HUD Fair Market Rent · FY 2027 · Effective Oct 1, 2026 to Sep 30, 2027
Fair Market Rent in Pondera County, Montana (FY 2027)
A two-bedroom in Pondera County carries a FY 2027 Fair Market Rent of $1,257 a month, effective October 1, 2026 through September 30, 2027. Everything Section 8 pays in Pondera keys off that figure.
Two-bedroom FMR
$1,257
+0.2% from FY 2026
Payment standard
$1,131–$1,383
90% to 110% of the FMR, two-bedroom
Income to afford
$50,280
a year, with rent at 30% of income
Rank in Montana
35th of 56
by two-bedroom FMR, highest first
FY 2027 Fair Market Rents
Payment standard is the 90% to 110% band a housing authority can set. Income needed puts rent at 30% of gross income, and the hourly wage assumes a 40-hour week.
| Bedrooms | FMR | Payment standard | Income needed | Hourly wage | vs FY 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Studio | $961 | $865–$1,057 | $38,440 | $18.48/hr | +2.2% |
| 1 bedroom | $1,030 | $927–$1,133 | $41,200 | $19.81/hr | -10.0% |
| 2 bedroom | $1,257 | $1,131–$1,383 | $50,280 | $24.17/hr | +0.2% |
| 3 bedroom | $1,705 | $1,535–$1,876 | $68,200 | $32.79/hr | +5.3% |
| 4 bedroom | $2,023 | $1,821–$2,225 | $80,920 | $38.90/hr | +6.9% |
Five to eight 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 | $2,326 | $2,093–$2,559 |
| 6 bedroom Estimate | $2,630 | $2,367–$2,893 |
| 7 bedroom Estimate | $2,933 | $2,640–$3,226 |
| 8 bedroom Estimate | $3,237 | $2,913–$3,561 |
Source: HUD Office of Policy Development and Research, FY 2027 Fair Market Rents. Rents include utilities. huduser.gov
Market check
HUD's number is one input. What does a two-bedroom in Pondera actually rent for?
Search any address in Pondera for a rent estimate built from nearby comps, with the HUD figure right next to it.
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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 Pondera somewhere between $1,131 and $1,383. 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.
$1,257 a month is affordable, by HUD's 30% rule, on an income of roughly $50,280 a year. Put another way, $24 an hour full time.
Worked example for a two-bedroom renting at the payment standard. The tenant pays 30% of monthly income and the voucher covers the rest.
| Monthly household income | Tenant pays (30%) | Voucher pays at 90%$1,131 | Voucher pays at 100%$1,257 | Voucher pays at 110%$1,383 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $2,500 | $750 | $381 | $507 | $633 |
| $4,000 | $1,200 | $0 | $57 | $183 |
Rate history
The two-bedroom rate went up 0% from FY 2026 ($1,254) to FY 2027 ($1,257). Since FY 2020 it's up 76% in total, about 8.4% a year. The Montana median held flat over the same year.
| Fiscal year | Studio | 1 BR | 2 BR | 3 BR | 4 BR | 2BR change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY 2020 | $492 | $603 | $714 | $1,030 | $1,161 | — |
| FY 2021 | $514 | $636 | $734 | $1,050 | $1,215 | +2.8% |
| FY 2022 | $535 | $664 | $757 | $1,075 | $1,296 | +3.1% |
| FY 2023 | $596 | $731 | $826 | $1,144 | $1,407 | +9.1% |
| FY 2024 | $658 | $806 | $905 | $1,198 | $1,536 | +9.6% |
| FY 2025 | $891 | $1,097 | $1,215 | $1,549 | $1,904 | +34.3% |
| FY 2026 | $940 | $1,144 | $1,254 | $1,619 | $1,892 | +3.2% |
| FY 2027In effect | $961 | $1,030 | $1,257 | $1,705 | $2,023 | +0.2% |
About this rate
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 2027 that's October 1, 2026 through September 30, 2027. In Pondera, that runs from $961 for a studio up to $2,023 for four bedrooms, all five rates in the table above.
Because Pondera 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, Brady included.
Among Montana's 56 counties, Pondera ranks 35th for two-bedroom FMR. That's about 4% below the state median of $1,310 and about 18% above the national median county at $1,063. About 6,035 people live here, 33rd in the state.
Rates by ZIP code
Zoom in and the picture changes. HUD's Small Area FMRs put a two-bedroom at $1,150 in 59448 (Heart Butte) and $1,330 in 59416 (Brady), with the 6 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.
Nearby counties
Two-bedroom FMR, with how each compares to Pondera.
Teton County
25 mi · 6,353 people
$1,363
+8%
Toole County
38 mi · 5,061 people
$1,233
-2%
Glacier County
50 mi · 13,637 people
$1,278
+2%
Liberty County
62 mi · 1,952 people
$1,036
-18%
Cascade County
65 mi · 84,606 people
$1,308
+4%
Chouteau County
75 mi · 5,906 people
$1,310
+4%
Hill County
90 mi · 16,155 people
$1,310
+4%
Flathead County
97 mi · 110,695 people
$1,682
+34%
Questions people ask
$1,257 a month for FY 2027, which runs October 1, 2026 through September 30, 2027. The other rates are $961 for a studio, $1,030 for one bedroom, $1,705 for three and $2,023 for four.
Tools for this county
Fair Market Rent lookup
Any ZIP code's Small Area FMR by bedroom count
Section 8 rent calculator
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
The income a household needs for a given rent
What does a rental in Pondera actually go for?
HUD's number is one input. Search any address in Pondera for a rent estimate built from nearby comps. Free to start, no card.
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