HUD Fair Market Rent · FY 2026 · effective Oct 1, 2025 to Sep 30, 2026
Fair Market Rent in Columbia County, Wisconsin (FY 2026)
A two-bedroom in Columbia County carries a FY 2026 Fair Market Rent of $1,195 a month, effective October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026. Everything Section 8 pays in Columbia keys off that figure.
2 bedroom FMR
$1,195
FY 2026, utilities included
Payment standard range
$1,076 to $1,315
90% to 110% of FMR
Income to afford 2BR
$47,800
per year, at 30% of income
Rank in Wisconsin
15th of 72
by 2BR FMR
HUD has already published FY 2027. On October 1, 2026 the two-bedroom rate in Columbia moves to $1,136. That's down 5%. The full FY 2027 table is in the history section below.
HUD's number is one input. What does a two-bedroom in Columbia actually rent for?
Search any address in Columbia 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 | $824 | $742 to $906 | $32,960 | $15.85/hr | +10.6% |
| 1 bedroom | $911 | $820 to $1,002 | $36,440 | $17.52/hr | +9.9% |
| 2 bedroom | $1,195 | $1,076 to $1,315 | $47,800 | $22.98/hr | +9.9% |
| 3 bedroom | $1,645 | $1,481 to $1,810 | $65,800 | $31.63/hr | +8.3% |
| 4 bedroom | $1,798 | $1,618 to $1,978 | $71,920 | $34.58/hr | +8.0% |
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 | $2,068 | $1,861 to $2,275 |
| 6 bedroom Estimate | $2,337 | $2,103 to $2,571 |
| 7 bedroom Estimate | $2,607 | $2,346 to $2,868 |
| 8 bedroom Estimate | $2,877 | $2,589 to $3,165 |
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 Columbia, that runs from $824 for a studio up to $1,798 for four bedrooms, all five rates in the table above.
Columbia is its own HUD metro area (Columbia County, WI), so the rate here is set from rents inside the county rather than a wider region.
Among Wisconsin's 72 counties, Columbia ranks 15th for two-bedroom FMR. That's about 18% above the state median of $1,010 and about 17% above the national median county at $1,018. About 58,272 people live here, 26th 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 53928 (Doylestown) and $1,540 in 53911 (Arlington), with the 13 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 53555 | Lodi | $1,520 | +27.2% |
| 53901 | Portage | $1,230 | +2.9% |
| 53911 | Arlington | $1,540 | +28.9% |
| 53923 | Cambria | $1,090 | -8.8% |
| 53925 | Columbus | $1,330 | +11.3% |
| 53928 | Doylestown | $1,030 | -13.8% |
| 53932 | Fall River | $1,530 | +28.0% |
| 53935 | Friesland | $1,180 | -1.3% |
| 53954 | Pardeeville | $1,110 | -7.1% |
| 53955 | Poynette | $1,120 | -6.3% |
| 53957 | Randolph | $1,195County rate | — |
| 53960 | Rio | $1,330 | +11.3% |
| 53965 | Wisconsin Dells | $1,140 | -4.6% |
| 53969 | Wyocena | $1,080 | -9.6% |
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 Columbia somewhere between $1,076 and $1,315. 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.
$1,195 a month is affordable, by HUD's 30% rule, on an income of roughly $47,800 a year. Put another way, $23 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% ($1,076) | HAP at 100% ($1,195) | HAP at 110% ($1,315) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $2,500 | $750 | $326 | $445 | $565 |
| $4,000 | $1,200 | $0 | $0 | $115 |
Rate history
The two-bedroom rate went up 10% from FY 2025 ($1,087) to FY 2026 ($1,195). Since FY 2020 it's up 31% in total, about 4.6% a year. The Wisconsin median moved up 1% over the same year.
| Year | Studio | 1 BR | 2 BR | 3 BR | 4 BR | 2BR change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY 2020 | $596 | $695 | $915 | $1,296 | $1,301 | — |
| FY 2021 | $606 | $697 | $919 | $1,306 | $1,311 | +0.4% |
| FY 2022 | $628 | $718 | $945 | $1,342 | $1,381 | +2.8% |
| FY 2023 | $685 | $778 | $1,024 | $1,455 | $1,518 | +8.4% |
| FY 2024 | $693 | $779 | $1,023 | $1,439 | $1,556 | -0.1% |
| FY 2025 | $745 | $829 | $1,087 | $1,519 | $1,665 | +6.3% |
| FY 2026 | $824 | $911 | $1,195 | $1,645 | $1,798 | +9.9% |
| FY 2027 | $791 | $868 | $1,136 | $1,573 | $1,623 | -4.9% |
Nearby counties
Marquette County
$97323 mi · pop 15,619
Green Lake County
$97324 mi · pop 19,093
Dane County
$1,69428 mi · pop 559,891
Dodge County
$1,08031 mi · pop 89,032
Sauk County
$1,11133 mi · pop 65,664
Jefferson County
$1,15639 mi · pop 85,932
Adams County
$97344 mi · pop 20,730
Fond du Lac County
$1,17644 mi · pop 104,027
Questions people ask
$1,195 a month for FY 2026, which runs October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026. The other rates are $824 for a studio, $911 for one bedroom, $1,645 for three and $1,798 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 Columbia actually go for?
HUD's number is one input. Search any address in Columbia for a rent estimate built from nearby comps. 3 free searches, no card.
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