HUD Fair Market Rent · FY 2026 · effective Oct 1, 2025 to Sep 30, 2026
Fair Market Rent in Powder River County, Montana (FY 2026)
HUD's FY 2026 Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom in Powder River County is $1,025 a month. That's the number the housing authority starts from when it sets Section 8 payment standards here.
2 bedroom FMR
$1,025
FY 2026, utilities included
Payment standard range
$923 to $1,128
90% to 110% of FMR
Income to afford 2BR
$41,000
per year, at 30% of income
Rank in Montana
54th of 56
by 2BR FMR
HUD has already published FY 2027. On October 1, 2026 the two-bedroom rate in Powder River moves to $1,028. 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 Powder River actually rent for?
Search any address in Powder River 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 | $768 | $691 to $845 | $30,720 | $14.77/hr | +5.3% |
| 1 bedroom | $800 | $720 to $880 | $32,000 | $15.38/hr | +4.7% |
| 2 bedroom | $1,025 | $923 to $1,128 | $41,000 | $19.71/hr | +3.1% |
| 3 bedroom | $1,426 | $1,283 to $1,569 | $57,040 | $27.42/hr | +2.4% |
| 4 bedroom | $1,657 | $1,491 to $1,823 | $66,280 | $31.87/hr | +4.5% |
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 | $1,906 | $1,715 to $2,097 |
| 6 bedroom Estimate | $2,154 | $1,939 to $2,369 |
| 7 bedroom Estimate | $2,403 | $2,163 to $2,643 |
| 8 bedroom Estimate | $2,651 | $2,386 to $2,916 |
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 Powder River, that runs from $768 for a studio up to $1,657 for four bedrooms, all five rates in the table above.
Because Powder River 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, Otter included.
Among Montana's 56 counties, Powder River ranks 54th for two-bedroom FMR. That's about 22% below the state median of $1,307 and within a couple percent of the national median county at $1,018. About 1,773 people live here, 47th in the state.
Rates by ZIP code
Zoom in and the picture changes. HUD's Small Area FMRs put a two-bedroom at $1,000 in 59314 (Biddle) and $1,410 in 59345 (Powderville), with the 5 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 Powder River somewhere between $923 and $1,128. 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.
$1,025 a month is affordable, by HUD's 30% rule, on an income of roughly $41,000 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% ($923) | HAP at 100% ($1,025) | HAP at 110% ($1,128) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $2,500 | $750 | $173 | $275 | $378 |
| $4,000 | $1,200 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
Rate history
The two-bedroom rate went up 3% from FY 2025 ($994) to FY 2026 ($1,025). Since FY 2020 it's up 43% in total, about 6.2% 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 | $494 | $544 | $716 | $892 | $1,144 | — |
| FY 2021 | $514 | $557 | $734 | $1,018 | $1,150 | +2.5% |
| FY 2022 | $535 | $575 | $757 | $1,075 | $1,183 | +3.1% |
| FY 2023 | $596 | $628 | $826 | $1,174 | $1,293 | +9.1% |
| FY 2024 | $658 | $689 | $905 | $1,275 | $1,425 | +9.6% |
| FY 2025 | $729 | $764 | $994 | $1,393 | $1,586 | +9.8% |
| FY 2026 | $768 | $800 | $1,025 | $1,426 | $1,657 | +3.1% |
| FY 2027 | $786 | $807 | $1,028 | $1,423 | $1,689 | +0.3% |
Nearby counties
Questions people ask
$1,025 a month for FY 2026, which runs October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026. The other rates are $768 for a studio, $800 for one bedroom, $1,426 for three and $1,657 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 Powder River actually go for?
HUD's number is one input. Search any address in Powder River for a rent estimate built from nearby comps. 3 free searches, no card.
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