County FMR · HUD FY2026
Mahnomen County Fair Market Rent
HUD's FY2026 Fair Market Rent for Mahnomen County, MN - 23% below the US average.
- $742
- 1-bedroom FMR
- $973
- 2-bedroom FMR
- +4.4%
- YoY change
- -23%
- vs US avg
The verdict
Mahnomen is the 19th cheapest of 87 counties in Minnesota by 2-bedroom FMR; nationally it ranks #976 most affordable of 3,145 HUD counties.
- #976
- most affordable of 3,145 US counties (2BR)
- #19
- cheapest of 87 in Minnesota (2BR)
- -17%
- vs the state average
- $29,680
- income to afford it (30% rule)
Software Developers spend the smallest share of income on rent here (7.1%), while Fast Food and Counter Workers spend the most (27.9%); 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 Mahnomen County, MN. Verify with HUD →
Mahnomen County, Minnesota carries an FY 2026 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent of $742 per month, the federal benchmark HUD publishes for this county. A 2-bedroom costs $973/mo and a studio is $671/mo. That's 23% below the national benchmark of $959 and 17% below the Minnesota average of $899.
Rent increased4.4% from FY 2025 ($711), outpacing inflation. The 30% affordability floor is comparatively reachable here at $29,680/year.
Observed renter burden: 31.3% of the 515 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 5.3%, 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 6.6% over the past 12 months, well above the national norm, a headwind for household budgets that can also soften local rent growth.
FY 2026 HUD Fair Market Rents in Minnesota. Population: 5,389. Population has held roughly steady over the past five years (-2.5%, Census ACS). That's slower than Minnesota's statewide growth of +3.4% over the same period.
FMR filing desk
Area MAHNOMEN·COUNTY·MN·MN
Mahnomen County, MN: $742/mo 1BR · #976 of 3145 counties (2BR) · FY2026
- FMR-AREA MN
- 1BR-FMR $742
- 2BR-FMR $973
- RANK-MID #976
- YOY-UP +4.4%
- VSUS-BELOW -23%
- VS-ST-LOW -17% MN
- INC-ROOM 17%
- POP-SMALL 5K
- PHOTO-NEAR Hennepin County
- VOUCH-90-110 $668–$816
- FY-2026 FY2026
Photo-finish peer: Hennepin ($663 1BR gap)
Read with: Section 8 housing guide
Fair Market Rents (2026)
Year-over-Year Comparison
| Bedrooms | FY 2025 | FY 2026 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Studio | $640 | $671 | +$31 (+4.8%) |
| 1 Bedroom | $711 | $742 | +$31 (+4.4%) |
| 2 Bedroom | $933 | $973 | +$40 (+4.3%) |
| 3 Bedroom | $1,163 | $1,217 | +$54 (+4.6%) |
| 4 Bedroom | $1,341 | $1,488 | +$147 (+11.0%) |
Rent Burden Analysis
How much of household income goes to rent in Mahnomen 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 Mahnomen 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 Mahnomen 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
- Mahnomen
Mahnomen County
$742 1BR FMR / mo
What this shows Mahnomen 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), Mahnomen County (this county) ($742).
Can Common Jobs Afford Rent Here?
With a below-average 1-bedroom at $742/mo, most of these Minnesota occupations clear, or miss, the 30% affordability line.
| Occupation | MN Salary | Rent Burden | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|
| Software Developers | $124,540 | 7.1% | Affordable |
| Registered Nurses | $100,870 | 8.8% | Affordable |
| General & Operations Managers | $96,130 | 9.3% | Affordable |
| Police & Sheriff's Patrol Officers | $83,310 | 10.7% | Affordable |
| Electricians | $81,430 | 10.9% | Affordable |
| Accountants & Auditors | $81,100 | 11% | Affordable |
| Paralegals & Legal Assistants | $67,320 | 13.2% | Affordable |
| Elementary School Teachers | $63,120 | 14.1% | Affordable |
| Heavy & Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers | $61,090 | 14.6% | Affordable |
| Pharmacy Technicians | $48,560 | 18.3% | Affordable |
| Customer Service Representatives | $47,470 | 18.8% | Affordable |
| Janitors & Cleaners | $38,320 | 23.2% | Affordable |
| Teaching Assistants | $38,160 | 23.3% | Affordable |
| Retail Salespersons | $35,310 | 25.2% | Affordable |
| Fast Food & Counter Workers | $31,950 | 27.9% | Affordable |
Rent Trends (2020–2026)
7-year Fair Market Rent history for Mahnomen County. Shows how HUD rental rates have changed over time.
