HUD Fair Market Rent · FY 2026 · effective Oct 1, 2025 to Sep 30, 2026
Fair Market Rent in Mountrail County, North Dakota (FY 2026)
HUD's FY 2026 Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom in Mountrail County is $1,071 a month. That's the number the housing authority starts from when it sets Section 8 payment standards here.
2 bedroom FMR
$1,071
FY 2026, utilities included
Payment standard range
$964 to $1,178
90% to 110% of FMR
Income to afford 2BR
$42,840
per year, at 30% of income
Rank in North Dakota
12th of 53
by 2BR FMR
HUD has already published FY 2027. On October 1, 2026 the two-bedroom rate in Mountrail moves to $1,356. That's up 27%. The full FY 2027 table is in the history section below.
HUD's number is one input. What does a two-bedroom in Mountrail actually rent for?
Search any address in Mountrail 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 | $738 | $664 to $812 | $29,520 | $14.19/hr | +5.4% |
| 1 bedroom | $850 | $765 to $935 | $34,000 | $16.35/hr | +0.8% |
| 2 bedroom | $1,071 | $964 to $1,178 | $42,840 | $20.60/hr | +14.8% |
| 3 bedroom | $1,386 | $1,247 to $1,525 | $55,440 | $26.65/hr | +6.0% |
| 4 bedroom | $1,505 | $1,355 to $1,656 | $60,200 | $28.94/hr | +1.6% |
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 | $1,731 | $1,558 to $1,904 |
| 6 bedroom Estimate | $1,957 | $1,761 to $2,153 |
| 7 bedroom Estimate | $2,182 | $1,964 to $2,400 |
| 8 bedroom Estimate | $2,408 | $2,167 to $2,649 |
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 Mountrail, that runs from $738 for a studio up to $1,505 for four bedrooms, all five rates in the table above.
Because Mountrail 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, New Town included.
Among North Dakota's 53 counties, Mountrail ranks 12th for two-bedroom FMR. That's about 23% above the state median of $873 and about 5% above the national median county at $1,018. About 9,648 people live here, 16th 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 58769 (Palermo) and $1,440 in 58776 (Ross), with the 7 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 Mountrail somewhere between $964 and $1,178. 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.
$1,071 a month is affordable, by HUD's 30% rule, on an income of roughly $42,840 a year. Put another way, $21 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% ($964) | HAP at 100% ($1,071) | HAP at 110% ($1,178) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $2,500 | $750 | $214 | $321 | $428 |
| $4,000 | $1,200 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
Rate history
The two-bedroom rate went up 15% from FY 2025 ($933) to FY 2026 ($1,071). Since FY 2020 it's up 29% in total, about 4.4% 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 | $621 | $678 | $829 | $1,037 | $1,406 | — |
| FY 2021 | $649 | $673 | $767 | $954 | $1,266 | -7.5% |
| FY 2022 | $668 | $685 | $780 | $964 | $1,221 | +1.7% |
| FY 2023 | $720 | $736 | $831 | $1,167 | $1,361 | +6.5% |
| FY 2024 | $734 | $765 | $859 | $1,211 | $1,433 | +3.4% |
| FY 2025 | $700 | $843 | $933 | $1,307 | $1,482 | +8.6% |
| FY 2026 | $738 | $850 | $1,071 | $1,386 | $1,505 | +14.8% |
| FY 2027 | $944 | $1,037 | $1,356 | $1,616 | $1,782 | +26.6% |
Nearby counties
Questions people ask
$1,071 a month for FY 2026, which runs October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026. The other rates are $738 for a studio, $850 for one bedroom, $1,386 for three and $1,505 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 Mountrail actually go for?
HUD's number is one input. Search any address in Mountrail for a rent estimate built from nearby comps. 3 free searches, no card.
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