Metro FMR · CBSA 24500 · HUD FY2026

Great Falls, MT MSA Fair Market Rent

HUD's FY2026 Fair Market Rent for the Great Falls, MT MSA metro area - 2% above the US average.

$979
1-bedroom FMR
$1,284
2-bedroom FMR
+14.6%
YoY change
+2%
vs US avg

The verdict

A 2-bedroom in the Great Falls, MT MSA area rents at $1,284 under HUD's FY2026 Fair Market Rent - 9% above the US average, lower than 52% of the 387 metro areas HUD tracks.

#187
most affordable of 387 US metros (2BR)
+9%
vs the US 2-bedroom average
$51,360
income to afford it (30% rule)
+14.6%
1BR change, FY2025→2026

Affordability & income context

Great Falls: #187 most affordable nationally · income context

At the metro's ACS median household income of $66,203, this 1-bedroom FMR takes 17.7% of annual income. It is well below the 30% affordability guide for a median-income household.

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

With 84,423 residents, this is a smaller-metro benchmark rather than a single-neighborhood rent quote.

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: 40.0% of the 10,419 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

$960/mo

17.4% of median income

1 Bedroom

$979/mo

17.7% of median income

2 Bedroom

$1,284/mo

23.3% of median income

3 Bedroom

$1,786/mo

32.4% of median income

4 Bedroom

$2,035/mo

36.9% of median income

FMR filing desk

CBSA CBSA·24500

Great Falls: $979/mo 1BR · #187 of 387 metros (2BR) · FY2026 CBSA 24500

  • CBSA 24500
  • 1BR-FMR $979
  • 2BR-FMR $1,284
  • RANK-MID #187
  • YOY-SURGE +14.6%
  • VSUS-NEAR +2%
  • IN-ST-LOW #1 MT
  • INC-ROOM 18%
  • POP-MID 84K
  • PHOTO-NEAR Billings
  • VOUCH-90-110 $881–$1,077
  • FY-2026 FY2026

Photo-finish peer: Billings ($130 1BR gap)

Read with: Understanding rent trends

Where Great Falls sits among every US metro

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

$1,284 higher than 48% of 387 metro areas

$800–$1,000: 28 metro areas (7%). Below this entry. $1,000–$1,200: 114 metro areas (29%). Below this entry. $1,200–$1,400: 95 metro areas (25%). This entry sits in this band. $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.

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

Great Falls studio–4BR schedule (FY2026) · 2BR #187 most affordable

1BR $979 (+2% vs US, +14.6% YoY). Each bedroom band below is FY2026 HUD FMR for CBSA 24500.

Studio
$960
US avg $893
↑17.9% YoY +8% vs US
1 Bedroom
$979
US avg $959
↑14.6% YoY +2% vs US
2 Bedroom
$1,284
US avg $1,175
↑14.5% YoY +9% vs US
3 Bedroom
$1,786
US avg $1,525
↑13.7% YoY +17% vs US
4 Bedroom
$2,035
US avg $1,756
↑14.3% YoY +16% vs US

How Great Falls compares on 1-bedroom rent

1-bedroom FMR vs other MT metro areas

1BR FMR / mo

What this shows Great Falls highlighted among 4 peers · FY2026 1BR HUD FMR.

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

Great Falls: out-of-state FMR & burden peers

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

2BR FMR · outside MT

Nearest schedules by 2BR delta (FY2026).

Elmira
NY · 2 BR $1,283/mo
Camden County
NC · 2 BR $1,287/mo
Jackson
MS · 2 BR $1,288/mo
Columbia
SC · 2 BR $1,276/mo

Burden % · outside MT

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

Kankakee
IL · 23.3% of income · 2 BR $1,326/mo
Cleveland
TN · 23.3% of income · 2 BR $1,233/mo
Brunswick County
NC · 23.2% of income · 2 BR $1,426/mo
State College
PA · 23.2% of income · 2 BR $1,406/mo

Great Falls: quick answers

What is the average rent in the Great Falls, MT MSA metro area? ▼
The FY 2026 Fair Market Rent for a 1-bedroom in Great Falls, MT MSA is $979 per month. A 2-bedroom is $1,284 and a studio is $960.
How does Great Falls, MT MSA rent compare to the national average? ▼
Rent in the Great Falls, MT MSA metro area is 2% above the national average. A 1-bedroom costs $979 compared to $959 nationally.
Where does Great Falls rank nationally for Fair Market Rent? ▼
HUD's FY 2026 2-bedroom FMR of $1,284 ranks #187 most affordable among 387 US metro areas (the middle half of HUD metro areas).
What income do I need to afford rent in Great Falls, MT MSA? ▼
Based on the 30% affordability rule, you need an annual income of at least $39,160 ($3,263/month) to afford a 1-bedroom at Fair Market Rent in the Great Falls, MT MSA area.

Compare Great Falls vs Billings →

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 $979/mo · 1BR MT

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.