HUD Fair Market Rent · FY 2026 · effective Oct 1, 2025 to Sep 30, 2026
Fair Market Rent in Steele County, North Dakota (FY 2026)
HUD's FY 2026 Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom in Steele County is $873 a month. That's the number the housing authority starts from when it sets Section 8 payment standards here.
2 bedroom FMR
$873
FY 2026, utilities included
Payment standard range
$786 to $960
90% to 110% of FMR
Income to afford 2BR
$34,920
per year, at 30% of income
Rank in North Dakota
48th of 53
by 2BR FMR
HUD has already published FY 2027. On October 1, 2026 the two-bedroom rate in Steele moves to $1,014. That's up 16%. The full FY 2027 table is in the history section below.
HUD's number is one input. What does a two-bedroom in Steele actually rent for?
Search any address in Steele 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 | $697 | $627 to $767 | $27,880 | $13.40/hr | -7.4% |
| 1 bedroom | $702 | $632 to $772 | $28,080 | $13.50/hr | -7.4% |
| 2 bedroom | $873 | $786 to $960 | $34,920 | $16.79/hr | -5.9% |
| 3 bedroom | $1,214 | $1,093 to $1,335 | $48,560 | $23.35/hr | -6.6% |
| 4 bedroom | $1,464 | $1,318 to $1,610 | $58,560 | $28.15/hr | -6.0% |
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 | $1,684 | $1,516 to $1,852 |
| 6 bedroom Estimate | $1,903 | $1,713 to $2,093 |
| 7 bedroom Estimate | $2,123 | $1,911 to $2,335 |
| 8 bedroom Estimate | $2,342 | $2,108 to $2,576 |
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 Steele, that runs from $697 for a studio up to $1,464 for four bedrooms, all five rates in the table above.
Because Steele 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, Hope included.
Among North Dakota's 53 counties, Steele ranks 48th for two-bedroom FMR. That's within a couple percent of the state median of $873 and about 14% below the national median county at $1,018. About 1,774 people live here, 49th in the state.
Rates by ZIP code
Zoom in and the picture changes. HUD's Small Area FMRs put a two-bedroom at $880 in 58230 (Finley) and $980 in 58056 (Luverne), 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 Steele somewhere between $786 and $960. 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.
$873 a month is affordable, by HUD's 30% rule, on an income of roughly $34,920 a year. Put another way, $17 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% ($786) | HAP at 100% ($873) | HAP at 110% ($960) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $2,500 | $750 | $36 | $123 | $210 |
| $4,000 | $1,200 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
Rate history
The two-bedroom rate went down 6% from FY 2025 ($928) to FY 2026 ($873). Since FY 2020 it's up 22% in total, about 3.4% 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 | $539 | $542 | $714 | $1,030 | $1,085 | — |
| FY 2021 | $553 | $557 | $734 | $1,050 | $1,118 | +2.8% |
| FY 2022 | $572 | $575 | $757 | $1,075 | $1,194 | +3.1% |
| FY 2023 | $639 | $643 | $826 | $1,174 | $1,370 | +9.1% |
| FY 2024 | $688 | $692 | $859 | $1,211 | $1,458 | +4.0% |
| FY 2025 | $753 | $758 | $928 | $1,300 | $1,558 | +8.0% |
| FY 2026 | $697 | $702 | $873 | $1,214 | $1,464 | -5.9% |
| FY 2027 | $792 | $797 | $1,014 | $1,404 | $1,695 | +16.2% |
Nearby counties
Questions people ask
$873 a month for FY 2026, which runs October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026. The other rates are $697 for a studio, $702 for one bedroom, $1,214 for three and $1,464 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 Steele actually go for?
HUD's number is one input. Search any address in Steele for a rent estimate built from nearby comps. 3 free searches, no card.
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