County FMR · HUD FY2026

Cascade County Fair Market Rent

HUD's FY2026 Fair Market Rent for Cascade County, MT - 2% above the US average.

$979
1-bedroom FMR
$1,284
2-bedroom FMR
+14.6%
YoY change
+2%
vs US avg

The verdict

Cascade is the 26th cheapest of 56 counties in Montana by 2-bedroom FMR; nationally it ranks #786 most expensive of 3,145 HUD counties; rent here has climbed 14.6% since FY 2025, a sharp move relative to most counties.

#786
most expensive of 3,145 US counties (2BR)
#26
cheapest of 56 in Montana (2BR)
-9%
vs the state average
$39,160
income to afford it (30% rule)

Software Developers spend the smallest share of income on rent here (11.7%), while Fast Food and Counter Workers spend the most (40.1%).

FY 2026 HUD Fair Market Rent for Cascade County, MT. Verify with HUD →

The Fair Market Rent for a 1-bedroom apartment in Cascade County, Montana is $979 per month in FY 2026, according to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). A 2-bedroom costs $1,284/mo and a studio is $960/mo. This is 2% higher than the national average of $959 and 9% below the Montana average of $1,076.

Rent increased14.6% from FY 2025 ($854), outpacing inflation. Under the 30% rule, affordability starts near $39,160/year for a 1-bedroom.

Observed renter burden: 40.0% of the 10,419 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 Montana. Population: 84,423. Population has held roughly steady over the past five years (+3.5%, Census ACS). That's slower than Montana's statewide growth of +6.1% over the same period.

FMR filing desk

Area CASCADE·COUNTY·MT·MT

Cascade County, MT: $979/mo 1BR · #786 of 3145 counties (2BR) · FY2026

  • FMR-AREA MT
  • 1BR-FMR $979
  • 2BR-FMR $1,284
  • RANK-MID #786
  • YOY-SURGE +14.6%
  • VSUS-NEAR +2%
  • VS-ST-LOW -9% MT
  • INC-ROOM 18%
  • POP-MID 84K
  • PHOTO-NEAR Yellowstone County
  • VOUCH-90-110 $881–$1,077
  • FY-2026 FY2026

Photo-finish peer: Yellowstone ($130 1BR gap)

Read with: How Fair Market Rent works

Fair Market Rents (2026)

Studio
State avg: $988 · US avg: $893
$960/mo
↑ 17.9% YoY -3% vs state +8% vs US
1 Bedroom
State avg: $1,076 · US avg: $959
$979/mo
↑ 14.6% YoY -9% vs state +2% vs US
2 Bedroom
State avg: $1,336 · US avg: $1,175
$1,284/mo
↑ 14.5% YoY -4% vs state +9% vs US
3 Bedroom
State avg: $1,789 · US avg: $1,525
$1,786/mo
↑ 13.7% YoY -0% vs state +17% vs US
4 Bedroom
State avg: $2,113 · US avg: $1,756
$2,035/mo
↑ 14.3% YoY -4% vs state +16% vs US

Year-over-Year Comparison

Bedrooms FY 2025 FY 2026 Change
Studio $814
$960
+$146 (+17.9%)
1 Bedroom $854
$979
+$125 (+14.6%)
2 Bedroom $1,121
$1,284
+$163 (+14.5%)
3 Bedroom $1,571
$1,786
+$215 (+13.7%)
4 Bedroom $1,781
$2,035
+$254 (+14.3%)

Rent Burden Analysis

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

Studio
17.4%
Affordable
Need $38,400/yr for 30% rule
1 Bedroom
17.7%
Affordable
Need $39,160/yr for 30% rule
2 Bedroom
23.3%
Affordable
Need $51,360/yr for 30% rule
3 Bedroom
32.4%
Burdened
Need $71,440/yr for 30% rule
4 Bedroom
36.9%
Burdened
Need $81,400/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%23.3%
Cascade County 2-bedroom rent burden
County median income: $66,203 · National avg burden: 21.7% ·View Montana rent burden →

Where Cascade sits among every US county

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

$1,284 Top 25% higher than 75% of 3,145 counties

$600–$800: 23 counties (1%). Below this entry. $800–$1,000: 1,406 counties (45%). Below this entry. $1,000–$1,200: 723 counties (23%). Below this entry. $1,200–$1,400: 417 counties (13%). This entry sits in this band. $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 Cascade compares on 1-bedroom rent

1-bedroom FMR vs other Montana counties

1BR FMR / mo

What this shows Cascade is highlighted. Nearby Montana counties by 1-bedroom FMR, highest to lowest: Gallatin County ($1,642), Missoula County ($1,400), Lewis and Clark County ($1,319), Flathead County ($1,289), Ravalli County ($1,145), Yellowstone County ($1,109), Cascade County (this county) ($979).

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

Can Common Jobs Afford Rent Here?

How a 1-bedroom at $979/mo compares to Montana salaries for popular occupations (BLS wage data, 30%-of-income rule).

