County FMR · HUD FY2026
Cass County Fair Market Rent
HUD's FY2026 Fair Market Rent for Cass County, MN - 20% below the US average.
- $768
- 1-bedroom FMR
- $973
- 2-bedroom FMR
- -10.0%
- YoY change
- -20%
- vs US avg
The verdict
Cass is the 4th cheapest of 87 counties in Minnesota by 2-bedroom FMR; rent here has fallen 10.0% since FY 2025, a modest shift relative to most counties.
- #4
- cheapest of 87 in Minnesota (2BR)
- -15%
- vs the state average
- $30,720
- income to afford it (30% rule)
- -10.0%
- YoY, FY2025→2026
Software Developers spend the smallest share of income on rent here (7.4%), while Fast Food and Counter Workers spend the most (28.8%); 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 Cass County, MN. Verify with HUD →
Cass County, Minnesota carries an FY 2026 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent of $768 per month, the federal benchmark HUD publishes for this county. A 2-bedroom costs $973/mo and a studio is $729/mo. That's 20% below the national benchmark of $959 and 15% below the Minnesota average of $899.
Rent decreased10.0% from FY 2025 ($853), declining against the trend. To afford rent here, a household needs at least $30,720/year based on the 30% affordability rule.
FY 2026 HUD Fair Market Rents in Minnesota. Population: 30,288. Population grew 5.7% over the past five years (Census ACS) - among the faster-growing counties nationally, a trend that typically adds upward pressure on rents. That's faster than Minnesota's statewide growth of +3.4% over the same period.
What these rents mean for Cass County
The Cass County FMR area applies to all ZIP codes inside the county boundary, and Minnesota's housing authorities use it as the baseline for Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher payment standards. See how FMR is calculated for the full 40th-percentile methodology and payment-standard rules.
Compared to the rest of the country, a 1-bedroom here is 20% below the US average of $959 and 15% lower than the Minnesota state average of $899. The 1-bedroom FMR went from$853 in FY 2025 to $768 in FY 2026 - a change of -10.0%, which is unusual and suggests softening demand or revised HUD sampling.
At the FY 2026 1-bedroom FMR of $768, affording it under the 30%-of-income rule takes $30,720 per year (about $2,560/month) in household income, and a 2-bedroom at $973 pushes that threshold even higher. With a population of 30,288 and a county median household income of $64,937, the arithmetic here directly shapes which wage earners can rent without being cost-burdened.
Fair Market Rents (2026)
Year-over-Year Comparison
| Bedrooms | FY 2025 | FY 2026 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Studio | $737 | $729 | $-8 (-1.1%) |
| 1 Bedroom | $853 | $768 | $-85 (-10.0%) |
| 2 Bedroom | $944 | $973 | +$29 (+3.1%) |
| 3 Bedroom | $1,240 | $1,300 | +$60 (+4.8%) |
| 4 Bedroom | $1,519 | $1,632 | +$113 (+7.4%) |
Affordability Snapshot
Based on the standard that rent should not exceed 30% of gross income:
Rent Burden Analysis
How much of household income goes to rent in Cass County. The 30% threshold indicates cost burden.
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.
Cass County 2-bedroom rent burden
Where Cass sits among every US county
2-bedroom Fair Market Rent vs. all 3,145 HUD counties
$973 higher than 31% of 3,145 counties
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 Cass compares on 1-bedroom rent
1-bedroom FMR vs other Minnesota counties
- Hennepin
Hennepin County
$1,405 1BR FMR / mo
- Ramsey
Ramsey County
$1,405 1BR FMR / mo
- Dakota
Dakota County
$1,405 1BR FMR / mo
- Anoka
Anoka County
$1,405 1BR FMR / mo
- Washington
Washington County
$1,405 1BR FMR / mo
- St. Louis
St. Louis County
$978 1BR FMR / mo
- Cass
Cass County
$768 1BR FMR / mo
What this shows Cass is highlighted. Nearby Minnesota counties by 1-bedroom FMR, highest to lowest: Hennepin County ($1,405), Ramsey County ($1,405), Dakota County ($1,405), Anoka County ($1,405), Washington County ($1,405), St. Louis County ($978), Cass County (this county) ($768).
