County FMR · HUD FY2026

Ransom County Fair Market Rent

HUD's FY2026 Fair Market Rent for Ransom County, ND - 25% below the US average.

Compiled by PlainRent · August 26, 2026

$715
1-bedroom FMR: $923
2-bedroom FMR: -0.1%
YoY change: -25%
vs US avg

The verdict

Ransom is the 24th most expensive of 53 counties in North Dakota by 2-bedroom FMR; nationally it ranks #567 most affordable of 3,145 HUD counties.

#567
most affordable of 3,145 US counties (2BR): #24
most expensive of 53 in North Dakota (2BR): -10%
vs the state average: $28,600
income to afford it (30% rule)

Software Developers spend the smallest share of income on rent here (8.7%), while Fast Food and Counter Workers spend the most (28.6%); 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 Ransom County, ND. Verify with HUD →

The Fair Market Rent for a 1-bedroom apartment in Ransom County, North Dakota is $715 per month in FY 2026, according to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). A 2-bedroom costs $923/mo and a studio is $710/mo. This is 25% lower than the national average of $959 and 10% below the North Dakota average of $795.

Rent decreased0.1% from FY 2025 ($716), roughly tracking inflation. The 30% affordability floor is comparatively reachable here at $28,600/year.

Observed renter burden: 31.9% of the 561 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 4.1%, 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 3.0% 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: 5,663. Population grew 5.6% 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 North Dakota's statewide growth of +3.6% over the same period.

FMR filing desk

Area RANSOM·COUNTY·ND·ND

Ransom County, ND: $715/mo 1BR · #567 of 3145 counties (2BR) · FY2026

FMR-AREA ND
1BR-FMR $715
2BR-FMR $923
RANK-MID #567
YOY-FLAT -0.1%
VSUS-LOW -25%
VS-ST-LOW -10% ND
INC-ROOM 12%
POP-SMALL 6K
PHOTO-NEAR Cass County
VOUCH-90-110 $644–$787
FY-2026 FY2026

Photo-finish peer: Cass ($202 1BR gap)

Read with: Section 8 housing guide

Fair Market Rents (2026)

Studio

State avg: $769 · US avg: $893

$710/mo

↓ 0.1% YoY -8% vs state -20% vs US

1 Bedroom

State avg: $795 · US avg: $959

$715/mo

↓ 0.1% YoY -10% vs state -25% vs US

2 Bedroom

State avg: $965 · US avg: $1,175

$923/mo

↓ 0.5% YoY -4% vs state -21% vs US

3 Bedroom

State avg: $1,297 · US avg: $1,525

$1,196/mo

↓ 2.4% YoY -8% vs state -22% vs US

4 Bedroom

State avg: $1,588 · US avg: $1,756

$1,548/mo

↓ 0.6% YoY -3% vs state -12% vs US

Year-over-Year Comparison

Bedrooms	FY 2025	FY 2026	Change
Studio	$711	$710	$-1 (-0.1%)
1 Bedroom	$716	$715	$-1 (-0.1%)
2 Bedroom	$928	$923	$-5 (-0.5%)
3 Bedroom	$1,225	$1,196	$-29 (-2.4%)
4 Bedroom	$1,558	$1,548	$-10 (-0.6%)

Rent Burden Analysis

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

Studio

11.4%

Affordable

Need $28,400/yr for 30% rule

1 Bedroom

11.5%

Affordable

Need $28,600/yr for 30% rule

2 Bedroom

14.9%

Affordable

Need $36,920/yr for 30% rule

3 Bedroom

19.3%

Affordable

Need $47,840/yr for 30% rule

4 Bedroom

24.9%

Affordable

Need $61,920/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.

Ransom County 2-bedroom rent burden

County median income: $74,521 · National avg burden: 21.7% ·View North Dakota rent burden →

Where Ransom sits among every US county

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

$923 higher than 18% 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

Williams

$1,068
Burleigh

$1,030
Morton

$1,030
Ward

$960
Cass

$917
Grand Forks

$868
Ransom

$715

What this shows Ransom 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), Ransom County (this county) ($715).

Can Common Jobs Afford Rent Here?

With a below-average 1-bedroom at $715/mo, most of these North Dakota occupations clear, or miss, the 30% affordability line.

Occupation	ND Salary	Rent Burden	Verdict
Software Developers	$98,550	8.7%	Affordable
General & Operations Managers	$93,290	9.2%	Affordable
Registered Nurses	$78,260	11%	Affordable
Police & Sheriff's Patrol Officers	$75,530	11.4%	Affordable
Accountants & Auditors	$72,180	11.9%	Affordable
Electricians	$65,820	13%	Affordable
Paralegals & Legal Assistants	$59,910	14.3%	Affordable
Heavy & Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers	$58,970	14.5%	Affordable
Elementary School Teachers	$57,820	14.8%	Affordable
Pharmacy Technicians	$47,600	18%	Affordable
Customer Service Representatives	$43,160	19.9%	Affordable
Teaching Assistants	$36,810	23.3%	Affordable
Janitors & Cleaners	$36,660	23.4%	Affordable
Retail Salespersons	$35,670	24.1%	Affordable
Fast Food & Counter Workers	$30,010	28.6%	Affordable

Salaries: BLS OES (North Dakota) median · 30% = affordable threshold · Try the salary calculator →

Rent Trends (2020–2026)

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

Over the 6-year span HUD has tracked for Ransom (FY 2020-2026), the 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent has risen 31.9% overall, from $542 to $715. The increases have been fairly steady year to year, with no single jump exceeding 9.2% (FY 2024).

