HUD Fair Market Rent · FY 2027 · Effective Oct 1, 2026 to Sep 30, 2027
Fair Market Rent in Sanders County, Montana (FY 2027)
$1,117 a month. That's HUD's FY 2027 Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom in Sanders County, and it's the baseline every voucher in Sanders is measured against.
Two-bedroom FMR
$1,117
+0.2% from FY 2026
Payment standard
$1,005–$1,229
90% to 110% of the FMR, two-bedroom
Income to afford
$44,680
a year, with rent at 30% of income
Rank in Montana
48th 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 | $778 | $700–$856 | $31,120 | $14.96/hr | +1.2% |
| 1 bedroom | $854 | $769–$939 | $34,160 | $16.42/hr | -2.7% |
| 2 bedroom | $1,117 | $1,005–$1,229 | $44,680 | $21.48/hr | +0.2% |
| 3 bedroom | $1,331 | $1,198–$1,464 | $53,240 | $25.60/hr | -0.4% |
| 4 bedroom | $1,835 | $1,652–$2,019 | $73,400 | $35.29/hr | +1.8% |
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 | $2,110 | $1,899–$2,321 |
| 6 bedroom Estimate | $2,386 | $2,147–$2,625 |
| 7 bedroom Estimate | $2,661 | $2,395–$2,927 |
| 8 bedroom Estimate | $2,936 | $2,642–$3,230 |
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 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.
No card needed
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 $1,005 and $1,229. 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.
$1,117 a month is affordable, by HUD's 30% rule, on an income of roughly $44,680 a year. Put another way, $21 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%$1,005 | Voucher pays at 100%$1,117 | Voucher pays at 110%$1,229 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $2,500 | $750 | $255 | $367 | $479 |
| $4,000 | $1,200 | $0 | $0 | $29 |
Rate history
The two-bedroom rate went up 0% from FY 2026 ($1,115) to FY 2027 ($1,117). Since FY 2020 it's up 49% in total, about 5.9% 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 | $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 2027In effect | $778 | $854 | $1,117 | $1,331 | $1,835 | +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 Sanders, that runs from $778 for a studio up to $1,835 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 $1,310 and about 5% above the national median county at $1,063. About 13,285 people live here, 14th in the state.
Rates by ZIP code
Zoom in and the picture changes. HUD's Small Area FMRs put a two-bedroom at $1,010 in 59873 (Thompson Falls) and $1,530 in 59845 (Hot Springs), 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.
Nearby counties
Two-bedroom FMR, with how each compares to Sanders.
Mineral County
27 mi · 4,959 people
$1,390
+24%
Lake County
43 mi · 32,561 people
$1,448
+30%
Flathead County
60 mi · 110,695 people
$1,682
+51%
Lincoln County
70 mi · 21,175 people
$1,173
+5%
Missoula County
73 mi · 120,672 people
$1,690
+51%
Ravalli County
109 mi · 46,727 people
$1,426
+28%
Glacier County
118 mi · 13,637 people
$1,278
+14%
Granite County
118 mi · 3,462 people
$1,055
-6%
Questions people ask
$1,117 a month for FY 2027, which runs October 1, 2026 through September 30, 2027. The other rates are $778 for a studio, $854 for one bedroom, $1,331 for three and $1,835 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 Sanders actually go for?
HUD's number is one input. Search any address in Sanders for a rent estimate built from nearby comps. Free to start, no card.
Free tier. No credit card.