County FMR · HUD FY2026

Billings County Fair Market Rent

HUD's FY2026 Fair Market Rent for Billings County, ND - 27% below the US average.

$702
1-bedroom FMR
$873
2-bedroom FMR
-7.4%
YoY change
-27%
vs US avg

The verdict

Billings is the 3rd cheapest of 53 counties in North Dakota by 2-bedroom FMR; nationally it ranks #190 most affordable of 3,145 HUD counties; rent here has fallen 7.4% since FY 2025, a modest shift relative to most counties.

#190
most affordable of 3,145 US counties (2BR)
#3
cheapest of 53 in North Dakota (2BR)
-12%
vs the state average
$28,080
income to afford it (30% rule)

Software Developers spend the smallest share of income on rent here (8.5%), while Fast Food and Counter Workers spend the most (28.1%); 15 of 15 common occupations here can afford a 1-bedroom at Fair Market Rent without exceeding the 30% threshold.

FY 2026 HUD Fair Market Rent for Billings County, ND. Verify with HUD →

The Fair Market Rent for a 1-bedroom apartment in Billings County, North Dakota is $702 per month in FY 2026, according to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). A 2-bedroom costs $873/mo and a studio is $697/mo. This is 27% lower than the national average of $959 and 12% below the North Dakota average of $795.

Rent decreased7.4% from FY 2025 ($758), declining against the trend. The 30% affordability floor is comparatively reachable here at $28,080/year.

Observed renter burden: 10.0% of the 70 renter households counted by ACS paid at least 30% of income in gross rent. This ACS 2023 household measure is distinct from HUD's FY2026 Fair Market Rent benchmark above.

FY 2026 HUD Fair Market Rents in North Dakota. Population: 839.

FMR filing desk

Area BILLINGS·COUNTY·ND·ND

Billings County, ND: $702/mo 1BR · #190 of 3145 counties (2BR) · FY2026

  • FMR-AREA ND
  • 1BR-FMR $702
  • 2BR-FMR $873
  • RANK-LOW #190
  • YOY-DOWN -7.4%
  • VSUS-LOW -27%
  • VS-ST-LOW -12% ND
  • INC-ROOM 10%
  • POP-SMALL 839
  • PHOTO-NEAR Cass County
  • VOUCH-90-110 $632–$772
  • FY-2026 FY2026

Photo-finish peer: Cass ($215 1BR gap)

Read with: Section 8 housing guide

Fair Market Rents (2026)

Studio
State avg: $769 · US avg: $893
$697/mo
↓ 7.4% YoY -9% vs state -22% vs US
1 Bedroom
State avg: $795 · US avg: $959
$702/mo
↓ 7.4% YoY -12% vs state -27% vs US
2 Bedroom
State avg: $965 · US avg: $1,175
$873/mo
↓ 5.9% YoY -10% vs state -26% vs US
3 Bedroom
State avg: $1,297 · US avg: $1,525
$1,214/mo
↓ 6.6% YoY -6% vs state -20% vs US
4 Bedroom
State avg: $1,588 · US avg: $1,756
$1,464/mo
↓ 6.0% YoY -8% vs state -17% vs US

Year-over-Year Comparison

Bedrooms FY 2025 FY 2026 Change
Studio $753
$697
$-56 (-7.4%)
1 Bedroom $758
$702
$-56 (-7.4%)
2 Bedroom $928
$873
$-55 (-5.9%)
3 Bedroom $1,300
$1,214
$-86 (-6.6%)
4 Bedroom $1,558
$1,464
$-94 (-6.0%)

Rent Burden Analysis

How much of household income goes to rent in Billings County. The 30% threshold indicates cost burden.

Studio
10.3%
Affordable
Need $27,880/yr for 30% rule
1 Bedroom
10.4%
Affordable
Need $28,080/yr for 30% rule
2 Bedroom
12.9%
Affordable
Need $34,920/yr for 30% rule
3 Bedroom
17.9%
Affordable
Need $48,560/yr for 30% rule
4 Bedroom
21.6%
Affordable
Need $58,560/yr for 30% rule
How we calculate this

Rent burden = (FMR × 12) ÷ county median household income. Required income = (FMR × 12) ÷ 0.3, the federal 30%-of-gross-income rule HUD uses to define cost burden. Median household income is from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey; FMR is from HUD's FY2026 release. See methodology.

