HUD Fair Market Rent · FY 2026 · effective Oct 1, 2025 to Sep 30, 2026
Fair Market Rent in Barnes County, North Dakota (FY 2026)
$948 a month. That's HUD's FY 2026 Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom in Barnes County, and it's the baseline every voucher in Barnes is measured against.
2 bedroom FMR
$948
FY 2026, utilities included
Payment standard range
$853 to $1,043
90% to 110% of FMR
Income to afford 2BR
$37,920
per year, at 30% of income
Rank in North Dakota
18th of 53
by 2BR FMR
HUD has already published FY 2027. On October 1, 2026 the two-bedroom rate in Barnes moves to $1,139. That's up 20%. The full FY 2027 table is in the history section below.
HUD's number is one input. What does a two-bedroom in Barnes actually rent for?
Search any address in Barnes 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 | $718 | $646 to $790 | $28,720 | $13.81/hr | +2.1% |
| 1 bedroom | $722 | $650 to $794 | $28,880 | $13.88/hr | +2.1% |
| 2 bedroom | $948 | $853 to $1,043 | $37,920 | $18.23/hr | +2.2% |
| 3 bedroom | $1,137 | $1,023 to $1,251 | $45,480 | $21.87/hr | +1.7% |
| 4 bedroom | $1,590 | $1,431 to $1,749 | $63,600 | $30.58/hr | +2.1% |
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 | $1,829 | $1,646 to $2,012 |
| 6 bedroom Estimate | $2,067 | $1,860 to $2,274 |
| 7 bedroom Estimate | $2,306 | $2,075 to $2,537 |
| 8 bedroom Estimate | $2,544 | $2,290 to $2,798 |
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 Barnes, that runs from $718 for a studio up to $1,590 for four bedrooms, all five rates in the table above.
Because Barnes 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, Fingal included.
Among North Dakota's 53 counties, Barnes ranks 18th for two-bedroom FMR. That's about 9% above the state median of $873 and about 7% below the national median county at $1,018. About 10,826 people live here, 13th in the state.
Rates by ZIP code
Zoom in and the picture changes. HUD's Small Area FMRs put a two-bedroom at $870 in 58492 (Wimbledon) and $1,110 in 58429 (Dazey), with the 11 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 Barnes somewhere between $853 and $1,043. 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.
$948 a month is affordable, by HUD's 30% rule, on an income of roughly $37,920 a year. Put another way, $18 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% ($853) | HAP at 100% ($948) | HAP at 110% ($1,043) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $2,500 | $750 | $103 | $198 | $293 |
| $4,000 | $1,200 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
Rate history
The two-bedroom rate went up 2% from FY 2025 ($928) to FY 2026 ($948). Since FY 2020 it's up 32% in total, about 4.7% a year. The North Dakota median moved down 6% over the same year.
| Year | Studio | 1 BR | 2 BR | 3 BR | 4 BR | 2BR change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY 2020 | $542 | $545 | $718 | $999 | $1,017 | — |
| FY 2021 | $571 | $574 | $757 | $1,006 | $1,053 | +5.4% |
| FY 2022 | $574 | $578 | $760 | $945 | $1,120 | +0.4% |
| FY 2023 | $647 | $651 | $857 | $1,043 | $1,297 | +12.8% |
| FY 2024 | $684 | $689 | $905 | $1,094 | $1,359 | +5.6% |
| FY 2025 | $703 | $707 | $928 | $1,118 | $1,558 | +2.5% |
| FY 2026 | $718 | $722 | $948 | $1,137 | $1,590 | +2.2% |
| FY 2027 | $865 | $871 | $1,139 | $1,357 | $1,904 | +20.1% |
Nearby counties
Questions people ask
$948 a month for FY 2026, which runs October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026. The other rates are $718 for a studio, $722 for one bedroom, $1,137 for three and $1,590 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 Barnes actually go for?
HUD's number is one input. Search any address in Barnes for a rent estimate built from nearby comps. 3 free searches, no card.
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