County FMR · HUD FY2026
Olmsted County Fair Market Rent
HUD's FY2026 Fair Market Rent for Olmsted 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
Olmsted is the 12th 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)
- #12
- 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 Olmsted County, MN. Verify with HUD →
The Fair Market Rent for a 1-bedroom apartment in Olmsted County, Minnesota is $1,189 per month in FY 2026, according to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). 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: 45.9% of the 19,514 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: 162,307. Population grew 6.8% 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.
FMR filing desk
Area OLMSTED·COUNTY·MN·MN
Olmsted 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-MID 162K
- 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)
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 Olmsted 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 Olmsted 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
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 Olmsted 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
- Olmsted
Olmsted County
$1,189 1BR FMR / mo
- St. Louis
St. Louis County
$978 1BR FMR / mo
What this shows Olmsted 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), Olmsted County (this county) ($1,189), St. Louis County ($978).
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 |
Rent Trends (2020–2026)
7-year Fair Market Rent history for Olmsted County. Shows how HUD rental rates have changed over time.
Over the 6-year span HUD has tracked for Olmsted (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.
| 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 |
Part of the Rochester, MN Metro Area
Olmsted County is a central county of the Rochester, MN metropolitan statistical area, alongside 3 other metro-area counties.
Olmsted County ranks #2 of 4 counties in this metro area by 1-bedroom FMR. Every county sharing this metro, highest to lowest: Dodge County ($1,189), Olmsted County (this county) ($1,189), Wabasha County ($913), Fillmore County ($779).
Nationwide peers by 2BR FMR & rent burden
Two PlainRent-derived comparison paths for Olmsted 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 Olmsted County? ▼
How does Olmsted County rent compare to the national average? ▼
Where does Olmsted County rank nationally for Fair Market Rent? ▼
What income do I need to afford rent in Olmsted County? ▼
Is rent going up or down in Olmsted County? ▼
Which jobs can afford rent in Olmsted County? ▼
How much has rent changed in Olmsted County over time? ▼
How does Fair Market Rent affect Section 8 vouchers in Olmsted County? ▼
What does Fair Market Rent mean for Olmsted 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.