State FMR profile · HUD FY2026

Fair Market Rents in North Dakota

The average 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent across North Dakota is $795/mo — 17% below the US average.

$795
Avg 1BR FMR
53
Counties
4
Metro areas

The verdict

North Dakota's 2-bedroom Fair Market Rent averages $965 — 18% below the US average, the 46th lowest of 51 states.

#46
most affordable of 51 states (2BR)
-18%
vs the US 2-bedroom average
$38,600
income to afford it (30% rule)
85%
gap, cheapest→priciest county

FY 2026 HUD Fair Market Rents for 53 counties and 4 metro areas in ND. Verify with HUD →

What these rents mean for North Dakota

Across North Dakota's 53 counties and 4 metro areas, HUD's FY 2026 Fair Market Rents average $769 for a studio, $795 for a 1-bedroom, $965 for a 2-bedroom, $1,297 for a 3-bedroom, and $1,588 for a 4-bedroom. FMR is set at the county or metro FMR area level — not statewide — so the numbers above are the arithmetic average of every FMR area inside ND, weighted equally. Local housing authorities use each county's or metro's FMR (not the state average) to calibrate Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher payment standards, typically ranging from 90% to 110% of FMR.

Benchmarked against the rest of the country, North Dakota's average 1-bedroom FMR of $795 is 17% below the US average of $959. Inside the state, rents are not uniform — the cheapest 1-bedroom FMR is in Burke County at $665, while the most expensive is in Divide County at $1,233, a spread of roughly 85% between the lowest- and highest-cost counties. That intra-state dispersion is why urban voucher recipients, families relocating for jobs, and landlords setting Section 8 rents all need to check the specific FMR area rather than rely on a statewide figure.

For affordability, the 30% rule implies a household income of $31,800 per year (about $2,650/month) to afford North Dakota's average 1-bedroom at $795. The ratio of FMR to local wages determines how many households are rent-burdened. Pair these rent figures with North Dakota's rent burden rankings and year-over-year rent growth pages to see which counties are tightening fastest and which remain comparatively affordable.

Where North Dakota sits among all 50 states + DC

Average 2-bedroom Fair Market Rent vs. every US state

$965 Top 90% higher than 10% of 51 states

$900–$1,000: 11 states (22%). This entry sits in this band. $1,000–$1,100: 7 states (14%). Above this entry. $1,100–$1,200: 8 states (16%). Above this entry. $1,200–$1,300: 2 states (4%). Above this entry. $1,300–$1,400: 3 states (6%). Above this entry. $1,400–$1,500: 8 states (16%). Above this entry. $1,500–$1,600: 3 states (6%). Above this entry. $1,600–$1,700: 1 states (2%). Above this entry. $1,700–$1,800: 1 states (2%). Above this entry. $1,800–$1,900: 1 states (2%). Above this entry. $1,900–$2,000: 1 states (2%). Above this entry. $2,000–$2,100: 1 states (2%). Above this entry. $2,100–$2,200: 1 states (2%). Above this entry. $2,200–$2,300: 2 states (4%). Above this entry. $2,300–$2,400: 0 states (0%). Above this entry. $2,400–$2,500: 1 states (2%). Above this entry. ND $900 $2,500 every US state, bucketed by value

Each bar is a $0.1K-wide band; taller bars hold more states. 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

State Average vs National Average

Studio
$769
-14% vs US avg
1 BR
$795
-17% vs US avg
2 BR
$965
-18% vs US avg
3 BR
$1,297
-15% vs US avg
4 BR
$1,588
-10% vs US avg

Most expensive counties in North Dakota by 1-bedroom FMR

FY 2026 HUD Fair Market Rent — the highest-cost 10 of 53 ND counties

1BR FMR / mo

What this shows Inside ND, 1-bedroom FMR runs from $665 in Burke County to $1,233 in Divide County.

Source HUD Fair Market Rents and U.S. Census Bureau ACS data As of FY2026

Cheapest Counties

Lowest FMR rental costs →

Most Expensive Counties

Highest FMR rental costs →

Rent Burden

% of income spent on rent →

Rent Growth

YoY rent trends by county →

Metro areas in North Dakota

Each metro FMR area applies one rent schedule across all its counties, ranked here by 1-bedroom FMR.

# Metro area Studio1 BR2 BR3 BR4 BR
1 Bismarck, ND MSA $961
$1,030
$1,175$1,634$1,884
2 Fargo, ND-MN MSA $768
$917
$1,112$1,547$1,865
3 Grand Forks, ND-MN MSA $863
$868
$1,089$1,515$1,827
4 McHenry County, ND HUD Metro FMR Area $725
$839
$1,000$1,387$1,678

Counties in North Dakota, ranked by rent (53)

All 53 counties with a published FY2026 Fair Market Rent, highest 1-bedroom first.

