HUD Fair Market Rent · FY 2026 · effective Oct 1, 2025 to Sep 30, 2026
Fair Market Rent in Stillwater County, Montana (FY 2026)
$1,257 a month. That's HUD's FY 2026 Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom in Stillwater County, and it's the baseline every voucher in Stillwater is measured against.
2 bedroom FMR
$1,257
FY 2026, utilities included
Payment standard range
$1,131 to $1,383
90% to 110% of FMR
Income to afford 2BR
$50,280
per year, at 30% of income
Rank in Montana
33rd of 56
by 2BR FMR
HUD has already published FY 2027. On October 1, 2026 the two-bedroom rate in Stillwater moves to $1,271. That's up 1%. The full FY 2027 table is in the history section below.
HUD's number is one input. What does a two-bedroom in Stillwater actually rent for?
Search any address in Stillwater 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 | $884 | $796 to $972 | $35,360 | $17.00/hr | +0.8% |
| 1 bedroom | $958 | $862 to $1,054 | $38,320 | $18.42/hr | +3.2% |
| 2 bedroom | $1,257 | $1,131 to $1,383 | $50,280 | $24.17/hr | +3.2% |
| 3 bedroom | $1,748 | $1,573 to $1,923 | $69,920 | $33.62/hr | +2.5% |
| 4 bedroom | $2,109 | $1,898 to $2,320 | $84,360 | $40.56/hr | +3.1% |
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 | $2,425 | $2,183 to $2,668 |
| 6 bedroom Estimate | $2,742 | $2,468 to $3,016 |
| 7 bedroom Estimate | $3,058 | $2,752 to $3,364 |
| 8 bedroom Estimate | $3,374 | $3,037 to $3,711 |
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 Stillwater, that runs from $884 for a studio up to $2,109 for four bedrooms, all five rates in the table above.
Stillwater is its own HUD metro area (Stillwater County, MT), so the rate here is set from rents inside the county rather than a wider region.
Among Montana's 56 counties, Stillwater ranks 33rd for two-bedroom FMR. That's about 4% below the state median of $1,307 and about 23% above the national median county at $1,018. About 8,978 people live here, 24th in the state.
Rates by ZIP code
Zoom in and the picture changes. HUD's Small Area FMRs put a two-bedroom at $1,240 in 59019 (Columbus) and $1,840 in 59069 (Reed Point), with the 8 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 Stillwater 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, 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% ($1,131) | HAP at 100% ($1,257) | HAP 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 3% from FY 2025 ($1,218) to FY 2026 ($1,257). Since FY 2020 it's up 58% in total, about 8.0% 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 | $548 | $613 | $794 | $1,145 | $1,268 | — |
| FY 2021 | $591 | $645 | $844 | $1,208 | $1,323 | +6.3% |
| FY 2022 | $574 | $649 | $854 | $1,213 | $1,446 | +1.2% |
| FY 2023 | $687 | $747 | $983 | $1,380 | $1,674 | +15.1% |
| FY 2024 | $735 | $779 | $1,023 | $1,424 | $1,736 | +4.1% |
| FY 2025 | $877 | $928 | $1,218 | $1,705 | $2,045 | +19.1% |
| FY 2026 | $884 | $958 | $1,257 | $1,748 | $2,109 | +3.2% |
| FY 2027 | $885 | $972 | $1,271 | $1,760 | $2,124 | +1.1% |
Nearby counties
Carbon County
$1,41726 mi · pop 10,645
Sweet Grass County
$1,17627 mi · pop 3,697
Golden Valley County
$1,33946 mi · pop 841
Yellowstone County
$1,41747 mi · pop 165,524
Park County
$1,60555 mi · pop 17,320
Wheatland County
$1,11761 mi · pop 2,060
Musselshell County
$1,34478 mi · pop 4,924
Meagher County
$1,39387 mi · pop 1,948
Questions people ask
$1,257 a month for FY 2026, which runs October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026. The other rates are $884 for a studio, $958 for one bedroom, $1,748 for three and $2,109 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 Stillwater actually go for?
HUD's number is one input. Search any address in Stillwater for a rent estimate built from nearby comps. 3 free searches, no card.
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