0%100%National avg22%12.9%
Billings County 2-bedroom rent burden
County median income: $81,250 · National avg burden: 21.7% ·View North Dakota rent burden →

Where Billings sits among every US county

2-bedroom Fair Market Rent vs. all 3,145 HUD counties

$873 higher than 6% of 3,145 counties

$600–$800: 23 counties (1%). Below this entry. $800–$1,000: 1,406 counties (45%). This entry sits in this band. $1,000–$1,200: 723 counties (23%). Above this entry. $1,200–$1,400: 417 counties (13%). Above this entry. $1,400–$1,600: 181 counties (6%). Above this entry. $1,600–$1,800: 172 counties (5%). Above this entry. $1,800–$2,000: 108 counties (3%). Above this entry. $2,000–$2,200: 29 counties (1%). Above this entry. $2,200–$2,400: 40 counties (1%). Above this entry. $2,400–$2,600: 13 counties (0%). Above this entry. $2,600–$2,800: 9 counties (0%). Above this entry. $2,800–$3,000: 15 counties (0%). Above this entry. $3,000–$3,200: 3 counties (0%). Above this entry. $3,200–$3,400: 1 counties (0%). Above this entry. $3,400–$3,600: 1 counties (0%). Above this entry. $3,600–$3,800: 3 counties (0%). Above this entry. $3,800–$4,000: 0 counties (0%). Above this entry. $4,000–$4,200: 0 counties (0%). Above this entry. $4,200–$4,400: 1 counties (0%). Above this entry. This county $600 $4,400 every US county, bucketed by value

Each bar is a $0.2K-wide band; taller bars hold more counties. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Source U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Fair Market Rents · FY2026

How Billings compares on 1-bedroom rent

1-bedroom FMR vs other North Dakota counties

1BR FMR / mo

What this shows Billings is highlighted. Nearby North Dakota counties by 1-bedroom FMR, highest to lowest: Williams County ($1,068), Burleigh County ($1,030), Morton County ($1,030), Ward County ($960), Cass County ($917), Grand Forks County ($868), Billings County (this county) ($702).

Source U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) As of FY2026

Can Common Jobs Afford Rent Here?

With a below-average 1-bedroom at $702/mo, most of these North Dakota occupations clear, or miss, the 30% affordability line.

Occupation ND Salary Rent Burden Verdict
Software Developers $98,550 8.5% Affordable
General & Operations Managers $93,290 9% Affordable
Registered Nurses $78,260 10.8% Affordable
Police & Sheriff's Patrol Officers $75,530 11.2% Affordable
Accountants & Auditors $72,180 11.7% Affordable
Electricians $65,820 12.8% Affordable
Paralegals & Legal Assistants $59,910 14.1% Affordable
Heavy & Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers $58,970 14.3% Affordable
Elementary School Teachers $57,820 14.6% Affordable
Pharmacy Technicians $47,600 17.7% Affordable
Customer Service Representatives $43,160 19.5% Affordable
Teaching Assistants $36,810 22.9% Affordable
Janitors & Cleaners $36,660 23% Affordable
Retail Salespersons $35,670 23.6% Affordable
Fast Food & Counter Workers $30,010 28.1% Affordable
Salaries: BLS OES (North Dakota) median · 30% = affordable threshold · Try the salary calculator →

Rent Trends (2020–2026)

7-year Fair Market Rent history for Billings County. Shows how HUD rental rates have changed over time.

Over the 6-year span HUD has tracked for Billings (FY 2020-2026), the 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent has risen 24.7% overall, from $563 to $702. The increases have been fairly steady year to year, with no single jump exceeding 11.2% (FY 2023).

$550$600$650$700$750$800 FY2020FY2021FY2022FY2023FY2024FY2025FY2026 $702
Billings County 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent, FY2020–FY2026
Year Studio 1 BR 2 BR
FY 2026 ↓7.4% $697 $702 $873
FY 2025 ↑4.6% $753 $758 $928
FY 2024 ↑8.7% $720 $725 $899
FY 2023 ↑11.2% $663 $667 $857
FY 2022 ↑1.2% $596 $600 $789
FY 2021 ↑5.3% $589 $593 $782
FY 2020 $560 $563 $742
Total change (6yr): +24.7%
Annualized: +3.7%/yr
1 BR: $563 → $702

Part of the Dickinson, ND Micro Area

Billings County is a outlying county of the Dickinson, ND micropolitan statistical area, alongside 2 other micro-area counties.

Billings County ranks #3 of 3 counties in this metro area by 1-bedroom FMR. Every county sharing this metro, highest to lowest: Stark County ($874), Dunn County ($754), Billings County (this county) ($702).

