HUD Fair Market Rent · FY 2026 · effective Oct 1, 2025 to Sep 30, 2026
Fair Market Rent in Ward County, North Dakota (FY 2026)
A two-bedroom in Ward County carries a FY 2026 Fair Market Rent of $1,165 a month, effective October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026. Everything Section 8 pays in Ward keys off that figure.
2 bedroom FMR
$1,165
FY 2026, utilities included
Payment standard range
$1,049 to $1,282
90% to 110% of FMR
Income to afford 2BR
$46,600
per year, at 30% of income
Rank in North Dakota
7th of 53
by 2BR FMR
HUD has already published FY 2027. On October 1, 2026 the two-bedroom rate in Ward moves to $1,049. That's down 10%. The full FY 2027 table is in the history section below.
HUD's number is one input. What does a two-bedroom in Ward actually rent for?
Search any address in Ward 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 | $806 | $725 to $887 | $32,240 | $15.50/hr | +11.8% |
| 1 bedroom | $960 | $864 to $1,056 | $38,400 | $18.46/hr | +18.8% |
| 2 bedroom | $1,165 | $1,049 to $1,282 | $46,600 | $22.40/hr | +12.0% |
| 3 bedroom | $1,620 | $1,458 to $1,782 | $64,800 | $31.15/hr | +11.2% |
| 4 bedroom | $1,954 | $1,759 to $2,149 | $78,160 | $37.58/hr | +11.9% |
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 | $2,247 | $2,022 to $2,472 |
| 6 bedroom Estimate | $2,540 | $2,286 to $2,794 |
| 7 bedroom Estimate | $2,833 | $2,550 to $3,116 |
| 8 bedroom Estimate | $3,126 | $2,813 to $3,439 |
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 Ward, that runs from $806 for a studio up to $1,954 for four bedrooms, all five rates in the table above.
Ward is its own HUD metro area (Ward County, ND), so the rate here is set from rents inside the county rather than a wider region.
Among North Dakota's 53 counties, Ward ranks 7th for two-bedroom FMR. That's about 33% above the state median of $873 and about 14% above the national median county at $1,018. About 69,532 people live here, 4th in the state.
Rates by ZIP code
Zoom in and the picture changes. HUD's Small Area FMRs put a two-bedroom at $940 in 58734 (Donnybrook) and $1,620 in 58704 (Minot Afb), with the 17 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.
| ZIP | City | 2BR rate | vs county |
|---|---|---|---|
| 58701 | Minot | $1,030 | -11.6% |
| 58702 | Minot | $1,170 | +0.4% |
| 58703 | Minot | $1,160 | -0.4% |
| 58704 | Minot Afb | $1,620 | +39.1% |
| 58705 | Minot Afb | $1,360 | +16.7% |
| 58707 | Minot | $1,160 | -0.4% |
| 58718 | Berthold | $1,040 | -10.7% |
| 58722 | Burlington | $1,120 | -3.9% |
| 58725 | Carpio | $1,130 | -3.0% |
| 58733 | Des Lacs | $1,100 | -5.6% |
| 58734 | Donnybrook | $940 | -19.3% |
| 58735 | Douglas | $940 | -19.3% |
| 58746 | Kenmare | $940 | -19.3% |
| 58756 | Makoti | $1,150 | -1.3% |
| 58779 | Ryder | $940 | -19.3% |
| 58781 | Sawyer | $1,080 | -7.3% |
| 58785 | Surrey | $1,410 | +21.0% |
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 Ward somewhere between $1,049 and $1,282. 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.
$1,165 a month is affordable, by HUD's 30% rule, on an income of roughly $46,600 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% ($1,049) | HAP at 100% ($1,165) | HAP at 110% ($1,282) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $2,500 | $750 | $299 | $415 | $532 |
| $4,000 | $1,200 | $0 | $0 | $82 |
Rate history
The two-bedroom rate went up 12% from FY 2025 ($1,040) to FY 2026 ($1,165). Since FY 2020 it's up 20% in total, about 3.1% 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 | $629 | $747 | $972 | $1,404 | $1,706 | — |
| FY 2021 | $629 | $739 | $953 | $1,364 | $1,650 | -2.0% |
| FY 2022 | $657 | $734 | $966 | $1,372 | $1,653 | +1.4% |
| FY 2023 | $685 | $763 | $1,005 | $1,428 | $1,712 | +4.0% |
| FY 2024 | $681 | $744 | $978 | $1,378 | $1,660 | -2.7% |
| FY 2025 | $721 | $808 | $1,040 | $1,457 | $1,746 | +6.3% |
| FY 2026 | $806 | $960 | $1,165 | $1,620 | $1,954 | +12.0% |
| FY 2027 | $726 | $864 | $1,049 | $1,458 | $1,759 | -10.0% |
Nearby counties
Questions people ask
$1,165 a month for FY 2026, which runs October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026. The other rates are $806 for a studio, $960 for one bedroom, $1,620 for three and $1,954 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 Ward actually go for?
HUD's number is one input. Search any address in Ward for a rent estimate built from nearby comps. 3 free searches, no card.
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