Can Common Jobs Afford Rent Here?
How a 1-bedroom at $768/mo compares to Minnesota salaries for popular occupations (BLS wage data, 30%-of-income rule).
| Occupation | MN Salary | Rent Burden | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|
| Software Developers | $124,540 | 7.4% | Affordable |
| Registered Nurses | $100,870 | 9.1% | Affordable |
| General & Operations Managers | $96,130 | 9.6% | Affordable |
| Police & Sheriff's Patrol Officers | $83,310 | 11.1% | Affordable |
| Electricians | $81,430 | 11.3% | Affordable |
| Accountants & Auditors | $81,100 | 11.4% | Affordable |
| Paralegals & Legal Assistants | $67,320 | 13.7% | Affordable |
| Elementary School Teachers | $63,120 | 14.6% | Affordable |
| Heavy & Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers | $61,090 | 15.1% | Affordable |
| Pharmacy Technicians | $48,560 | 19% | Affordable |
| Customer Service Representatives | $47,470 | 19.4% | Affordable |
| Janitors & Cleaners | $38,320 | 24.1% | Affordable |
| Teaching Assistants | $38,160 | 24.2% | Affordable |
| Retail Salespersons | $35,310 | 26.1% | Affordable |
| Fast Food & Counter Workers | $31,950 | 28.8% | Affordable |
Rent Trends (2020–2026)
7-year Fair Market Rent history for Cass County. Shows how HUD rental rates have changed over time.
Over the 6-year span HUD has tracked for Cass (FY 2020-2026), the 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent has risen 31.3% overall, from $585 to $768. The path there hasn't been smooth: year-over-year moves have swung by as much as 28.5% (FY 2023), a volatility pattern that makes single-year comparisons a poor guide to the underlying trend.
| Year | Studio | 1 BR | 2 BR |
|---|---|---|---|
| FY 2026 ↓10.0% | $729 | $768 | $973 |
| FY 2025 ↑0.5% | $737 | $853 | $944 |
| FY 2024 ↑9.5% | $791 | $849 | $953 |
| FY 2023 ↑28.5% | $585 | $775 | $875 |
| FY 2022 ↑7.7% | $527 | $603 | $793 |
| FY 2021 ↓4.3% | $487 | $560 | $738 |
| FY 2020 | $502 | $585 | $770 |
Part of the Brainerd, MN Micro Area
Cass County is a outlying county of the Brainerd, MN micropolitan statistical area, alongside 1 other micro-area county.
Cass County ranks #2 of 2 counties in this metro area by 1-bedroom FMR. Every county sharing this metro, highest to lowest: Crow Wing County ($854), Cass County (this county) ($768).
Nearby Counties in Minnesota
Largest counties by population in Minnesota
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the average rent in Cass County? ▼
How does Cass County rent compare to the national average? ▼
What income do I need to afford rent in Cass County? ▼
Is rent going up or down in Cass County? ▼
Which jobs can afford rent in Cass County? ▼
How much has rent changed in Cass County over time? ▼
How does Fair Market Rent affect Section 8 vouchers in Cass County? ▼
What does Fair Market Rent mean for Cass County? ▼
What this means for renters
Treat Cass's FY2026 Fair Market Rent as HUD's affordability benchmark, not a market quote.
- Budget to roughly 30% of income: the FY2026 1-bedroom FMR of $768 implies about $30,720/yr to rent without being cost-burdened. Run your numbers
- Compare this county against nearby metros and states before signing a lease. Compare areas
- See where it sits on the national rent map. View rankings
Fair Market Rent is HUD's 40th-percentile policy benchmark used to set Housing Choice Voucher payment standards. Actual asking rents in Cass can run higher or lower, and HUD updates FMRs once a year. This page is informational and not financial or relocation advice.
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.
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.