Stark County
1 BR: $874/mo
Dunn County
1 BR: $754/mo
Billings County (this county)
1 BR: $702/mo

Nationwide peers by 2BR FMR & rent burden

Two PlainRent-derived comparison paths for Billings County, both outside North Dakota so the link neighborhoods are not the same-state geography lattice above. Axes stay disjoint: burden peers exclude the FMR peer set.

Similar 2-bedroom FMR

Nearest HUD 2BR Fair Market Rents outside ND (FY2026).

Lowndes County
MS · 2 BR $872/mo
Union County
MS · 2 BR $872/mo
Jefferson Davis Parish
LA · 2 BR $871/mo
Cowley County
KS · 2 BR $877/mo

Similar rent burden

Nearest 2BR FMR as a share of median household income (outside ND).

Hanson County
SD · 12.9% of income · 2 BR $929/mo
Campbell County
WY · 12.8% of income · 2 BR $1,019/mo
Schleicher County
TX · 13% of income · 2 BR $973/mo
Winkler County
TX · 12.8% of income · 2 BR $978/mo

Nearby Counties in North Dakota

Largest counties by population in North Dakota

Showing the 8 largest of 52 other counties in North Dakota.

Cass County
1 BR: $917/mo Pop: 186,328
Burleigh County
1 BR: $1,030/mo Pop: 98,443
Grand Forks County
1 BR: $868/mo Pop: 72,927
Ward County
1 BR: $960/mo Pop: 69,532
Williams County
1 BR: $1,068/mo Pop: 39,076
Morton County
1 BR: $1,030/mo Pop: 33,192
Stark County
1 BR: $874/mo Pop: 32,989
Stutsman County
1 BR: $680/mo Pop: 21,609
View all counties in North Dakota →

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the average rent in Billings County? ▼
The FY 2026 Fair Market Rent for a 1-bedroom in Billings County is $702 per month. A 2-bedroom is $873 and a studio is $697.
How does Billings County rent compare to the national average? ▼
Rent in Billings County is 27% below the national average. A 1-bedroom here costs $702 compared to $959 nationally.
Where does Billings County rank nationally for Fair Market Rent? ▼
According to HUD's FY 2026 Fair Market Rent schedule, Billings County's 2-bedroom FMR of $873 ranks #190 most affordable among 3,145 HUD counties, placing it in the lowest-rent tenth of HUD counties.
What income do I need to afford rent in Billings County? ▼
Based on the 30% affordability rule, you need an annual income of at least $28,080 ($2,340/month) to afford a 1-bedroom at Fair Market Rent in Billings County.
Is rent going up or down in Billings County? ▼
The 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent in Billings County decreased by 7.4% from FY 2025 to FY 2026, going from $758 to $702.
Which jobs can afford rent in Billings County? ▼
Based on North Dakota BLS salary data and the 30% affordability rule, jobs like Software Developers, General and Operations Managers, Registered Nurses can afford a 1-bedroom at $702/mo. 15 of 15 common occupations are affordable here.
How much has rent changed in Billings County over time? ▼
The 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent in Billings County went from $563 in FY 2020 to $702 in FY 2026, a total change of +24.7% over 6 years.
How does Fair Market Rent affect Section 8 vouchers in Billings County? ▼
In Billings County, the FY 2026 FMR of $702/mo for a 1-bedroom sets the baseline that local housing authorities use for Section 8 payment standards.
What does Fair Market Rent mean for Billings County? ▼
For Billings County, it's the specific 40th-percentile rent HUD publishes each year ($702/mo for a 1-bedroom in FY 2026).

Disclaimer: This information is provided for informational purposes only and does not constitute professional advice. Data is sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau and HUD Fair Market Rents. Consult a qualified professional before making decisions based on this data.

All federal data sources used on this page
  • HUD Fair Market Rents (FMR) - county-level fair-market rent estimates by bedroom count. huduser.gov/datasets/fmr
  • HUD Income Limits - area median income for affordability calculations. huduser.gov/datasets/il
  • HUD Comprehensive Housing Affordability Strategy (CHAS) - rent burden and housing-cost distribution. huduser.gov/datasets/cp
  • U.S. Census Bureau ACS - county and metro housing characteristics + median rent. census.gov/programs-surveys/acs
  • BLS Consumer Price Index, Rent of Primary Residence - rent inflation by metro. bls.gov/cpi
  • IRS Migration Data (SOI) - interstate migration aggregates affecting county demand. irs.gov/statistics/migration
  • BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics - state-level median wages by occupation, used for job affordability analysis. bls.gov/oes

Every figure on PlainRent is rendered directly from HUD's published Fair Market Rent records, no number is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of FY 2026.