State ranking · HUD FMR + Census ACS

Minnesota: County Rent Burden

How much of household income goes to rent in each Minnesota county, FY 2026.

17.8%
State avg 2BR burden
0
Counties over 30% (of 87)
0
Severely burdened (>50%)

What rent burden reveals about Minnesota

Rent burden measures the share of household income going to rent. The federal standard, used by HUD and the Census Bureau, flags any household paying more than 30% of gross income on rent as "cost-burdened" and any household above 50% as "severely cost-burdened." This page calculates county-level burden by dividing HUD's FY 2026 Fair Market Rents, 1-bedroom and 2-bedroom, by Census-reported median household income for each county in Minnesota. Across the 87 counties with complete data, the weighted average 2-bedroom burden is 17.8%, compared with a national average of 21.7% - meaning Minnesota sits 3.9 percentage points lower than the US benchmark.

The distribution matters more than the state average. In Minnesota, 0 of 87 counties (0%) have a 2-bedroom burden above 30%, and 0 counties cross the severe-burden threshold of 50%. The most burdened county is Ramsey County at 25.3%, where the FY 2026 2-bedroom FMR of $1,709 eats that share of the local median income of $81,004. Because HUD's FMR sits at the 40th percentile of gross rents, this calculation understates the reality faced by renters paying market-rate: many higher-quality units in each county rent well above FMR, pushing actual burden rates even higher than the numbers shown below.

Burden data has direct policy stakes. High-burden counties see stronger demand for Section 8 Housing Choice Vouchers (which cap tenant contribution at 30% of adjusted income and cover the gap up to FMR) and for Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) units, both of which rely on HUD's FMR as the foundational input. High burden also correlates with longer waitlists for public housing and greater housing instability, eviction filings, doubling up, and homelessness all rise in counties above the 50% threshold. Pair this page with the cheapest-counties ranking and year-over-year rent growth to see which Minnesota counties are getting more affordable, which are tightening fastest, and where the burden gap between Minnesota and the rest of the country is widening or narrowing.

State Avg Burden
17.8%
National Avg
21.7%
Counties > 30%
0
of 87
Severely Burdened
0
> 50% of income

