Metro FMR · CBSA 31540 · HUD FY2026

Columbia County, WI HUD Metro FMR Area Fair Market Rent

HUD's FY2026 Fair Market Rent for the Columbia County, WI HUD Metro FMR Area metro area - 5% below the US average.

$911
1-bedroom FMR
$1,195
2-bedroom FMR
+9.9%
YoY change
-5%
vs US avg

The verdict

A 2-bedroom in the Columbia County, WI HUD Metro FMR Area area rents at $1,195 under HUD's FY2026 Fair Market Rent - 2% above the US average, lower than 64% of the 387 metro areas HUD tracks.

#140
most affordable of 387 US metros (2BR)
+2%
vs the US 2-bedroom average
$47,800
income to afford it (30% rule)
+9.9%
1BR change, FY2025→2026

Affordability & income context

Columbia County: #140 most affordable nationally · income context

At the metro's ACS median household income of $86,827, this 1-bedroom FMR takes 12.6% of annual income. It is well below the 30% affordability guide for a median-income household.

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

With 678,995 residents, this is a major regional metro benchmark rather than a single-neighborhood rent quote.

Population grew 5.7% over the past five years (Census ACS) - among the faster-growing metros nationally, a trend that typically adds upward pressure on rents.

The ACS rental vacancy rate here is 3.1%, a tight rental market where HUD's annual FMR schedule can lag what landlords are actually asking.

The Census ACS median gross rent across all rental units here is $1,300/month - the FY2026 HUD two-bedroom FMR of $1,195 runs 8.1% below 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: 42.8% of the 115,790 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

$824/mo

11.4% of median income

1 Bedroom

$911/mo

12.6% of median income

2 Bedroom

$1,195/mo

16.5% of median income

3 Bedroom

$1,645/mo

22.7% of median income

4 Bedroom

$1,798/mo

24.8% of median income

FMR filing desk

CBSA CBSA·31540

Columbia County: $911/mo 1BR · #140 of 387 metros (2BR) · FY2026 CBSA 31540

  • CBSA 31540
  • 1BR-FMR $911
  • 2BR-FMR $1,195
  • RANK-MID #140
  • YOY-SURGE +9.9%
  • VSUS-NEAR -5%
  • IN-ST-LOW #5 WI
  • INC-ROOM 13%
  • POP-MAJOR 679K
  • PHOTO-NEAR Appleton
  • VOUCH-90-110 $820–$1,002
  • FY-2026 FY2026

Photo-finish peer: Appleton ($49 1BR gap)

Read with: Understanding rent trends

Where Columbia County sits among every US metro

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

$1,195 higher than 36% 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 #140 of 387 HUD-tracked metro areas, 2% 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

CBSA 31540

Counties inside Columbia County

HUD publishes one metro-wide FMR for CBSA 31540, but county-level schedules inside Columbia County still diverge: 4 counties range from $1,097 (2BR in Green) to $1,694 (Dane), a 54% spread. Dane is the largest county by population.

Dane County 2BR $1,694 · 560K Columbia County 2BR $1,195 · 58K Green County 2BR $1,097 · 37K Iowa County 2BR $1,168 · 24K

Columbia County studio–4BR schedule (FY2026) · 2BR #140 most affordable

1BR $911 (-5% vs US, +9.9% YoY). Each bedroom band below is FY2026 HUD FMR for CBSA 31540.

Studio
$824
US avg $893
↑10.6% YoY -8% vs US
1 Bedroom
$911
US avg $959
↑9.9% YoY -5% vs US
2 Bedroom
$1,195
US avg $1,175
↑9.9% YoY +2% vs US
3 Bedroom
$1,645
US avg $1,525
↑8.3% YoY +8% vs US
4 Bedroom
$1,798
US avg $1,756
↑8.0% YoY +2% vs US

How Columbia County compares on 1-bedroom rent

1-bedroom FMR vs other WI metro areas

1BR FMR / mo

What this shows Columbia County highlighted among 5 peers · FY2026 1BR HUD FMR.

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

Columbia County: out-of-state FMR & burden peers

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

2BR FMR · outside WI

Nearest schedules by 2BR delta (FY2026).

Williamsport
PA · 2 BR $1,195/mo
Midland
MI · 2 BR $1,193/mo
Valdosta
GA · 2 BR $1,192/mo
Rome
GA · 2 BR $1,192/mo

Burden % · outside WI

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

Austin County
TX · 16.3% of income · 2 BR $1,095/mo
Bismarck
ND · 16.8% of income · 2 BR $1,175/mo
Dubuque
IA · 17% of income · 2 BR $1,077/mo
Anson County
NC · 17% of income · 2 BR $1,138/mo

Columbia County: quick answers

What is the average rent in the Columbia County, WI HUD Metro FMR Area metro area? ▼
The FY 2026 Fair Market Rent for a 1-bedroom in Columbia County, WI HUD Metro FMR Area is $911 per month. A 2-bedroom is $1,195 and a studio is $824.
How does Columbia County, WI HUD Metro FMR Area rent compare to the national average? ▼
Rent in the Columbia County, WI HUD Metro FMR Area metro area is 5% below the national average. A 1-bedroom costs $911 compared to $959 nationally.
Where does Columbia County rank nationally for Fair Market Rent? ▼
HUD's FY 2026 2-bedroom FMR of $1,195 ranks #140 most affordable among 387 US metro areas (the middle half of HUD metro areas).
Do county rents differ inside the Columbia County metro area? ▼
Yes. HUD assigns one metro-wide FMR for CBSA 31540, but 4 constituent counties publish their own county FMR schedules spanning $1,097–$1,694 for a 2-bedroom (54% spread). Use county pages for filing at the county level.
Is Columbia County's population growing, and how tight is its rental market? ▼
Population grew 5.7% over the past five years (Census ACS) - among the faster-growing metros nationally, a trend that typically adds upward pressure on rents. The ACS rental vacancy rate here is 3.1%, a tight rental market where HUD's annual FMR schedule can lag what landlords are actually asking.

Compare Columbia County vs Appleton →

What this means for renters

Treat Columbia County'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 $911 implies about $36,440/yr to rent without being cost-burdened. Run your numbers
  • See how Columbia County stacks up against a comparable metro before assuming this figure applies elsewhere. Compare vs Appleton
  • See where Columbia County 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 4 counties; 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 $911/mo · 1BR WI

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.