HUD Fair Market Rent · FY 2026 · effective Oct 1, 2025 to Sep 30, 2026
Fair Market Rent in Mercer County, North Dakota (FY 2026)
$1,156 a month. That's HUD's FY 2026 Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom in Mercer County, and it's the baseline every voucher in Mercer is measured against.
2 bedroom FMR
$1,156
FY 2026, utilities included
Payment standard range
$1,040 to $1,272
90% to 110% of FMR
Income to afford 2BR
$46,240
per year, at 30% of income
Rank in North Dakota
8th of 53
by 2BR FMR
HUD has already published FY 2027. On October 1, 2026 the two-bedroom rate in Mercer moves to $1,290. That's up 12%. The full FY 2027 table is in the history section below.
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.
FY 2026 Fair Market Rents
| Bedrooms | FMR | Payment standard | Income needed | Hourly wage | vs FY 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Studio | $875 | $788 to $963 | $35,000 | $16.83/hr | +7.8% |
| 1 bedroom | $881 | $793 to $969 | $35,240 | $16.94/hr | +1.4% |
| 2 bedroom | $1,156 | $1,040 to $1,272 | $46,240 | $22.23/hr | +1.4% |
| 3 bedroom | $1,386 | $1,247 to $1,525 | $55,440 | $26.65/hr | +0.9% |
| 4 bedroom | $1,531 | $1,378 to $1,684 | $61,240 | $29.44/hr | +1.3% |
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 | $1,761 | $1,585 to $1,937 |
| 6 bedroom Estimate | $1,990 | $1,791 to $2,189 |
| 7 bedroom Estimate | $2,220 | $1,998 to $2,442 |
| 8 bedroom Estimate | $2,450 | $2,205 to $2,695 |
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 Mercer, that runs from $875 for a studio up to $1,531 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 8th for two-bedroom FMR. That's about 32% above the state median of $873 and about 14% above the national median county at $1,018. About 8,366 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 $1,030 in 58541 (Golden Valley) and $1,180 in 58545 (Hazen), 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.
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 $1,040 and $1,272. 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.
$1,156 a month is affordable, by HUD's 30% rule, on an income of roughly $46,240 a year. Put another way, $22 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% ($1,040) | HAP at 100% ($1,156) | HAP at 110% ($1,272) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $2,500 | $750 | $290 | $406 | $522 |
| $4,000 | $1,200 | $0 | $0 | $72 |
Rate history
The two-bedroom rate went up 1% from FY 2025 ($1,140) to FY 2026 ($1,156). Since FY 2020 it's up 51% in total, about 7.1% 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 | $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 2027 | $980 | $986 | $1,290 | $1,689 | $1,695 | +11.6% |
Nearby counties
Questions people ask
$1,156 a month for FY 2026, which runs October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026. The other rates are $875 for a studio, $881 for one bedroom, $1,386 for three and $1,531 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 Mercer actually go for?
HUD's number is one input. Search any address in Mercer for a rent estimate built from nearby comps. 3 free searches, no card.
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