Ransom County 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent, FY2020–FY2026

Year	Studio	1 BR	2 BR	3 BR	4 BR
FY 2026 ↓0.1%	$710	$715	$923	$1,196	$1,548
FY 2025 ↑4.4%	$711	$716	$928	$1,225	$1,558
FY 2024 ↑9.2%	$582	$686	$859	$1,180	$1,458
FY 2023 ↑9.2%	$552	$628	$826	$1,124	$1,370
FY 2022 ↑3.2%	$503	$575	$757	$1,027	$1,194
FY 2021 ↑2.8%	$553	$557	$734	$960	$1,118
FY 2020	$539	$542	$714	$948	$1,085

Total change (6yr): +31.9%

Annualized: +4.7%/yr

1 BR: $542 → $715

Where Ransom County Ranks in North Dakota

Ransom 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 #30 of 53 counties in North Dakota. Nearest by rank: Sioux County ($873), Steele County ($873), Stutsman County ($873), Towner County ($873), Traill County ($873), Walsh County ($873), Wells County ($873), Ransom County (this county) ($923), Sheridan County ($924), Slope County ($924), Hettinger County ($927), Sargent County ($935), Dunn County ($938), Barnes County ($948), Rolette County ($954).

Ransom County (this county)

2 BR: $923/mo

Nationwide peers by 2BR FMR & rent burden

Two PlainRent-derived comparison paths for Ransom 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).

Henry County

OH · 14.9% of income · 2 BR $982/mo

Marshall County

KS · 14.9% of income · 2 BR $877/mo

Crockett County

TX · 14.9% of income · 2 BR $1,015/mo

Bristol Bay Borough

AK · 14.8% of income · 2 BR $1,243/mo

Nearby Counties in North Dakota

Largest counties by population in North Dakota

Showing the 8 largest of 52 other counties in North Dakota.

Cass County

1 BR: $917/mo Pop: 186,328

Burleigh County

1 BR: $1,030/mo Pop: 98,443

Grand Forks County

1 BR: $868/mo Pop: 72,927

Ward County

1 BR: $960/mo Pop: 69,532

Williams County

1 BR: $1,068/mo Pop: 39,076

Morton County

1 BR: $1,030/mo Pop: 33,192

Stark County

1 BR: $874/mo Pop: 32,989

Stutsman County

1 BR: $680/mo Pop: 21,609

View all counties in North Dakota →

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the average rent in Ransom County?

The FY 2026 Fair Market Rent for a 1-bedroom in Ransom County is $715 per month. A 2-bedroom is $923 and a studio is $710.

How does Ransom County rent compare to the national average?

Rent in Ransom County is 25% below the national average. A 1-bedroom here costs $715 compared to $959 nationally.

Where does Ransom County rank nationally for Fair Market Rent?

According to HUD's FY 2026 Fair Market Rent schedule, Ransom County's 2-bedroom FMR of $923 ranks #567 most affordable among 3,145 HUD counties, placing it in the lower-rent quarter of HUD counties.

What income do I need to afford rent in Ransom County?

Based on the 30% affordability rule, you need an annual income of at least $28,600 ($2,383/month) to afford a 1-bedroom at Fair Market Rent in Ransom County.

Is rent going up or down in Ransom County?

The 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent in Ransom County decreased by 0.1% from FY 2025 to FY 2026, going from $716 to $715.

Which jobs can afford rent in Ransom 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 $715/mo. 15 of 15 common occupations are affordable here.

How much has rent changed in Ransom County over time?

The 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent in Ransom County went from $542 in FY 2020 to $715 in FY 2026, a total change of +31.9% over 6 years.

How does Fair Market Rent affect Section 8 vouchers in Ransom County?

In Ransom County, the FY 2026 FMR of $715/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 Ransom County?

For Ransom County, it's the specific 40th-percentile rent HUD publishes each year ($715/mo for a 1-bedroom in FY 2026).

Is the rental market tight or loose in Ransom County?

The ACS rental vacancy rate here is 4.1%, close to the range where market rents and HUD's FMR benchmark tend to track each other.

What is the unemployment rate in Ransom County?

The county's BLS unemployment rate has averaged 3.0% over the past 12 months, a tight labor market that typically supports steadier rent demand.

Data sources

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

What this means for renters

Treat Ransom'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 $715 implies about $28,600/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 Ransom 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.