Occupation MT Salary Rent Burden Verdict
Software Developers $100,190 11.7% Affordable
General & Operations Managers $85,240 13.8% Affordable
Registered Nurses $81,560 14.4% Affordable
Accountants & Auditors $74,400 15.8% Affordable
Police & Sheriff's Patrol Officers $69,910 16.8% Affordable
Electricians $68,980 17% Affordable
Heavy & Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers $59,060 19.9% Affordable
Elementary School Teachers $56,200 20.9% Affordable
Paralegals & Legal Assistants $54,230 21.7% Affordable
Pharmacy Technicians $46,980 25% Affordable
Customer Service Representatives $43,820 26.8% Affordable
Janitors & Cleaners $37,390 31.4% Stretched
Retail Salespersons $35,000 33.6% Stretched
Teaching Assistants $33,720 34.8% Stretched
Fast Food & Counter Workers $29,280 40.1% Stretched
Salaries: BLS OES (Montana) median · 30% = affordable threshold · Try the salary calculator →

Rent Trends (2020–2026)

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

Over the 6-year span HUD has tracked for Cascade (FY 2020-2026), the 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent has risen 72.1% overall, from $569 to $979. Most of that movement was gradual except for a single sharp jump of +14.6% in FY 2026, well above this county's typical year-to-year change.

$500$600$700$800$900$1,000 FY2020FY2021FY2022FY2023FY2024FY2025FY2026 $979
Cascade County 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent, FY2020–FY2026
Year Studio 1 BR 2 BR
FY 2026 ↑14.6% $960 $979 $1,284
FY 2025 ↑14.6% $814 $854 $1,121
FY 2024 ↑6.3% $708 $745 $979
FY 2023 ↑7.5% $666 $701 $914
FY 2022 ↑6.4% $638 $652 $849
FY 2021 ↑7.7% $609 $613 $808
FY 2020 $565 $569 $749
Total change (6yr): +72.1%
Annualized: +9.5%/yr
1 BR: $569 → $979

Part of the Great Falls, MT Metro Area

Cascade County is a central county of the Great Falls, MT metropolitan statistical area.

Nationwide peers by 2BR FMR & rent burden

Two PlainRent-derived comparison paths for Cascade County, both outside Montana 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 MT (FY2026).

Twin Falls County
ID · 2 BR $1,284/mo
Chemung County
NY · 2 BR $1,283/mo
Camden County
NC · 2 BR $1,287/mo
Coos County
NH · 2 BR $1,287/mo

Similar rent burden

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

Carbon County
UT · 23.3% of income · 2 BR $1,041/mo
Churchill County
NV · 23.3% of income · 2 BR $1,421/mo
Livingston County
KY · 23.3% of income · 2 BR $1,158/mo
Coffee County
GA · 23.3% of income · 2 BR $973/mo

Nearby Counties in Montana

Largest counties by population in Montana

Showing the 8 largest of 55 other counties in Montana.

Yellowstone County
1 BR: $1,109/mo Pop: 165,524
Gallatin County
1 BR: $1,642/mo Pop: 119,685
Missoula County
1 BR: $1,400/mo Pop: 118,541
Flathead County
1 BR: $1,289/mo Pop: 105,950
Lewis and Clark County
1 BR: $1,319/mo Pop: 71,487
Ravalli County
1 BR: $1,145/mo Pop: 44,876
Silver Bow County
1 BR: $1,149/mo Pop: 35,306
Lake County
1 BR: $1,104/mo Pop: 31,509
View all counties in Montana →

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the average rent in Cascade County? ▼
The FY 2026 Fair Market Rent for a 1-bedroom in Cascade County is $979 per month. A 2-bedroom is $1,284 and a studio is $960.
How does Cascade County rent compare to the national average? ▼
Rent in Cascade County is 2% above the national average. A 1-bedroom here costs $979 compared to $959 nationally.
Where does Cascade County rank nationally for Fair Market Rent? ▼
According to HUD's FY 2026 Fair Market Rent schedule, Cascade County's 2-bedroom FMR of $1,284 ranks #786 most expensive among 3,145 HUD counties, placing it in the upper-rent quarter of HUD counties.
What income do I need to afford rent in Cascade County? ▼
Based on the 30% affordability rule, you need an annual income of at least $39,160 ($3,263/month) to afford a 1-bedroom at Fair Market Rent in Cascade County.
Is rent going up or down in Cascade County? ▼
The 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent in Cascade County increased by 14.6% from FY 2025 to FY 2026, going from $854 to $979.
Which jobs can afford rent in Cascade County? ▼
Based on Montana BLS salary data and the 30% affordability rule, jobs like Software Developers, General and Operations Managers, Registered Nurses can afford a 1-bedroom at $979/mo. 11 of 15 common occupations are affordable here.
How much has rent changed in Cascade County over time? ▼
The 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent in Cascade County went from $569 in FY 2020 to $979 in FY 2026, a total change of +72.1% over 6 years.
How does Fair Market Rent affect Section 8 vouchers in Cascade County? ▼
In Cascade County, the FY 2026 FMR of $979/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 Cascade County? ▼
For Cascade County, it's the specific 40th-percentile rent HUD publishes each year ($979/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.