All Counties by Rent Burden

# County 1 BR Rent 2 BR Rent 1 BR Burden 2 BR Burden
1 Ramsey County $1,405 $1,709 20.8% 25.3%
2 Isanti County $1,405 $1,709 19.5% 23.7%
3 Mahnomen County $742 $973 16.5% 21.7%
4 Wadena County $783 $1,016 16.5% 21.4%
5 Hennepin County $1,405 $1,709 17.5% 21.3%
6 St. Louis County $978 $1,232 16.9% 21.3%
7 Chisago County $1,405 $1,709 17.2% 20.9%
8 Anoka County $1,405 $1,709 17.1% 20.8%
9 Beltrami County $876 $1,135 15.6% 20.3%
10 Lake County $973 $1,277 15.4% 20.3%
11 Benton County $919 $1,206 15.4% 20.2%
12 Sherburne County $1,405 $1,709 16.4% 19.9%
13 Aitkin County $742 $973 15% 19.6%
14 Dakota County $1,405 $1,709 16% 19.5%
15 Itasca County $860 $1,074 15.5% 19.4%
16 Blue Earth County $977 $1,171 16.1% 19.3%
17 Nobles County $799 $1,049 14.6% 19.2%
18 Wright County $1,405 $1,709 15.8% 19.2%
19 Pine County $839 $1,101 14.5% 19%
20 Mille Lacs County $856 $1,123 14.4% 18.9%
21 Polk County $868 $1,089 15.1% 18.9%
22 Stearns County $919 $1,206 14.4% 18.9%
23 Crow Wing County $854 $1,120 14.4% 18.8%
24 Swift County $768 $973 14.7% 18.7%
25 Pennington County $855 $1,122 14.1% 18.6%
26 Carlton County $978 $1,232 14.7% 18.5%
27 Martin County $803 $973 15.3% 18.5%
28 Todd County $742 $973 14.1% 18.5%
29 Dodge County $1,189 $1,407 15.4% 18.2%
30 Houston County $889 $1,166 13.8% 18.2%
31 Winona County $868 $1,066 14.8% 18.2%
32 Faribault County $790 $973 14.7% 18.1%
33 Olmsted County $1,189 $1,407 15.3% 18.1%
34 Cass County $768 $973 14.2% 18%
35 Clearwater County $785 $973 14.5% 18%
36 Washington County $1,405 $1,709 14.7% 17.9%
37 Big Stone County $816 $973 15% 17.8%
38 Pipestone County $742 $973 13.5% 17.7%
39 Traverse County $742 $973 13.5% 17.7%
40 Mower County $799 $1,049 13.4% 17.6%
41 Nicollet County $977 $1,171 14.6% 17.5%
42 Pope County $803 $1,053 13.3% 17.5%
43 Lake of the Woods County $773 $1,014 13.2% 17.4%
44 Redwood County $742 $973 13.3% 17.4%
45 Becker County $783 $1,027 13.2% 17.3%
46 Clay County $917 $1,112 14.2% 17.2%
47 Lincoln County $742 $973 13.1% 17.2%
48 Rice County $905 $1,187 13.1% 17.2%
49 Cottonwood County $766 $973 13.5% 17.1%
50 Hubbard County $768 $1,008 13% 17.1%
51 Scott County $1,405 $1,709 14% 17.1%
52 Brown County $742 $973 13% 17%
53 Morrison County $757 $973 13.2% 17%
54 Chippewa County $772 $973 13.4% 16.9%
55 Freeborn County $742 $974 12.9% 16.9%
56 Koochiching County $742 $973 12.9% 16.9%
57 Renville County $781 $973 13.6% 16.9%
58 Kittson County $745 $973 12.8% 16.8%
59 Wilkin County $751 $973 12.9% 16.8%
60 Carver County $1,405 $1,709 13.7% 16.7%
61 Jackson County $846 $973 14.5% 16.7%
62 Norman County $742 $973 12.8% 16.7%
63 Stevens County $755 $991 12.7% 16.7%
64 Otter Tail County $749 $983 12.7% 16.6%
65 Rock County $742 $973 12.6% 16.5%
66 Watonwan County $842 $973 14.3% 16.5%
67 Steele County $870 $1,142 12.5% 16.4%
68 Cook County $888 $973 14.9% 16.3%
69 Fillmore County $779 $1,022 12.4% 16.3%
70 Lac qui Parle County $833 $973 14% 16.3%
71 Marshall County $742 $973 12.4% 16.3%
72 Yellow Medicine County $753 $973 12.6% 16.3%
73 Kanabec County $858 $973 14.3% 16.2%
74 Grant County $742 $973 12.2% 16%
75 Lyon County $834 $973 13.8% 16%
76 Goodhue County $901 $1,095 13.1% 15.9%
77 Meeker County $854 $997 13.7% 15.9%
78 Roseau County $867 $973 14.1% 15.9%
79 Murray County $852 $973 13.7% 15.7%
80 Waseca County $742 $973 11.9% 15.6%
81 Kandiyohi County $787 $973 12.6% 15.5%
82 Douglas County $772 $991 12% 15.4%
83 McLeod County $865 $999 13.2% 15.3%
84 Sibley County $742 $973 11.7% 15.3%
85 Red Lake County $742 $973 11.5% 15.1%
86 Wabasha County $913 $1,001 13.7% 15%
87 Le Sueur County $822 $1,078 10.9% 14.3%
National burden rankings → All Minnesota rents → Cheapest counties →

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the rent burden in Minnesota? ▼
The average 2-bedroom rent burden in Minnesota is 17.8% of household income. 0 of 87 counties exceed the 30% affordability threshold.
Which counties in Minnesota are most rent burdened? ▼
The most rent-burdened county is Ramsey County at 25.3% of income. No counties exceed the 50% severe burden threshold.
How does Minnesota compare to the national average? ▼
Minnesota's average rent burden is 17.8% vs the national average of 21.7%. That's 3.9 percentage points lower than average.

Data sources: HUD FY 2026 Fair Market Rents and U.S. Census Bureau median household income. Rent burden = (annual FMR ÷ median income) × 100.

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