How much will Section 8 pay for rent in Polk County?

Up to the housing authority's payment standard, which it sets between 90% and 110% of FMR. For a two-bedroom that's $1,009 to $1,233. The voucher covers the gap between that standard and about 30% of the tenant's income, and it never pays more than the unit would rent for without a voucher.

Why does my ZIP code show a different Fair Market Rent than Polk County?

HUD publishes a second set of numbers, Small Area FMRs, for individual ZIP codes. In Polk those run from $1,010 to $1,540 for a two-bedroom. Housing authorities in metros HUD has designated for Small Area FMRs use the ZIP rate. The rest use the county rate. Your PHA can tell you which one applies.

When do the next Fair Market Rents for Polk County come out?

HUD usually publishes the new fiscal year's rates in late August or September, and they take effect October 1. This page updates as soon as the new Wisconsin figures are loaded.

HUD Fair Market Rent · FY 2027 · Effective Oct 1, 2026 to Sep 30, 2027

Fair Market Rent in Polk County, Wisconsin (FY 2027)

HUD's FY 2027 Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom in Polk County is $1,121 a month. That's the number the housing authority starts from when it sets Section 8 payment standards here.

Two-bedroom FMR

$1,121

+2.2% from FY 2026

Payment standard

$1,009–$1,233

90% to 110% of the FMR, two-bedroom

Income to afford

$44,840

a year, with rent at 30% of income

Rank in Wisconsin

28th of 72

by two-bedroom FMR, highest first

FY 2027 Fair Market Rents

Payment standard is the 90% to 110% band a housing authority can set. Income needed puts rent at 30% of gross income, and the hourly wage assumes a 40-hour week.

Bedrooms	FMR	Payment standard	Income needed	Hourly wage	vs FY 2026
Studio	$781	$703–$859	$31,240	$15.02/hr	+3.3%
1 bedroom	$857	$771–$943	$34,280	$16.48/hr	+2.5%
2 bedroom	$1,121	$1,009–$1,233	$44,840	$21.56/hr	+2.2%
3 bedroom	$1,437	$1,293–$1,581	$57,480	$27.63/hr	+5.9%
4 bedroom	$1,705	$1,535–$1,876	$68,200	$32.79/hr	+2.2%

Five to eight 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	$1,961	$1,765–$2,157
6 bedroom Estimate	$2,217	$1,995–$2,439
7 bedroom Estimate	$2,472	$2,225–$2,719
8 bedroom Estimate	$2,728	$2,455–$3,001

Source: HUD Office of Policy Development and Research, FY 2027 Fair Market Rents. Rents include utilities. huduser.gov

Market check

HUD's number is one input. What does a two-bedroom in Polk actually rent for?

Search any address in Polk for a rent estimate built from nearby comps, with the HUD figure right next to it.

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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 Polk somewhere between $1,009 and $1,233. 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.

$1,121 a month is affordable, by HUD's 30% rule, on an income of roughly $44,840 a year. Put another way, $22 an hour full time.

Worked example for a two-bedroom renting at the payment standard. The tenant pays 30% of monthly income and the voucher covers the rest.

Monthly household income	Tenant pays (30%)	Voucher pays at 90%$1,009	Voucher pays at 100%$1,121	Voucher pays at 110%$1,233
$2,500	$750	$259	$371	$483
$4,000	$1,200	$0	$0	$33

Run your own numbers in the Section 8 rent calculator

Rate history

The two-bedroom rate went up 2% from FY 2026 ($1,097) to FY 2027 ($1,121). Since FY 2020 it's up 33% in total, about 4.2% a year. The Wisconsin median moved up 3% over the same year.

Fiscal year	Studio	1 BR	2 BR	3 BR	4 BR	2BR change
FY 2020	$547	$638	$840	$1,085	$1,138	—
FY 2021	$550	$633	$834	$1,048	$1,131	-0.7%
FY 2022	$593	$679	$893	$1,104	$1,211	+7.1%
FY 2023	$643	$731	$962	$1,171	$1,326	+7.7%
FY 2024	$691	$776	$1,020	$1,233	$1,498	+6.0%
FY 2025	$760	$845	$1,108	$1,335	$1,673	+8.6%
FY 2026	$756	$836	$1,097	$1,357	$1,669	-1.0%
FY 2027In effect	$781	$857	$1,121	$1,437	$1,705	+2.2%

About this rate

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 2027 that's October 1, 2026 through September 30, 2027. In Polk, that runs from $781 for a studio up to $1,705 for four bedrooms, all five rates in the table above.

Because Polk 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, Amery included.

Among Wisconsin's 72 counties, Polk ranks 28th for two-bedroom FMR. That's about 8% above the state median of $1,041 and about 5% above the national median county at $1,063. About 45,555 people live here, 32nd in the state.

Rates by ZIP code

Zoom in and the picture changes. HUD's Small Area FMRs put a two-bedroom at $1,010 in 54004 (Clayton) and $1,540 in 54005 (Clear Lake), 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
54001	Amery	$1,310	+16.9%
54004	Clayton	$1,010	-9.9%
54005	Clear Lake	$1,540	+37.4%
54006	Cushing	$1,010	-9.9%
54009	Dresser	$1,290	+15.1%
54020	Osceola	$1,540	+37.4%
54024	Saint Croix Falls	$1,080	-3.7%
54026	Star Prairie	$1,540	+37.4%
54810	Balsam Lake	$1,280	+14.2%
54824	Centuria	$1,010	-9.9%
54837	Frederic	$1,010	-9.9%
54853	Luck	$1,030	-8.1%
54858	Milltown	$1,010	-9.9%

Nearby counties

Two-bedroom FMR, with how each compares to Polk.

St. Croix County

27 mi · 96,033 people

$1,734

+55%

Barron County

29 mi · 46,797 people

$1,027

-8%

Burnett County

30 mi · 16,916 people

$1,028

-8%

Dunn County

43 mi · 45,527 people

$1,042

-7%

Washburn County

44 mi · 16,854 people

$1,014

-10%

Pierce County

49 mi · 42,584 people

$1,734

+55%

Pepin County

63 mi · 7,431 people

$1,014

-10%

Chippewa County

64 mi · 66,799 people

$1,259

+12%

Questions people ask

$1,121 a month for FY 2027, which runs October 1, 2026 through September 30, 2027. The other rates are $781 for a studio, $857 for one bedroom, $1,437 for three and $1,705 for four.

Tools for this county

All Wisconsin counties All states

Fair Market Rent lookup

Any ZIP code's Small Area FMR by bedroom count

Section 8 rent calculator

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

The income a household needs for a given rent