HUD Fair Market Rent · FY 2026 · effective Oct 1, 2025 to Sep 30, 2026
Fair Market Rent in Sanders County, Montana (FY 2026)
$1,115 a month. That's HUD's FY 2026 Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom in Sanders County, and it's the baseline every voucher in Sanders is measured against.
2 bedroom FMR
$1,115
FY 2026, utilities included
Payment standard range
$1,004 to $1,227
90% to 110% of FMR
Income to afford 2BR
$44,600
per year, at 30% of income
Rank in Montana
48th of 56
by 2BR FMR
HUD has already published FY 2027. On October 1, 2026 the two-bedroom rate in Sanders moves to $1,117. 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 Sanders actually rent for?
Search any address in Sanders 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 | $769 | $692 to $846 | $30,760 | $14.79/hr | -6.3% |
| 1 bedroom | $878 | $790 to $966 | $35,120 | $16.88/hr | -0.7% |
| 2 bedroom | $1,115 | $1,004 to $1,227 | $44,600 | $21.44/hr | +3.2% |
| 3 bedroom | $1,337 | $1,203 to $1,471 | $53,480 | $25.71/hr | -3.5% |
| 4 bedroom | $1,803 | $1,623 to $1,983 | $72,120 | $34.67/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 | $2,073 | $1,866 to $2,280 |
| 6 bedroom Estimate | $2,344 | $2,110 to $2,578 |
| 7 bedroom Estimate | $2,614 | $2,353 to $2,875 |
| 8 bedroom Estimate | $2,885 | $2,597 to $3,174 |
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 Sanders, that runs from $769 for a studio up to $1,803 for four bedrooms, all five rates in the table above.
Because Sanders 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, Dixon included.
Among Montana's 56 counties, Sanders ranks 48th for two-bedroom FMR. That's about 15% below the state median of $1,307 and about 10% above the national median county at $1,018. About 12,615 people live here, 15th in the state.
Rates by ZIP code
Zoom in and the picture changes. HUD's Small Area FMRs put a two-bedroom at $980 in 59873 (Thompson Falls) and $1,670 in 59844 (Heron), with the 9 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 Sanders somewhere between $1,004 and $1,227. 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.
$1,115 a month is affordable, by HUD's 30% rule, on an income of roughly $44,600 a year. Put another way, $21 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% ($1,004) | HAP at 100% ($1,115) | HAP at 110% ($1,227) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $2,500 | $750 | $254 | $365 | $477 |
| $4,000 | $1,200 | $0 | $0 | $27 |
Rate history
The two-bedroom rate went up 3% from FY 2025 ($1,080) to FY 2026 ($1,115). Since FY 2020 it's up 49% in total, about 6.8% 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 | $563 | $576 | $750 | $1,007 | $1,109 | — |
| FY 2021 | $555 | $572 | $754 | $1,079 | $1,118 | +0.5% |
| FY 2022 | $562 | $575 | $757 | $1,075 | $1,198 | +0.4% |
| FY 2023 | $624 | $628 | $826 | $1,156 | $1,347 | +9.1% |
| FY 2024 | $692 | $726 | $905 | $1,189 | $1,536 | +9.6% |
| FY 2025 | $821 | $884 | $1,080 | $1,386 | $1,814 | +19.3% |
| FY 2026 | $769 | $878 | $1,115 | $1,337 | $1,803 | +3.2% |
| FY 2027 | $778 | $854 | $1,117 | $1,331 | $1,835 | +0.2% |
Nearby counties
Mineral County
$1,36127 mi · pop 4,652
Lake County
$1,44443 mi · pop 31,509
Flathead County
$1,69160 mi · pop 105,950
Lincoln County
$1,17070 mi · pop 20,157
Missoula County
$1,65573 mi · pop 118,541
Ravalli County
$1,423109 mi · pop 44,876
Glacier County
$1,275118 mi · pop 13,781
Granite County
$1,053118 mi · pop 3,368
Questions people ask
$1,115 a month for FY 2026, which runs October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026. The other rates are $769 for a studio, $878 for one bedroom, $1,337 for three and $1,803 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 Sanders actually go for?
HUD's number is one input. Search any address in Sanders for a rent estimate built from nearby comps. 3 free searches, no card.
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