County FMR · HUD FY2026
Golden Valley County Fair Market Rent
HUD's FY2026 Fair Market Rent for Golden Valley County, ND - 14% below the US average.
- $826
- 1-bedroom FMR
- $1,027
- 2-bedroom FMR
- +8.5%
- YoY change
- -14%
- vs US avg
The verdict
Golden Valley is the 14th most expensive of 53 counties in North Dakota by 2-bedroom FMR; nationally it ranks #1,573 most expensive of 3,145 HUD counties; rent here has climbed 8.5% since FY 2025, a modest shift relative to most counties.
- #1,573
- most expensive of 3,145 US counties (2BR)
- #14
- most expensive of 53 in North Dakota (2BR)
- +4%
- vs the state average
- $33,040
- income to afford it (30% rule)
Software Developers spend the smallest share of income on rent here (10.1%), while Fast Food and Counter Workers spend the most (33%); 14 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 Golden Valley County, ND. Verify with HUD →
Golden Valley County, North Dakota carries an FY 2026 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent of $826 per month, the federal benchmark HUD publishes for this county. A 2-bedroom costs $1,027/mo and a studio is $820/mo. That's 14% below the national benchmark of $959 and 4% above the North Dakota average of $795.
Rent increased8.5% from FY 2025 ($761), outpacing inflation. Under the 30% rule, affordability starts near $33,040/year for a 1-bedroom.
Observed renter burden: 18.2% of the 165 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.
Market slack: The ACS rental vacancy rate here is 5.7%, close to the range where market rents and HUD's FMR benchmark tend to track each other.
Local labor market: The county's BLS unemployment rate has averaged 2.0% over the past 12 months, a tight labor market that typically supports steadier rent demand.
FY 2026 HUD Fair Market Rents in North Dakota. Population: 1,734.
FMR filing desk
Area GOLDEN·VALLEY·COUNTY·ND·ND
Golden Valley County, ND: $826/mo 1BR · #1573 of 3145 counties (2BR) · FY2026
- FMR-AREA ND
- 1BR-FMR $826
- 2BR-FMR $1,027
- RANK-MID #1,573
- YOY-SURGE +8.5%
- VSUS-BELOW -14%
- VS-ST-NEAR +4% ND
- INC-ROOM 13%
- POP-SMALL 2K
- PHOTO-NEAR Cass County
- VOUCH-90-110 $743–$909
- FY-2026 FY2026
Photo-finish peer: Cass ($91 1BR gap)
Read with: How Fair Market Rent works
Fair Market Rents (2026)
Year-over-Year Comparison
| Bedrooms | FY 2025 | FY 2026 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Studio | $756 | $820 | +$64 (+8.5%) |
| 1 Bedroom | $761 | $826 | +$65 (+8.5%) |
| 2 Bedroom | $932 | $1,027 | +$95 (+10.2%) |
| 3 Bedroom | $1,123 | $1,428 | +$305 (+27.2%) |
| 4 Bedroom | $1,565 | $1,723 | +$158 (+10.1%) |
Rent Burden Analysis
How much of household income goes to rent in Golden Valley 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.
Where Golden Valley sits among every US county
2-bedroom Fair Market Rent vs. all 3,145 HUD counties
$1,027 higher than 50% 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 Golden Valley compares on 1-bedroom rent
1-bedroom FMR vs other North Dakota counties
- Williams
Williams County
$1,068 1BR FMR / mo
- Burleigh
Burleigh County
$1,030 1BR FMR / mo
- Morton
Morton County
$1,030 1BR FMR / mo
- Ward
Ward County
$960 1BR FMR / mo
- Cass
Cass County
$917 1BR FMR / mo
- Grand Forks
Grand Forks County
$868 1BR FMR / mo
- Golden Valley
Golden Valley County
$826 1BR FMR / mo
What this shows Golden Valley 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), Golden Valley County (this county) ($826).
Can Common Jobs Afford Rent Here?
How a 1-bedroom at $826/mo compares to North Dakota salaries for popular occupations (BLS wage data, 30%-of-income rule).
| Occupation | ND Salary | Rent Burden | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|
| Software Developers | $98,550 | 10.1% | Affordable |
| General & Operations Managers | $93,290 | 10.6% | Affordable |
| Registered Nurses | $78,260 | 12.7% | Affordable |
| Police & Sheriff's Patrol Officers | $75,530 | 13.1% | Affordable |
| Accountants & Auditors | $72,180 | 13.7% | Affordable |
| Electricians | $65,820 | 15.1% | Affordable |
| Paralegals & Legal Assistants | $59,910 | 16.5% | Affordable |
| Heavy & Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers | $58,970 | 16.8% | Affordable |
| Elementary School Teachers | $57,820 | 17.1% | Affordable |
| Pharmacy Technicians | $47,600 | 20.8% | Affordable |
| Customer Service Representatives | $43,160 | 23% | Affordable |
| Teaching Assistants | $36,810 | 26.9% | Affordable |
| Janitors & Cleaners | $36,660 | 27% | Affordable |
| Retail Salespersons | $35,670 | 27.8% | Affordable |
| Fast Food & Counter Workers | $30,010 | 33% | Stretched |
Rent Trends (2020–2026)
7-year Fair Market Rent history for Golden Valley County. Shows how HUD rental rates have changed over time.