# County Studio1 BR2 BR3 BR4 BR
1 Divide County $1,225
$1,233
$1,534$1,839$2,573
2 McKenzie County $1,117
$1,124
$1,354$1,672$2,271
3 Williams County $1,042
$1,068
$1,196$1,578$1,745
4 Burleigh County $961
$1,030
$1,175$1,634$1,884
5 Morton County $961
$1,030
$1,175$1,634$1,884
6 Oliver County $961
$1,030
$1,175$1,634$1,884
7 Ward County $806
$960
$1,165$1,620$1,954
8 Cass County $768
$917
$1,112$1,547$1,865
9 Mercer County $875
$881
$1,156$1,386$1,531
10 Stark County $869
$874
$1,056$1,469$1,771
11 Grand Forks County $863
$868
$1,089$1,515$1,827
12 Mountrail County $738
$850
$1,071$1,386$1,505
13 McHenry County $725
$839
$1,000$1,387$1,678
14 Golden Valley County $820
$826
$1,027$1,428$1,723
15 Renville County $783
$824
$1,081$1,329$1,557
16 Sargent County $814
$816
$935$1,261$1,569
17 Logan County $810
$815
$1,014$1,410$1,701
18 Bottineau County $760
$796
$873$1,153$1,464
19 Bowman County $760
$796
$873$1,214$1,427
20 McLean County $760
$796
$873$1,214$1,464
21 Wells County $760
$796
$873$1,214$1,464
22 Pembina County $760
$791
$873$1,214$1,464
23 McIntosh County $760
$787
$873$1,194$1,464
24 Benson County $760
$769
$873$1,214$1,464
25 Foster County $727
$755
$873$1,214$1,464
26 Pierce County $727
$755
$873$1,214$1,464
27 Dunn County $749
$754
$938$1,125$1,574
28 Hettinger County $740
$745
$927$1,149$1,555
29 Nelson County $732
$745
$873$1,214$1,464
30 Sheridan County $738
$743
$924$1,285$1,550
31 Slope County $738
$743
$924$1,285$1,550
32 Sioux County $727
$733
$873$1,146$1,385
33 Dickey County $725
$730
$873$1,214$1,464
34 Kidder County $727
$729
$873$1,214$1,403
35 Rolette County $722
$727
$954$1,318$1,600
36 Barnes County $718
$722
$948$1,137$1,590
37 Ramsey County $602
$719
$873$1,214$1,464
38 Ransom County $710
$715
$923$1,196$1,548
39 LaMoure County $700
$704
$873$1,214$1,464
40 Adams County $697
$702
$873$1,214$1,464
41 Billings County $697
$702
$873$1,214$1,464
42 Cavalier County $697
$702
$873$1,170$1,464
43 Steele County $697
$702
$873$1,214$1,464
44 Towner County $697
$702
$873$1,214$1,464
45 Traill County $686
$690
$873$1,214$1,464
46 Emmons County $679
$683
$873$1,047$1,464
47 Grant County $678
$683
$873$1,214$1,464
48 Stutsman County $676
$680
$873$1,214$1,464
49 Walsh County $676
$680
$873$1,140$1,464
50 Burke County $661
$665
$873$1,101$1,464
51 Eddy County $661
$665
$873$1,214$1,464
52 Griggs County $661
$665
$873$1,076$1,464
53 Richland County $661
$665
$873$1,214$1,464

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the average rent in North Dakota? ▼
The average FY 2026 Fair Market Rent for a 1-bedroom in North Dakota is $795 per month. A 2-bedroom averages $965.
How does North Dakota rent compare to the national average? ▼
North Dakota rents are 17% below the national average. A 1-bedroom here averages $795 vs $959 nationally.
Where is the cheapest rent in North Dakota? ▼
The most affordable county is Burke County with a 1-bedroom FMR of $665. The most expensive is Divide County at $1,233.
What income do I need to afford rent in North Dakota? ▼
Based on the 30% affordability rule, you need at least $31,800/year ($2,650/month) to afford the average 1-bedroom FMR in North Dakota.

Explore North Dakota rent data

Rent burden → Rent growth → Cheapest counties → Most expensive counties → National rent-burden rankings → Affordability calculator →

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

Related

Browse all → | Rankings →
Data sourced from HUD Fair Market Rents and U.S. Census Bureau ACS data. See our methodology for details. Source: U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Fair Market Rent data (huduser.gov).