HUD Fair Market Rent · FY 2026 · effective Oct 1, 2025 to Sep 30, 2026
Fair Market Rent in Sweet Grass County, Montana (FY 2026)
A two-bedroom in Sweet Grass County carries a FY 2026 Fair Market Rent of $1,176 a month, effective October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026. Everything Section 8 pays in Sweet Grass keys off that figure.
2 bedroom FMR
$1,176
FY 2026, utilities included
Payment standard range
$1,058 to $1,294
90% to 110% of FMR
Income to afford 2BR
$47,040
per year, at 30% of income
Rank in Montana
43rd of 56
by 2BR FMR
HUD has already published FY 2027. On October 1, 2026 the two-bedroom rate in Sweet Grass moves to $1,179. 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 Sweet Grass actually rent for?
Search any address in Sweet Grass 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 | $881 | $793 to $969 | $35,240 | $16.94/hr | +5.4% |
| 1 bedroom | $918 | $826 to $1,010 | $36,720 | $17.65/hr | +1.8% |
| 2 bedroom | $1,176 | $1,058 to $1,294 | $47,040 | $22.62/hr | +3.2% |
| 3 bedroom | $1,551 | $1,396 to $1,706 | $62,040 | $29.83/hr | -2.9% |
| 4 bedroom | $1,638 | $1,474 to $1,802 | $65,520 | $31.50/hr | -10.0% |
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 | $1,884 | $1,696 to $2,072 |
| 6 bedroom Estimate | $2,129 | $1,916 to $2,342 |
| 7 bedroom Estimate | $2,375 | $2,138 to $2,613 |
| 8 bedroom Estimate | $2,621 | $2,359 to $2,883 |
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 Sweet Grass, that runs from $881 for a studio up to $1,638 for four bedrooms, all five rates in the table above.
Because Sweet Grass 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, Big Timber included.
Among Montana's 56 counties, Sweet Grass ranks 43rd for two-bedroom FMR. That's about 10% below the state median of $1,307 and about 16% above the national median county at $1,018. About 3,697 people live here, 40th in the state.
Rates by ZIP code
Zoom in and the picture changes. HUD's Small Area FMRs put a two-bedroom at $1,160 in 59011 (Big Timber) and $1,500 in 59052 (Mc Leod), with the 4 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 Sweet Grass somewhere between $1,058 and $1,294. 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.
$1,176 a month is affordable, by HUD's 30% rule, on an income of roughly $47,040 a year. Put another way, $23 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% ($1,058) | HAP at 100% ($1,176) | HAP at 110% ($1,294) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $2,500 | $750 | $308 | $426 | $544 |
| $4,000 | $1,200 | $0 | $0 | $94 |
Rate history
The two-bedroom rate went up 3% from FY 2025 ($1,140) to FY 2026 ($1,176). Since FY 2020 it's up 34% in total, about 5.0% 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 | $605 | $677 | $877 | $1,265 | $1,401 | — |
| FY 2021 | $602 | $670 | $860 | $1,231 | $1,348 | -1.9% |
| FY 2022 | $552 | $617 | $782 | $1,111 | $1,222 | -9.1% |
| FY 2023 | $596 | $648 | $826 | $1,174 | $1,293 | +5.6% |
| FY 2024 | $658 | $721 | $905 | $1,275 | $1,425 | +9.6% |
| FY 2025 | $836 | $902 | $1,140 | $1,597 | $1,819 | +26.0% |
| FY 2026 | $881 | $918 | $1,176 | $1,551 | $1,638 | +3.2% |
| FY 2027 | $901 | $925 | $1,179 | $1,544 | $1,550 | +0.3% |
Nearby counties
Stillwater County
$1,25727 mi · pop 8,978
Park County
$1,60539 mi · pop 17,320
Wheatland County
$1,11745 mi · pop 2,060
Golden Valley County
$1,33948 mi · pop 841
Carbon County
$1,41751 mi · pop 10,645
Meagher County
$1,39361 mi · pop 1,948
Gallatin County
$2,15467 mi · pop 119,685
Yellowstone County
$1,41769 mi · pop 165,524
Questions people ask
$1,176 a month for FY 2026, which runs October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026. The other rates are $881 for a studio, $918 for one bedroom, $1,551 for three and $1,638 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 Sweet Grass actually go for?
HUD's number is one input. Search any address in Sweet Grass for a rent estimate built from nearby comps. 3 free searches, no card.
Free tier. No credit card.