Metro FMR · CBSA 12980 · HUD FY2026

Battle Creek, MI MSA Fair Market Rent

HUD's FY2026 Fair Market Rent for the Battle Creek, MI MSA metro area - 2% above the US average.

$976
1-bedroom FMR
$1,176
2-bedroom FMR
+8.6%
YoY change
+2%
vs US avg

The verdict

A 2-bedroom in the Battle Creek, MI MSA area rents at $1,176 under HUD's FY2026 Fair Market Rent - 0% above the US average, lower than 68% of the 387 metro areas HUD tracks.

#125
most affordable of 387 US metros (2BR)
+0%
vs the US 2-bedroom average
$47,040
income to afford it (30% rule)
+8.6%
1BR change, FY2025→2026

Affordability & income context

Battle Creek: #125 most affordable nationally · income context

At the metro's ACS median household income of $60,385, this 1-bedroom FMR takes 19.4% of annual income. It is well below the 30% affordability guide for a median-income household.

The 2-bedroom figure places Battle Creek in the middle half of HUD metro areas, using the same FY2026 HUD schedule as the national comparison.

With 134,011 residents, this is a smaller-metro benchmark rather than a single-neighborhood rent quote.

Population has held roughly steady over the past five years (-0.5%, Census ACS).

The ACS rental vacancy rate here is 9.3%, close to the range where market rents and HUD's FMR benchmark tend to track each other.

The Census ACS median gross rent across all rental units here is $937/month - the FY2026 HUD two-bedroom FMR of $1,176 runs 25.5% above that all-unit-types median. The two figures measure different things (ACS covers every rented unit; FMR targets a specific bedroom count), so a gap is expected, not an error.

Its 2-bedroom FMR sits in the middle half of HUD metro areas, so the local-income comparison is more informative than the national rank alone.

The studio-through-two-bedroom FMR bands stay below 30% of recorded median income here; the larger-bedroom rows show where that headroom narrows.

Observed renter burden: 45.0% of the 14,740 renter households counted by ACS paid at least 30% of income in gross rent. This ACS 2023 household measure is distinct from the FY2026 HUD FMR benchmark.

ACS median household income lags the FY2026 HUD FMR schedule. The income share is a same-metro cross-source read (Census ACS B19013 vs HUD FMR), not a same-vintage ratio.

Studio

$833/mo

16.6% of median income

1 Bedroom

$976/mo

19.4% of median income

2 Bedroom

$1,176/mo

23.4% of median income

3 Bedroom

$1,410/mo

28.0% of median income

4 Bedroom

$1,565/mo

31.1% of median income

FMR filing desk

CBSA CBSA·12980

Battle Creek: $976/mo 1BR · #125 of 387 metros (2BR) · FY2026 CBSA 12980

  • CBSA 12980
  • 1BR-FMR $976
  • 2BR-FMR $1,176
  • RANK-MID #125
  • YOY-SURGE +8.6%
  • VSUS-NEAR +2%
  • IN-ST-HIGH #9 MI
  • INC-ROOM 19%
  • POP-MID 134K
  • PHOTO-NEAR Ann Arbor
  • VOUCH-90-110 $878–$1,074
  • FY-2026 FY2026

Photo-finish peer: Ann Arbor ($411 1BR gap)

Read with: Understanding rent trends

Where Battle Creek sits among every US metro

2-bedroom Fair Market Rent vs. all 387 HUD metro areas

$1,176 higher than 32% of 387 metro areas

$800–$1,000: 28 metro areas (7%). Below this entry. $1,000–$1,200: 114 metro areas (29%). This entry sits in this band. $1,200–$1,400: 95 metro areas (25%). Above this entry. $1,400–$1,600: 52 metro areas (13%). Above this entry. $1,600–$1,800: 41 metro areas (11%). Above this entry. $1,800–$2,000: 26 metro areas (7%). Above this entry. $2,000–$2,200: 9 metro areas (2%). Above this entry. $2,200–$2,400: 5 metro areas (1%). Above this entry. $2,400–$2,600: 5 metro areas (1%). Above this entry. $2,600–$2,800: 5 metro areas (1%). Above this entry. $2,800–$3,000: 4 metro areas (1%). Above this entry. $3,000–$3,200: 2 metro areas (1%). Above this entry. $3,200–$3,400: 0 metro areas (0%). Above this entry. $3,400–$3,600: 0 metro areas (0%). Above this entry. $3,600–$3,800: 0 metro areas (0%). Above this entry. $3,800–$4,000: 0 metro areas (0%). Above this entry. $4,000–$4,200: 0 metro areas (0%). Above this entry. $4,200–$4,400: 1 metro areas (0%). Above this entry. This metro $800 $4,400 every US metro, bucketed by value

Each bar is a $0.2K-wide band; taller bars hold more metro areas. 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.

