County FMR · HUD FY2026

Dodge County Fair Market Rent

HUD's FY2026 Fair Market Rent for Dodge County, MN - 24% above the US average.

$1,189
1-bedroom FMR
$1,407
2-bedroom FMR
+8.0%
YoY change
+24%
vs US avg

The verdict

Dodge is the 13th most expensive of 87 counties in Minnesota by 2-bedroom FMR; nationally it ranks #566 most expensive of 3,145 HUD counties; rent here has climbed 8.0% since FY 2025, a modest shift relative to most counties.

#566
most expensive of 3,145 US counties (2BR)
#13
most expensive of 87 in Minnesota (2BR)
+32%
vs the state average
$47,560
income to afford it (30% rule)

Software Developers spend the smallest share of income on rent here (11.5%), while Fast Food and Counter Workers spend the most (44.7%).

FY 2026 HUD Fair Market Rent for Dodge County, MN. Verify with HUD →

HUD sets the FY 2026 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent for Dodge County, Minnesota at $1,189 per month - the federal rental-assistance benchmark for this county. A 2-bedroom costs $1,407/mo and a studio is $1,112/mo. This is 24% higher than the national average of $959 and 32% above the Minnesota average of $899.

Rent increased8.0% from FY 2025 ($1,101), outpacing inflation. A household needs about $47,560/year to stay under the 30% rent-to-income line.

Observed renter burden: 34.6% of the 989 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 Minnesota. Population: 20,893. Population has held roughly steady over the past five years (+1.8%, Census ACS). That's slower than Minnesota's statewide growth of +3.4% over the same period.

FMR filing desk

Area DODGE·COUNTY·MN·MN

Dodge County, MN: $1,189/mo 1BR · #566 of 3145 counties (2BR) · FY2026

  • FMR-AREA MN
  • 1BR-FMR $1,189
  • 2BR-FMR $1,407
  • RANK-MID #566
  • YOY-SURGE +8.0%
  • VSUS-ABOVE +24%
  • VS-ST-HIGH +32% MN
  • INC-ROOM 15%
  • POP-SMALL 21K
  • PHOTO-NEAR Hennepin County
  • VOUCH-90-110 $1,070–$1,308
  • FY-2026 FY2026

Photo-finish peer: Hennepin ($216 1BR gap)

Read with: Understanding rent burden

Fair Market Rents (2026)

Studio
State avg: $809 · US avg: $893
$1,112/mo
↑ 12.4% YoY +37% vs state +25% vs US
1 Bedroom
State avg: $899 · US avg: $959
$1,189/mo
↑ 8.0% YoY +32% vs state +24% vs US
2 Bedroom
State avg: $1,125 · US avg: $1,175
$1,407/mo
↑ 4.9% YoY +25% vs state +20% vs US
3 Bedroom
State avg: $1,483 · US avg: $1,525
$1,957/mo
↑ 4.2% YoY +32% vs state +28% vs US
4 Bedroom
State avg: $1,698 · US avg: $1,756
$2,360/mo
↑ 4.8% YoY +39% vs state +34% vs US

Year-over-Year Comparison

Bedrooms FY 2025 FY 2026 Change
Studio $989
$1,112
+$123 (+12.4%)
1 Bedroom $1,101
$1,189
+$88 (+8.0%)
2 Bedroom $1,341
$1,407
+$66 (+4.9%)
3 Bedroom $1,879
$1,957
+$78 (+4.2%)
4 Bedroom $2,252
$2,360
+$108 (+4.8%)

Rent Burden Analysis

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

Studio
14.4%
Affordable
Need $44,480/yr for 30% rule
1 Bedroom
15.4%
Affordable
Need $47,560/yr for 30% rule
2 Bedroom
18.2%
Affordable
Need $56,280/yr for 30% rule
3 Bedroom
25.3%
Affordable
Need $78,280/yr for 30% rule
4 Bedroom
30.5%
Burdened
Need $94,400/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%18.2%
Dodge County 2-bedroom rent burden
County median income: $92,943 · National avg burden: 21.7% ·View Minnesota rent burden →

Where Dodge sits among every US county

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

$1,407 Top 18% higher than 82% 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%). Below this entry. $1,400–$1,600: 181 counties (6%). This entry sits in this band. $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 Dodge compares on 1-bedroom rent

1-bedroom FMR vs other Minnesota counties

1BR FMR / mo

What this shows Dodge 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), Dodge County (this county) ($1,189), St. Louis County ($978).

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

Can Common Jobs Afford Rent Here?

Against a high local FMR of $1,189/mo, which of 15 common occupations still clear the 30% line using Minnesota BLS wages?

