HUD Fair Market Rent · FY 2026 · effective Oct 1, 2025 to Sep 30, 2026
Fair Market Rent in Missoula County, Montana (FY 2026)
HUD's FY 2026 Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom in Missoula County is $1,655 a month. That's the number the housing authority starts from when it sets Section 8 payment standards here.
2 bedroom FMR
$1,655
FY 2026, utilities included
Payment standard range
$1,490 to $1,821
90% to 110% of FMR
Income to afford 2BR
$66,200
per year, at 30% of income
Rank in Montana
4th of 56
by 2BR FMR
HUD has already published FY 2027. On October 1, 2026 the two-bedroom rate in Missoula moves to $1,690. That's up 2%. The full FY 2027 table is in the history section below.
HUD's number is one input. What does a two-bedroom in Missoula actually rent for?
Search any address in Missoula 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 | $1,143 | $1,029 to $1,257 | $45,720 | $21.98/hr | +2.0% |
| 1 bedroom | $1,400 | $1,260 to $1,540 | $56,000 | $26.92/hr | +4.6% |
| 2 bedroom | $1,655 | $1,490 to $1,821 | $66,200 | $31.83/hr | +3.2% |
| 3 bedroom | $2,302 | $2,072 to $2,532 | $92,080 | $44.27/hr | +2.4% |
| 4 bedroom | $2,776 | $2,498 to $3,054 | $111,040 | $53.38/hr | +3.0% |
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 | $3,192 | $2,873 to $3,511 |
| 6 bedroom Estimate | $3,609 | $3,248 to $3,970 |
| 7 bedroom Estimate | $4,025 | $3,623 to $4,428 |
| 8 bedroom Estimate | $4,442 | $3,998 to $4,886 |
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 Missoula, that runs from $1,143 for a studio up to $2,776 for four bedrooms, all five rates in the table above.
Missoula is its own HUD metro area (Missoula, MT), so the rate here is set from rents inside the county rather than a wider region.
Among Montana's 56 counties, Missoula ranks 4th for two-bedroom FMR. That's about 27% above the state median of $1,307 and about 63% above the national median county at $1,018. About 118,541 people live here, 3rd in the state.
Rates by ZIP code
Zoom in and the picture changes. HUD's Small Area FMRs put a two-bedroom at $1,470 in 59846 (Huson) and $2,480 in 59834 (Frenchtown), with the 16 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 59801 | Missoula | $1,640 | -0.9% |
| 59802 | Missoula | $1,570 | -5.1% |
| 59803 | Missoula | $1,750 | +5.7% |
| 59804 | Missoula | $1,760 | +6.3% |
| 59806 | Missoula | $1,660 | +0.3% |
| 59807 | Missoula | $1,660 | +0.3% |
| 59808 | Missoula | $1,780 | +7.6% |
| 59812 | Missoula | $1,630 | -1.5% |
| 59823 | Bonner | $1,570 | -5.1% |
| 59825 | Clinton | $1,690 | +2.1% |
| 59826 | Condon | $1,490 | -10.0% |
| 59834 | Frenchtown | $2,480 | +49.8% |
| 59846 | Huson | $1,470 | -11.2% |
| 59847 | Lolo | $1,630 | -1.5% |
| 59851 | Milltown | $1,570 | -5.1% |
| 59868 | Seeley Lake | $1,660 | +0.3% |
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 Missoula somewhere between $1,490 and $1,821. 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.
$1,655 a month is affordable, by HUD's 30% rule, on an income of roughly $66,200 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% ($1,490) | HAP at 100% ($1,655) | HAP at 110% ($1,821) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $2,500 | $750 | $740 | $905 | $1,071 |
| $4,000 | $1,200 | $290 | $455 | $621 |
Rate history
The two-bedroom rate went up 3% from FY 2025 ($1,604) to FY 2026 ($1,655). Since FY 2020 it's up 80% in total, about 10.3% 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 | $626 | $722 | $918 | $1,324 | $1,612 | — |
| FY 2021 | $685 | $772 | $979 | $1,401 | $1,695 | +6.6% |
| FY 2022 | $717 | $813 | $1,020 | $1,440 | $1,746 | +4.2% |
| FY 2023 | $789 | $906 | $1,120 | $1,566 | $1,908 | +9.8% |
| FY 2024 | $845 | $988 | $1,203 | $1,695 | $2,041 | +7.4% |
| FY 2025 | $1,121 | $1,339 | $1,604 | $2,248 | $2,694 | +33.3% |
| FY 2026 | $1,143 | $1,400 | $1,655 | $2,302 | $2,776 | +3.2% |
| FY 2027 | $1,177 | $1,433 | $1,690 | $2,340 | $2,825 | +2.1% |
Nearby counties
Granite County
$1,05345 mi · pop 3,368
Lake County
$1,44448 mi · pop 31,509
Ravalli County
$1,42349 mi · pop 44,876
Mineral County
$1,36159 mi · pop 4,652
Powell County
$1,13360 mi · pop 6,998
Sanders County
$1,11573 mi · pop 12,615
Deer Lodge County
$1,08075 mi · pop 9,435
Lewis and Clark County
$1,64788 mi · pop 71,487
Questions people ask
$1,655 a month for FY 2026, which runs October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026. The other rates are $1,143 for a studio, $1,400 for one bedroom, $2,302 for three and $2,776 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 Missoula actually go for?
HUD's number is one input. Search any address in Missoula for a rent estimate built from nearby comps. 3 free searches, no card.
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