Over the 6-year span HUD has tracked for Mahnomen (FY 2020-2026), the 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent has risen 18.9% overall, from $624 to $742. The increases have been fairly steady year to year, with no single jump exceeding 7.0% (FY 2024).
| Year | Studio | 1 BR | 2 BR |
|---|---|---|---|
| FY 2026 ↑4.4% | $671 | $742 | $973 |
| FY 2025 ↑3.2% | $640 | $711 | $933 |
| FY 2024 ↑7.0% | $613 | $689 | $905 |
| FY 2023 ↑2.7% | $552 | $644 | $826 |
| FY 2022 ↓0.6% | $567 | $627 | $757 |
| FY 2021 ↑1.1% | $629 | $631 | $734 |
| FY 2020 | $611 | $624 | $716 |
Where Mahnomen County Ranks in Minnesota
Mahnomen 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 #19 of 87 counties in Minnesota. Nearest by rank: Jackson County ($973), Kanabec County ($973), Kandiyohi County ($973), Kittson County ($973), Koochiching County ($973), Lac qui Parle County ($973), Lincoln County ($973), Lyon County ($973), Mahnomen County (this county) ($973), Marshall County ($973), Martin County ($973), Morrison County ($973), Murray County ($973), Norman County ($973), Pipestone County ($973), Red Lake County ($973), Redwood County ($973).
Nationwide peers by 2BR FMR & rent burden
Two PlainRent-derived comparison paths for Mahnomen 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).
Similar rent burden
Nearest 2BR FMR as a share of median household income (outside MN).
Nearby Counties in Minnesota
Largest counties by population in Minnesota
Showing the 8 largest of 86 other counties in Minnesota.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the average rent in Mahnomen County?
The FY 2026 Fair Market Rent for a 1-bedroom in Mahnomen County is $742 per month. A 2-bedroom is $973 and a studio is $671.
How does Mahnomen County rent compare to the national average?
Rent in Mahnomen County is 23% below the national average. A 1-bedroom here costs $742 compared to $959 nationally.
Where does Mahnomen County rank nationally for Fair Market Rent?
According to HUD's FY 2026 Fair Market Rent schedule, Mahnomen County's 2-bedroom FMR of $973 ranks #976 most affordable among 3,145 HUD counties, placing it in the middle half of HUD counties.
What income do I need to afford rent in Mahnomen County?
Based on the 30% affordability rule, you need an annual income of at least $29,680 ($2,473/month) to afford a 1-bedroom at Fair Market Rent in Mahnomen County.
Is rent going up or down in Mahnomen County?
The 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent in Mahnomen County increased by 4.4% from FY 2025 to FY 2026, going from $711 to $742.
Which jobs can afford rent in Mahnomen 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 $742/mo. 15 of 15 common occupations are affordable here.
How much has rent changed in Mahnomen County over time?
The 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent in Mahnomen County went from $624 in FY 2020 to $742 in FY 2026, a total change of +18.9% over 6 years.
How does Fair Market Rent affect Section 8 vouchers in Mahnomen County?
In Mahnomen County, the FY 2026 FMR of $742/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 Mahnomen County?
For Mahnomen County, it's the specific 40th-percentile rent HUD publishes each year ($742/mo for a 1-bedroom in FY 2026).
Is the rental market tight or loose in Mahnomen County?
The ACS rental vacancy rate here is 5.3%, close to the range where market rents and HUD's FMR benchmark tend to track each other.
What is the unemployment rate in Mahnomen County?
The county's BLS unemployment rate has averaged 6.6% over the past 12 months, well above the national norm, a headwind for household budgets that can also soften local rent growth.
Data sources
What this means for renters
Treat Mahnomen'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 $742 implies about $29,680/yr to rent without being cost-burdened. Run your numbers
- Minnesota counties vary widely around this figure - compare specific counties before assuming this applies to yours. Compare vs Hennepin
- See where Mahnomen 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.