HUD Fair Market Rent · FY 2026 · effective Oct 1, 2025 to Sep 30, 2026
Fair Market Rent in Mellette County, South Dakota (FY 2026)
HUD's FY 2026 Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom in Mellette County is $948 a month. That's the number the housing authority starts from when it sets Section 8 payment standards here.
2 bedroom FMR
$948
FY 2026, utilities included
Payment standard range
$853 to $1,043
90% to 110% of FMR
Income to afford 2BR
$37,920
per year, at 30% of income
Rank in South Dakota
29th of 66
by 2BR FMR
HUD has already published FY 2027. On October 1, 2026 the two-bedroom rate in Mellette moves to $1,064. 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 Mellette actually rent for?
Search any address in Mellette 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 | $654 | $589 to $719 | $26,160 | $12.58/hr | +9.4% |
| 1 bedroom | $722 | $650 to $794 | $28,880 | $13.88/hr | +8.6% |
| 2 bedroom | $948 | $853 to $1,043 | $37,920 | $18.23/hr | +8.7% |
| 3 bedroom | $1,206 | $1,085 to $1,327 | $48,240 | $23.19/hr | +12.6% |
| 4 bedroom | $1,468 | $1,321 to $1,615 | $58,720 | $28.23/hr | +7.9% |
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 | $1,688 | $1,519 to $1,857 |
| 6 bedroom Estimate | $1,908 | $1,717 to $2,099 |
| 7 bedroom Estimate | $2,129 | $1,916 to $2,342 |
| 8 bedroom Estimate | $2,349 | $2,114 to $2,584 |
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 Mellette, that runs from $654 for a studio up to $1,468 for four bedrooms, all five rates in the table above.
Because Mellette 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, Norris included.
Among South Dakota's 66 counties, Mellette ranks 29th for two-bedroom FMR. That's about 2% above the state median of $929 and about 7% below the national median county at $1,018. About 1,989 people live here, 58th in the state.
Rates by ZIP code
Zoom in and the picture changes. HUD's Small Area FMRs put a two-bedroom at $960 in 57560 (Norris) and $980 in 57579 (White River), with the 3 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 Mellette somewhere between $853 and $1,043. 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.
$948 a month is affordable, by HUD's 30% rule, on an income of roughly $37,920 a year. Put another way, $18 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% ($853) | HAP at 100% ($948) | HAP at 110% ($1,043) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $2,500 | $750 | $103 | $198 | $293 |
| $4,000 | $1,200 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
Rate history
The two-bedroom rate went up 9% from FY 2025 ($872) to FY 2026 ($948). Since FY 2020 it's up 33% in total, about 4.8% a year. The South Dakota median moved up 7% over the same year.
| Year | Studio | 1 BR | 2 BR | 3 BR | 4 BR | 2BR change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY 2020 | $487 | $542 | $714 | $890 | $1,081 | — |
| FY 2021 | $503 | $546 | $719 | $894 | $1,121 | +0.7% |
| FY 2022 | $541 | $575 | $757 | $961 | $1,219 | +5.3% |
| FY 2023 | $575 | $628 | $826 | $1,086 | $1,347 | +9.1% |
| FY 2024 | $613 | $689 | $905 | $1,190 | $1,454 | +9.6% |
| FY 2025 | $598 | $665 | $872 | $1,071 | $1,360 | -3.6% |
| FY 2026 | $654 | $722 | $948 | $1,206 | $1,468 | +8.7% |
| FY 2027 | $741 | $813 | $1,064 | $1,368 | $1,678 | +12.2% |
Nearby counties
Questions people ask
$948 a month for FY 2026, which runs October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026. The other rates are $654 for a studio, $722 for one bedroom, $1,206 for three and $1,468 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 Mellette actually go for?
HUD's number is one input. Search any address in Mellette for a rent estimate built from nearby comps. 3 free searches, no card.
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