Occupation MN Salary Rent Burden Verdict
Software Developers $124,540 11.5% Affordable
Registered Nurses $100,870 14.1% Affordable
General & Operations Managers $96,130 14.8% Affordable
Police & Sheriff's Patrol Officers $83,310 17.1% Affordable
Electricians $81,430 17.5% Affordable
Accountants & Auditors $81,100 17.6% Affordable
Paralegals & Legal Assistants $67,320 21.2% Affordable
Elementary School Teachers $63,120 22.6% Affordable
Heavy & Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers $61,090 23.4% Affordable
Pharmacy Technicians $48,560 29.4% Affordable
Customer Service Representatives $47,470 30.1% Stretched
Janitors & Cleaners $38,320 37.2% Stretched
Teaching Assistants $38,160 37.4% Stretched
Retail Salespersons $35,310 40.4% Stretched
Fast Food & Counter Workers $31,950 44.7% Stretched
Salaries: BLS OES (Minnesota) median · 30% = affordable threshold · Try the salary calculator →

Rent Trends (2020–2026)

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

Over the 6-year span HUD has tracked for Dodge (FY 2020-2026), the 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent has risen 53.0% overall, from $777 to $1,189. The path there hasn't been smooth: year-over-year moves have swung by as much as 18.8% (FY 2025), a volatility pattern that makes single-year comparisons a poor guide to the underlying trend.

$700$800$900$1,000$1,100$1,200$1,300 FY2020FY2021FY2022FY2023FY2024FY2025FY2026 $1,189
Dodge County 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent, FY2020–FY2026
Year Studio 1 BR 2 BR
FY 2026 ↑8.0% $1,112 $1,189 $1,407
FY 2025 ↑18.8% $989 $1,101 $1,341
FY 2024 ↓5.9% $814 $927 $1,148
FY 2023 ↑13.9% $847 $985 $1,224
FY 2022 ↑9.6% $732 $865 $1,094
FY 2021 ↑1.5% $673 $789 $1,014
FY 2020 $667 $777 $1,016
Total change (6yr): +53.0%
Annualized: +7.3%/yr
1 BR: $777 → $1,189

Part of the Rochester, MN Metro Area

Dodge County is a outlying county of the Rochester, MN metropolitan statistical area, alongside 3 other metro-area counties.

Dodge County ranks #2 of 4 counties in this metro area by 1-bedroom FMR. Every county sharing this metro, highest to lowest: Olmsted County ($1,189), Dodge County (this county) ($1,189), Wabasha County ($913), Fillmore County ($779).

Olmsted County
1 BR: $1,189/mo
Dodge County (this county)
1 BR: $1,189/mo
Wabasha County
1 BR: $913/mo
Fillmore County
1 BR: $779/mo

Nationwide peers by 2BR FMR & rent burden

Two PlainRent-derived comparison paths for Dodge County, both outside Minnesota 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 MN (FY2026).

Aransas County
TX · 2 BR $1,407/mo
Centre County
PA · 2 BR $1,406/mo
Liberty County
GA · 2 BR $1,406/mo
Jefferson County
NY · 2 BR $1,405/mo

Similar rent burden

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

Beadle County
SD · 18.2% of income · 2 BR $955/mo
Adams County
IN · 18.2% of income · 2 BR $956/mo
Montgomery County
IL · 18.2% of income · 2 BR $937/mo
Jefferson County
MO · 18.2% of income · 2 BR $1,218/mo

Nearby Counties in Minnesota

Largest counties by population in Minnesota

Showing the 8 largest of 86 other counties in Minnesota.

Hennepin County
1 BR: $1,405/mo Pop: 1,270,787
Ramsey County
1 BR: $1,405/mo Pop: 547,202
Dakota County
1 BR: $1,405/mo Pop: 439,179
Anoka County
1 BR: $1,405/mo Pop: 363,985
Washington County
1 BR: $1,405/mo Pop: 268,651
St. Louis County
1 BR: $978/mo Pop: 200,122
Olmsted County
1 BR: $1,189/mo Pop: 162,307
Stearns County
1 BR: $919/mo Pop: 158,622
View all counties in Minnesota →

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the average rent in Dodge County? ▼
The FY 2026 Fair Market Rent for a 1-bedroom in Dodge County is $1,189 per month. A 2-bedroom is $1,407 and a studio is $1,112.
How does Dodge County rent compare to the national average? ▼
Rent in Dodge County is 24% above the national average. A 1-bedroom here costs $1,189 compared to $959 nationally.
Where does Dodge County rank nationally for Fair Market Rent? ▼
According to HUD's FY 2026 Fair Market Rent schedule, Dodge County's 2-bedroom FMR of $1,407 ranks #566 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 Dodge County? ▼
Based on the 30% affordability rule, you need an annual income of at least $47,560 ($3,963/month) to afford a 1-bedroom at Fair Market Rent in Dodge County.
Is rent going up or down in Dodge County? ▼
The 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent in Dodge County increased by 8.0% from FY 2025 to FY 2026, going from $1,101 to $1,189.
Which jobs can afford rent in Dodge County? ▼
Based on Minnesota BLS salary data and the 30% affordability rule, jobs like Software Developers, Registered Nurses, General and Operations Managers can afford a 1-bedroom at $1,189/mo. 10 of 15 common occupations are affordable here.
How much has rent changed in Dodge County over time? ▼
The 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent in Dodge County went from $777 in FY 2020 to $1,189 in FY 2026, a total change of +53.0% over 6 years.
How does Fair Market Rent affect Section 8 vouchers in Dodge County? ▼
In Dodge County, the FY 2026 FMR of $1,189/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 Dodge County? ▼
For Dodge County, it's the specific 40th-percentile rent HUD publishes each year ($1,189/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.