HUD Fair Market Rent · FY 2026 · effective Oct 1, 2025 to Sep 30, 2026
Fair Market Rent in Douglas County, Wisconsin (FY 2026)
$1,232 a month. That's HUD's FY 2026 Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom in Douglas County, and it's the baseline every voucher in Douglas is measured against.
2 bedroom FMR
$1,232
FY 2026, utilities included
Payment standard range
$1,109 to $1,355
90% to 110% of FMR
Income to afford 2BR
$49,280
per year, at 30% of income
Rank in Wisconsin
13th of 72
by 2BR FMR
HUD has already published FY 2027. On October 1, 2026 the two-bedroom rate in Douglas moves to $1,207. That's down 2%. The full FY 2027 table is in the history section below.
HUD's number is one input. What does a two-bedroom in Douglas actually rent for?
Search any address in Douglas 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 | $849 | $764 to $934 | $33,960 | $16.33/hr | +8.6% |
| 1 bedroom | $978 | $880 to $1,076 | $39,120 | $18.81/hr | +9.2% |
| 2 bedroom | $1,232 | $1,109 to $1,355 | $49,280 | $23.69/hr | +8.1% |
| 3 bedroom | $1,689 | $1,520 to $1,858 | $67,560 | $32.48/hr | +9.8% |
| 4 bedroom | $2,067 | $1,860 to $2,274 | $82,680 | $39.75/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 | $2,377 | $2,139 to $2,615 |
| 6 bedroom Estimate | $2,687 | $2,418 to $2,956 |
| 7 bedroom Estimate | $2,997 | $2,697 to $3,297 |
| 8 bedroom Estimate | $3,307 | $2,976 to $3,638 |
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 Douglas, that runs from $849 for a studio up to $2,067 for four bedrooms, all five rates in the table above.
This is a metro rate. The county doesn't get one of its own. HUD lumps Douglas in with 2 other counties in the Duluth metro, St. Louis County, Carlton County among them, and every one of them gets $1,232 for a two-bedroom. Where you are inside the metro doesn't change the county number. It does change the ZIP number, covered below.
Among Wisconsin's 72 counties, Douglas ranks 13th for two-bedroom FMR. That's about 22% above the state median of $1,010 and about 21% above the national median county at $1,018. About 44,092 people live here, 34th in the state.
Counties sharing the Duluth metro rate
Rates by ZIP code
Zoom in and the picture changes. HUD's Small Area FMRs put a two-bedroom at $1,030 in 54820 (Brule) and $1,340 in 54864 (Poplar), with the 11 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 Douglas somewhere between $1,109 and $1,355. 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.
$1,232 a month is affordable, by HUD's 30% rule, on an income of roughly $49,280 a year. Put another way, $24 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% ($1,109) | HAP at 100% ($1,232) | HAP at 110% ($1,355) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $2,500 | $750 | $359 | $482 | $605 |
| $4,000 | $1,200 | $0 | $32 | $155 |
Rate history
The two-bedroom rate went up 8% from FY 2025 ($1,140) to FY 2026 ($1,232). Since FY 2020 it's up 51% in total, about 7.1% 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 | $601 | $622 | $816 | $1,052 | $1,279 | — |
| FY 2021 | $654 | $671 | $884 | $1,141 | $1,394 | +8.3% |
| FY 2022 | $692 | $715 | $936 | $1,221 | $1,515 | +5.9% |
| FY 2023 | $780 | $838 | $1,087 | $1,435 | $1,789 | +16.1% |
| FY 2024 | $762 | $868 | $1,113 | $1,485 | $1,889 | +2.4% |
| FY 2025 | $782 | $896 | $1,140 | $1,538 | $1,914 | +2.4% |
| FY 2026 | $849 | $978 | $1,232 | $1,689 | $2,067 | +8.1% |
| FY 2027 | $841 | $961 | $1,207 | $1,671 | $2,017 | -2.0% |
Nearby counties
Questions people ask
$1,232 a month for FY 2026, which runs October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026. The other rates are $849 for a studio, $978 for one bedroom, $1,689 for three and $2,067 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 Douglas actually go for?
HUD's number is one input. Search any address in Douglas for a rent estimate built from nearby comps. 3 free searches, no card.
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