The 2 bedroom fair market rent in Saint Cloud (Stearns County) is $1,240 for FY2026. Rents here moved +5.1 percent year over year. ZIP 56302 sits in the St. Cloud, MN MSA 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 | $900 | +2.3% | |
| 1 bedroom | $950 | +4.4% | |
| 2 bedroom | $1,240 | +5.1% | |
| 3 bedroom | $1,650 | +6.5% | |
| 4 bedroom | $1,930 | +4.9% |
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 29 Stearns County ZIP codes with a HUD rent estimate, 56302 ranks number 7 of 29 on 2 bedroom fair market rent. That is $70 above the county median of $1,170. The county runs from $1,040 in Sauk Centre 56378 to $1,520 in Saint Cloud 56304. Statewide the median 2 bedroom fair market rent is $1,090, which puts Saint Cloud 14 percent above the Minnesota median. The largest single year move since FY2021 came in FY2024, +19.0 percent, and the 2 bedroom estimate has gone from $840 to $1,240 over 5 fiscal years. Zillow does not publish a rent index for 56302, 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 Stearns County ZIP code with both signals is on the Stearns County Section 8 page.
Of the 6 nearest ZIP codes with an estimate, Saint Cloud 56304 carries the highest 2 bedroom fair market rent at $1,520 and Saint Cloud 56303 the lowest at $1,170, against $1,240 here.
The HUD fair market rent for a 2 bedroom in ZIP 56302 is $1,240 for FY2026. Actual rents vary by unit size, condition, and location within the ZIP.
The 2 bedroom fair market rent rose 5.1 percent from FY2025 to FY2026, moving from $1,180 to $1,240.
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 $1,240 for a 2 bedroom, a deal in Saint Cloud 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.
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