Rent in Kalamazoo-Portage, MI (FY2027 Fair Market Rents)
HUD’s FY2027 Fair Market Rent for a 2-bedroom in Kalamazoo-Portage, MI is $1,158 a month including utilities — 15% below the Michigan average and 34% below the U.S. You’d need about $46,320 a year to keep it at 30% of income — check yours.
Fair Market Rent by bedrooms
Compared with Michigan and the U.S.
Kalamazoo-Portage, MI 2-bedroom FMR vs the population-weighted average 2-bedroom FMR.
Rent affordability check
Compares the FY2027 Fair Market Rents for Kalamazoo-Portage, MI with 30% of your gross monthly income — HUD’s line for a “cost-burdened” renter. For the 28/36 rule and your debts, use the full rent affordability calculator.
Income needed to rent in Kalamazoo-Portage, MI
Gross yearly income so that rent plus utilities is 30% of income; hourly = yearly ÷ 2,080 hours.
Counties in this FMR area
Kalamazoo County, MI
HUD FMR area: Kalamazoo-Portage, MI · population 262,375 (HUD file). Every place in the area has the same FMR.
Other metro areas in Michigan
What a Fair Market Rent is (and is not)
A Fair Market Rent (FMR) is set every year by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). It is HUD’s estimate of the 40th-percentile gross rent — rent plus utilities (except phone, cable and internet) — paid by recent movers into standard-quality, non-luxury rental homes in an area. In other words, about 40% of recently rented units in the area cost less than the FMR and about 60% cost more.
FMRs are not asking rents and not the price of any specific listing. They are built from Census Bureau American Community Survey rents and updated with inflation and trend factors, so they lag the newest listings and smooth out neighborhood differences. HUD uses them to set Housing Choice Voucher (Section 8) payment standards and other program rents. Treat them as a solid, official benchmark for a typical modest rental — new listings in popular neighborhoods often cost more.
Questions & answers
What is the Fair Market Rent in Kalamazoo-Portage, MI?
HUD’s FY2027 Fair Market Rents for Kalamazoo-Portage, MI are: studio $885, 1-bedroom $1,013, 2-bedroom $1,158, 3-bedroom $1,545 and 4-bedroom $1,637 a month, including utilities. They took effect on October 1, 2026.
How much income do I need to rent in Kalamazoo-Portage, MI?
At the 30% rule, a 1-bedroom at $1,013 needs $40,520 a year and a 2-bedroom at $1,158 needs $46,320 a year in gross income (about $22.27 an hour full-time).
Is rent in Kalamazoo-Portage, MI higher than in the rest of Michigan?
The 2-bedroom FMR of $1,158 is 15% below the Michigan average of $1,361 and 34% below the U.S. average of $1,761.
Did rent go up in Kalamazoo-Portage, MI?
The 2-bedroom FMR changed −0.3%, from $1,162 in FY2026 to $1,158 in FY2027.
Why are listings higher than the Fair Market Rent?
The FMR is a 40th-percentile estimate of rent plus utilities paid by recent movers into modest, standard-quality units, built from Census survey data. About 60% of recently rented units cost more, and listing sites often show newer or better-located units.
Do Section 8 vouchers pay the Fair Market Rent?
Local public housing agencies set voucher payment standards, usually between 90% and 110% of the FMR. Check with your local housing authority for the exact payment standard.
Source: HUD User, FY2027 Fair Market Rents (effective October 1, 2026; Federal Register notice), compared with FY2026 revised FMRs. HUD data is in the public domain. State and U.S. averages are Tachlis calculations weighted by each county’s population as listed in HUD’s file. HUD may revise FMRs for areas that request a reevaluation.
All rents in Michigan