County FMR · HUD FY2026
Lemhi County Fair Market Rent
HUD's FY2026 Fair Market Rent for Lemhi County, ID - 8% below the US average.
- $883
- 1-bedroom FMR
- $992
- 2-bedroom FMR
- +7.7%
- YoY change
- -8%
- vs US avg
The verdict
Lemhi is the 11th cheapest of 44 counties in Idaho by 2-bedroom FMR; nationally it ranks #1,385 most affordable of 3,145 HUD counties; rent here has climbed 7.7% since FY 2025, a modest shift relative to most counties.
- #1,385
- most affordable of 3,145 US counties (2BR)
- #11
- cheapest of 44 in Idaho (2BR)
- -7%
- vs the state average
- $35,320
- income to afford it (30% rule)
Software Developers spend the smallest share of income on rent here (9.8%), while Fast Food and Counter Workers spend the most (37.2%); nearby Idaho counties range as much as 54% apart in 1-bedroom FMR, so the county line itself can matter for renters comparing options.
FY 2026 HUD Fair Market Rent for Lemhi County, ID. Verify with HUD →
The Fair Market Rent for a 1-bedroom apartment in Lemhi County, Idaho is $883 per month in FY 2026, according to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). A 2-bedroom costs $992/mo and a studio is $864/mo. This is 8% lower than the national average of $959 and 7% below the Idaho average of $950.
Rent increased7.7% from FY 2025 ($820), outpacing inflation. Under the 30% rule, affordability starts near $35,320/year for a 1-bedroom.
Observed renter burden: 58.9% of the 625 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 Idaho. Population: 8,043. Population has held roughly steady over the past five years (+4.7%, Census ACS). That's slower than Idaho's statewide growth of +12.2% over the same period.
FMR filing desk
Area LEMHI·COUNTY·ID·ID
Lemhi County, ID: $883/mo 1BR · #1385 of 3145 counties (2BR) · FY2026
- FMR-AREA ID
- 1BR-FMR $883
- 2BR-FMR $992
- RANK-MID #1,385
- YOY-SURGE +7.7%
- VSUS-NEAR -8%
- VS-ST-NEAR -7% ID
- INC-MID 20%
- POP-SMALL 8K
- PHOTO-NEAR Ada County
- VOUCH-90-110 $795–$971
- FY-2026 FY2026
Photo-finish peer: Ada ($498 1BR gap)
Read with: How Fair Market Rent works
Fair Market Rents (2026)
Year-over-Year Comparison
| Bedrooms | FY 2025 | FY 2026 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Studio | $719 | $864 | +$145 (+20.2%) |
| 1 Bedroom | $820 | $883 | +$63 (+7.7%) |
| 2 Bedroom | $933 | $992 | +$59 (+6.3%) |
| 3 Bedroom | $1,256 | $1,380 | +$124 (+9.9%) |
| 4 Bedroom | $1,567 | $1,664 | +$97 (+6.2%) |
Rent Burden Analysis
How much of household income goes to rent in Lemhi 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 Lemhi sits among every US county
2-bedroom Fair Market Rent vs. all 3,145 HUD counties
$992 higher than 44% 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 Lemhi compares on 1-bedroom rent
1-bedroom FMR vs other Idaho counties
- Ada
Ada County
$1,381 1BR FMR / mo
- Canyon
Canyon County
$1,381 1BR FMR / mo
- Kootenai
Kootenai County
$1,302 1BR FMR / mo
- Bonneville
Bonneville County
$1,095 1BR FMR / mo
- Twin Falls
Twin Falls County
$979 1BR FMR / mo
- Bannock
Bannock County
$894 1BR FMR / mo
- Lemhi
Lemhi County
$883 1BR FMR / mo
What this shows Lemhi is highlighted. Nearby Idaho counties by 1-bedroom FMR, highest to lowest: Ada County ($1,381), Canyon County ($1,381), Kootenai County ($1,302), Bonneville County ($1,095), Twin Falls County ($979), Bannock County ($894), Lemhi County (this county) ($883).
Can Common Jobs Afford Rent Here?
How a 1-bedroom at $883/mo compares to Idaho salaries for popular occupations (BLS wage data, 30%-of-income rule).
| Occupation | ID Salary | Rent Burden | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|
| Software Developers | $107,900 | 9.8% | Affordable |
| Registered Nurses | $86,100 | 12.3% | Affordable |
| General & Operations Managers | $76,480 | 13.9% | Affordable |
| Police & Sheriff's Patrol Officers | $66,150 | 16% | Affordable |
| Accountants & Auditors | $64,840 | 16.3% | Affordable |
| Electricians | $60,670 | 17.5% | Affordable |
| Elementary School Teachers | $59,620 | 17.8% | Affordable |
| Paralegals & Legal Assistants | $54,020 | 19.6% | Affordable |
| Heavy & Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers | $53,260 | 19.9% | Affordable |
| Pharmacy Technicians | $45,210 | 23.4% | Affordable |
| Customer Service Representatives | $39,420 | 26.9% | Affordable |
| Janitors & Cleaners | $35,360 | 30% | Affordable |
| Retail Salespersons | $33,400 | 31.7% | Stretched |
| Teaching Assistants | $29,840 | 35.5% | Stretched |
| Fast Food & Counter Workers | $28,450 | 37.2% | Stretched |
Rent Trends (2020–2026)
7-year Fair Market Rent history for Lemhi County. Shows how HUD rental rates have changed over time.
Over the 6-year span HUD has tracked for Lemhi (FY 2020-2026), the 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent has risen 48.9% overall, from $593 to $883. Most of that movement was gradual except for a single sharp jump of +14.4% in FY 2024, well above this county's typical year-to-year change.
| Year | Studio | 1 BR | 2 BR |
|---|---|---|---|
| FY 2026 ↑7.7% | $864 | $883 | $992 |
| FY 2025 ↑11.9% | $719 | $820 | $933 |
| FY 2024 ↑14.4% | $681 | $733 | $928 |
| FY 2023 ↑2.1% | $637 | $641 | $844 |
| FY 2022 ↑3.6% | $624 | $628 | $826 |
| FY 2021 ↑2.2% | $602 | $606 | $798 |
| FY 2020 | $576 | $593 | $781 |
Where Lemhi County Ranks in Idaho
Lemhi 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 #11 of 44 counties in Idaho. Nearest by rank: Boundary County ($973), Caribou County ($973), Clark County ($973), Fremont County ($973), Lewis County ($973), Lincoln County ($973), Power County ($973), Lemhi County (this county) ($992), Latah County ($1,011), Minidoka County ($1,022), Gooding County ($1,026), Cassia County ($1,028), Idaho County ($1,049), Camas County ($1,071), Payette County ($1,071).
Nationwide peers by 2BR FMR & rent burden
Two PlainRent-derived comparison paths for Lemhi County, both outside Idaho 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 ID (FY2026).
Similar rent burden
Nearest 2BR FMR as a share of median household income (outside ID).
Nearby Counties in Idaho
Largest counties by population in Idaho
Showing the 8 largest of 43 other counties in Idaho.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the average rent in Lemhi County? ▼
How does Lemhi County rent compare to the national average? ▼
Where does Lemhi County rank nationally for Fair Market Rent? ▼
What income do I need to afford rent in Lemhi County? ▼
Is rent going up or down in Lemhi County? ▼
Which jobs can afford rent in Lemhi County? ▼
How much has rent changed in Lemhi County over time? ▼
How does Fair Market Rent affect Section 8 vouchers in Lemhi County? ▼
What does Fair Market Rent mean for Lemhi County? ▼
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.