which runs October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026. The other rates are $919 for a studio, $1,067 for one bedroom, $1,627 for three and $1,892 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 Lincoln actually go for?
HUD's number is one input. Search any address in Lincoln for a rent estimate built from nearby comps. 3 free searches, no card.
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