Over the 6-year span HUD has tracked for Golden Valley (FY 2020-2026), the 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent has risen 26.5% overall, from $653 to $826. The increases have been fairly steady year to year, with no single jump exceeding 11.6% (FY 2022).
| Year | Studio | 1 BR | 2 BR |
|---|---|---|---|
| FY 2026 ↑8.5% | $820 | $826 | $1,027 |
| FY 2025 ↑8.3% | $756 | $761 | $932 |
| FY 2024 ↑9.3% | $699 | $703 | $872 |
| FY 2023 ↓3.2% | $639 | $643 | $826 |
| FY 2022 ↑11.6% | $653 | $664 | $757 |
| FY 2021 ↓8.9% | $591 | $595 | $778 |
| FY 2020 | $648 | $653 | $864 |
Where Golden Valley County Ranks in North Dakota
Golden Valley County is not part of any federally-designated metropolitan or micropolitan statistical area -- an independent rental market not administratively tied to a larger urban core. By 2-bedroom FMR, it ranks #40 of 53 counties in North Dakota. Nearest by rank: Hettinger County ($927), Sargent County ($935), Dunn County ($938), Barnes County ($948), Rolette County ($954), McHenry County ($1,000), Logan County ($1,014), Golden Valley County (this county) ($1,027), Stark County ($1,056), Mountrail County ($1,071), Renville County ($1,081), Grand Forks County ($1,089), Cass County ($1,112), Mercer County ($1,156), Ward County ($1,165).
Nationwide peers by 2BR FMR & rent burden
Two PlainRent-derived comparison paths for Golden Valley 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).
Similar rent burden
Nearest 2BR FMR as a share of median household income (outside ND).
Nearby Counties in North Dakota
Largest counties by population in North Dakota
Showing the 8 largest of 52 other counties in North Dakota.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the average rent in Golden Valley County?
The FY 2026 Fair Market Rent for a 1-bedroom in Golden Valley County is $826 per month. A 2-bedroom is $1,027 and a studio is $820.
How does Golden Valley County rent compare to the national average?
Rent in Golden Valley County is 14% below the national average. A 1-bedroom here costs $826 compared to $959 nationally.
Where does Golden Valley County rank nationally for Fair Market Rent?
According to HUD's FY 2026 Fair Market Rent schedule, Golden Valley County's 2-bedroom FMR of $1,027 ranks #1,573 most expensive among 3,145 HUD counties, placing it in the middle half of HUD counties.
What income do I need to afford rent in Golden Valley County?
Based on the 30% affordability rule, you need an annual income of at least $33,040 ($2,753/month) to afford a 1-bedroom at Fair Market Rent in Golden Valley County.
Is rent going up or down in Golden Valley County?
The 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent in Golden Valley County increased by 8.5% from FY 2025 to FY 2026, going from $761 to $826.
Which jobs can afford rent in Golden Valley 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 $826/mo. 14 of 15 common occupations are affordable here.
How much has rent changed in Golden Valley County over time?
The 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent in Golden Valley County went from $653 in FY 2020 to $826 in FY 2026, a total change of +26.5% over 6 years.
How does Fair Market Rent affect Section 8 vouchers in Golden Valley County?
In Golden Valley County, the FY 2026 FMR of $826/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 Golden Valley County?
For Golden Valley County, it's the specific 40th-percentile rent HUD publishes each year ($826/mo for a 1-bedroom in FY 2026).
Is the rental market tight or loose in Golden Valley County?
The ACS rental vacancy rate here is 5.7%, close to the range where market rents and HUD's FMR benchmark tend to track each other.
What is the unemployment rate in Golden Valley County?
The county's BLS unemployment rate has averaged 2.0% over the past 12 months, a tight labor market that typically supports steadier rent demand.
Data sources
What this means for renters
Treat Golden Valley's FY2026 Fair Market Rent as HUD's affordability benchmark, not a single market quote.
- Budget to roughly 30% of income: the FY2026 1-bedroom FMR of $826 implies about $33,040/yr to rent without being cost-burdened. Run your numbers
- North Dakota counties vary widely around this figure - compare specific counties before assuming this applies to yours. Compare vs Cass
- See where Golden Valley ranks nationally on rent. National rankings
Fair Market Rent is HUD's 40th-percentile policy benchmark used to set Housing Choice Voucher payment standards. Actual asking rents can run higher or lower, and HUD updates FMRs once a year. This site is informational and not financial or relocation advice.
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.