The 2 bedroom fair market rent in Side Lake (St. Louis County) is $1,630 for FY2026. Rents here moved +61.4 percent year over year. ZIP 55781 sits in the Itasca County, MN area.
See how this ZIP compares for Section 8 vouchers, fair market rent against market asking rent for every tracked Minnesota ZIP.
| Unit size | FY2026 FMR | Vs FY2025 | ACS median |
|---|---|---|---|
| Studio | $1,130 | +54.8% | |
| 1 bedroom | $1,300 | +64.6% | |
| 2 bedroom | $1,630 | +61.4% | |
| 3 bedroom | $2,220 | +65.7% | |
| 4 bedroom | $2,670 | +56.1% |
FMR is the HUD Fair Market Rent for this ZIP, the 40th percentile of gross rents. It anchors Section 8 payment standards and runs below top of market. ACS median is the Census survey estimate where available.
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Among the 48 St. Louis County ZIP codes with a HUD rent estimate, 55781 ranks number 5 of 48 on 2 bedroom fair market rent. That is $505 above the county median of $1,125. The county runs from $1,030 in Tower 55790 to $1,850 in Saginaw 55779. Statewide the median 2 bedroom fair market rent is $1,090, which puts Side Lake 50 percent above the Minnesota median. The largest single year move since FY2021 came in FY2026, +61.4 percent, and the 2 bedroom estimate has gone from $740 to $1,630 over 5 fiscal years. Zillow does not publish a rent index for 55781, so the fair market rent is the only published rent benchmark here. The landlord voucher check compares an asking rent against it. Voucher competitiveness for every St. Louis County ZIP code with both signals is on the St. Louis County Section 8 page.
Of the 6 nearest ZIP codes with an estimate, Buhl 55713 carries the highest 2 bedroom fair market rent at $1,240 and Keewatin 55753 the lowest at $1,000, against $1,630 here.
The HUD fair market rent for a 2 bedroom in ZIP 55781 is $1,630 for FY2026. Actual rents vary by unit size, condition, and location within the ZIP.
The 2 bedroom fair market rent rose 61.4 percent from FY2025 to FY2026, moving from $1,010 to $1,630.
Fair Market Rent is HUD's estimate of the 40th percentile gross rent for a ZIP. It sets Section 8 payment standards, so it is the rent a voucher will support here. Investors use it as a conservative floor when underwriting rental income.
Rent level is only one input. Run the numbers: at $1,630 for a 2 bedroom, a deal in Side Lake pencils or it does not based on price, taxes, insurance, and financing. Pencilwrite computes cap rate, cash-on-cash, DSCR, and true ROE from a few inputs.
Pencilwrite turns an address, a price, and these rents into a full underwrite, cap rate, cash-on-cash, DSCR, true ROE, taxes, and an offer you can send. Limited beta access spots open. Sign up for the beta, opening in the next two months. Free.
