HUD Fair Market Rent · FY 2027 · Effective Oct 1, 2026 to Sep 30, 2027
Fair Market Rent in Mercer County, North Dakota (FY 2027)
$1,290 a month. That's HUD's FY 2027 Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom in Mercer County, and it's the baseline every voucher in Mercer is measured against.
Two-bedroom FMR
$1,290
+11.6% from FY 2026
Payment standard
$1,161–$1,419
90% to 110% of the FMR, two-bedroom
Income to afford
$51,600
a year, with rent at 30% of income
Rank in North Dakota
5th of 53
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 | $980 | $882–$1,078 | $39,200 | $18.85/hr | +12.0% |
| 1 bedroom | $986 | $887–$1,085 | $39,440 | $18.96/hr | +11.9% |
| 2 bedroom | $1,290 | $1,161–$1,419 | $51,600 | $24.81/hr | +11.6% |
| 3 bedroom | $1,689 | $1,520–$1,858 | $67,560 | $32.48/hr | +21.9% |
| 4 bedroom | $1,695 | $1,526–$1,865 | $67,800 | $32.60/hr | +10.7% |
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 | $1,949 | $1,754–$2,144 |
| 6 bedroom Estimate | $2,204 | $1,984–$2,424 |
| 7 bedroom Estimate | $2,458 | $2,212–$2,704 |
| 8 bedroom Estimate | $2,712 | $2,441–$2,983 |
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 Mercer actually rent for?
Search any address in Mercer for a rent estimate built from nearby comps, with the HUD figure right next to it.
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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 Mercer somewhere between $1,161 and $1,419. 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.
$1,290 a month is affordable, by HUD's 30% rule, on an income of roughly $51,600 a year. Put another way, $25 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%$1,161 | Voucher pays at 100%$1,290 | Voucher pays at 110%$1,419 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $2,500 | $750 | $411 | $540 | $669 |
| $4,000 | $1,200 | $0 | $90 | $219 |
Rate history
The two-bedroom rate went up 12% from FY 2026 ($1,156) to FY 2027 ($1,290). Since FY 2020 it's up 69% in total, about 7.8% a year. The North Dakota median moved up 16% over the same year.
| Fiscal year | Studio | 1 BR | 2 BR | 3 BR | 4 BR | 2BR change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY 2020 | $602 | $605 | $764 | $1,102 | $1,259 | — |
| FY 2021 | $639 | $643 | $810 | $1,159 | $1,234 | +6.0% |
| FY 2022 | $670 | $686 | $866 | $1,123 | $1,366 | +6.9% |
| FY 2023 | $694 | $798 | $1,005 | $1,223 | $1,667 | +16.1% |
| FY 2024 | $737 | $852 | $1,087 | $1,314 | $1,501 | +8.2% |
| FY 2025 | $812 | $869 | $1,140 | $1,373 | $1,511 | +4.9% |
| FY 2026 | $875 | $881 | $1,156 | $1,386 | $1,531 | +1.4% |
| FY 2027In effect | $980 | $986 | $1,290 | $1,689 | $1,695 | +11.6% |
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 Mercer, that runs from $980 for a studio up to $1,695 for four bedrooms, all five rates in the table above.
Because Mercer 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, Beulah included.
Among North Dakota's 53 counties, Mercer ranks 5th for two-bedroom FMR. That's about 27% above the state median of $1,014 and about 21% above the national median county at $1,063. About 8,337 people live here, 17th in the state.
Rates by ZIP code
Zoom in and the picture changes. HUD's Small Area FMRs put a two-bedroom at $1,090 in 58571 (Stanton) and $1,380 in 58523 (Beulah), with the 5 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 Mercer.
Oliver County
30 mi · 1,839 people
$1,067
-17%
Dunn County
34 mi · 4,040 people
$1,130
-12%
McLean County
36 mi · 9,823 people
$1,014
-21%
Morton County
41 mi · 33,777 people
$1,067
-17%
Stark County
54 mi · 33,302 people
$1,231
-5%
Burleigh County
63 mi · 100,600 people
$1,067
-17%
Grant County
66 mi · 2,269 people
$1,014
-21%
Mountrail County
67 mi · 9,507 people
$1,356
+5%
Questions people ask
$1,290 a month for FY 2027, which runs October 1, 2026 through September 30, 2027. The other rates are $980 for a studio, $986 for one bedroom, $1,689 for three and $1,695 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 Mercer actually go for?
HUD's number is one input. Search any address in Mercer for a rent estimate built from nearby comps. Free to start, no card.
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