What this shows #125 of 387 HUD-tracked metro areas, 0% above the national 2-bedroom average. 113 other metro areas fall in this same rent band.

Source U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Fair Market Rents · FY2026

Battle Creek studio–4BR schedule (FY2026) · 2BR #125 most affordable

1BR $976 (+2% vs US, +8.6% YoY). Each bedroom band below is FY2026 HUD FMR for CBSA 12980.

Studio
$833
US avg $893
↑7.2% YoY -7% vs US
1 Bedroom
$976
US avg $959
↑8.6% YoY +2% vs US
2 Bedroom
$1,176
US avg $1,175
↑7.9% YoY +0% vs US
3 Bedroom
$1,410
US avg $1,525
↑7.4% YoY -8% vs US
4 Bedroom
$1,565
US avg $1,756
↑5.0% YoY -11% vs US

How Battle Creek compares on 1-bedroom rent

1-bedroom FMR vs other MI metro areas

1BR FMR / mo

What this shows Battle Creek highlighted among 5 peers · FY2026 1BR HUD FMR.

Source U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) As of FY2026

Battle Creek: out-of-state FMR & burden peers

PlainRent pairs Battle Creek with the 4 nearest HUD 2BR schedules and 4 nearest burden matches outside MI (burden peers exclude the FMR set; pop ≥50k).

2BR FMR · outside MI

Nearest schedules by 2BR delta (FY2026).

Fond du Lac
WI · 2 BR $1,176/mo
Rockford
IL · 2 BR $1,175/mo
Bismarck
ND · 2 BR $1,175/mo
Cheyenne
WY · 2 BR $1,174/mo

Burden % · outside MI

Nearest 2BR FMR ÷ ACS median income (FY2026).

Morristown
TN · 23.4% of income · 2 BR $1,135/mo
Cleveland
TN · 23.3% of income · 2 BR $1,233/mo
Kankakee
IL · 23.3% of income · 2 BR $1,326/mo
Gainesville
GA · 23.5% of income · 2 BR $1,514/mo

Battle Creek: quick answers

What is the average rent in the Battle Creek, MI MSA metro area? ▼
The FY 2026 Fair Market Rent for a 1-bedroom in Battle Creek, MI MSA is $976 per month. A 2-bedroom is $1,176 and a studio is $833.
How does Battle Creek, MI MSA rent compare to the national average? ▼
Rent in the Battle Creek, MI MSA metro area is 2% above the national average. A 1-bedroom costs $976 compared to $959 nationally.
Where does Battle Creek rank nationally for Fair Market Rent? ▼
HUD's FY 2026 2-bedroom FMR of $1,176 ranks #125 most affordable among 387 US metro areas (the middle half of HUD metro areas).
What income do I need to afford rent in Battle Creek, MI MSA? ▼
Based on the 30% affordability rule, you need an annual income of at least $39,040 ($3,253/month) to afford a 1-bedroom at Fair Market Rent in the Battle Creek, MI MSA area.
Is Battle Creek's population growing, and how tight is its rental market? ▼
Population has held roughly steady over the past five years (-0.5%, Census ACS). The ACS rental vacancy rate here is 9.3%, close to the range where market rents and HUD's FMR benchmark tend to track each other.

Compare Battle Creek vs Ann Arbor →

What this means for renters

Treat Battle Creek'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 $976 implies about $39,040/yr to rent without being cost-burdened. Run your numbers
  • See how Battle Creek stacks up against a comparable metro before assuming this figure applies elsewhere. Compare vs Ann Arbor
  • See where Battle Creek ranks nationally on rent. National rankings

Fair Market Rent is HUD's 40th-percentile policy benchmark used to set Housing Choice Voucher payment standards. This is a metro-wide figure across 1 county; actual asking rents in any specific county can run higher or lower, and HUD updates FMRs once a year. This site is informational and not financial or relocation advice.

Data as of FY 2026. Source: U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Fair Market Rents. Population and demographic data from U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS).

Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.

FY 2026 HUD FMR $976/mo · 1BR MI

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.