HUD Fair Market Rent · FY 2026 · effective Oct 1, 2025 to Sep 30, 2026
Fair Market Rent in Baldwin County, Alabama (FY 2026)
A two-bedroom in Baldwin County carries a FY 2026 Fair Market Rent of $1,345 a month, effective October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026. Everything Section 8 pays in Baldwin keys off that figure.
2 bedroom FMR
$1,345
FY 2026, utilities included
Payment standard range
$1,211 to $1,480
90% to 110% of FMR
Income to afford 2BR
$53,800
per year, at 30% of income
Rank in Alabama
1st of 67
by 2BR FMR
HUD has already published FY 2027. On October 1, 2026 the two-bedroom rate in Baldwin moves to $1,434. That's up 7%. The full FY 2027 table is in the history section below.
HUD's number is one input. What does a two-bedroom in Baldwin actually rent for?
Search any address in Baldwin for a rent estimate built from nearby comps, with the HUD figure right next to it.
FY 2026 Fair Market Rents
| Bedrooms | FMR | Payment standard | Income needed | Hourly wage | vs FY 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Studio | $1,094 | $985 to $1,203 | $43,760 | $21.04/hr | +12.6% |
| 1 bedroom | $1,200 | $1,080 to $1,320 | $48,000 | $23.08/hr | +15.1% |
| 2 bedroom | $1,345 | $1,211 to $1,480 | $53,800 | $25.87/hr | +8.1% |
| 3 bedroom | $1,692 | $1,523 to $1,861 | $67,680 | $32.54/hr | +9.2% |
| 4 bedroom | $2,171 | $1,954 to $2,388 | $86,840 | $41.75/hr | +9.9% |
5 to 8 bedrooms (PropMetrics estimates)
HUD stops at four bedrooms. These add 15% of the four-bedroom rent per extra bedroom. It's our estimate, not a HUD number.
| Bedrooms | Estimated FMR | Payment standard |
|---|---|---|
| 5 bedroom Estimate | $2,497 | $2,247 to $2,747 |
| 6 bedroom Estimate | $2,822 | $2,540 to $3,104 |
| 7 bedroom Estimate | $3,148 | $2,833 to $3,463 |
| 8 bedroom Estimate | $3,474 | $3,127 to $3,821 |
Source: HUD Office of Policy Development and Research, FY 2026 Fair Market Rents. Rents include utilities. huduser.gov
Fair Market Rent is HUD's estimate of what a modest, decent unit rents for in an area, utilities included. It's set once a year and runs October to September. For FY 2026 that's October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026. In Baldwin, that runs from $1,094 for a studio up to $2,171 for four bedrooms, all five rates in the table above.
Baldwin is its own HUD metro area (Daphne-Fairhope-Foley, AL), so the rate here is set from rents inside the county rather than a wider region.
Among Alabama's 67 counties, Baldwin ranks 1st for two-bedroom FMR. That's about 53% above the state median of $879 and about 32% above the national median county at $1,018. About 233,420 people live here, 4th in the state.
Rates by ZIP code
Zoom in and the picture changes. HUD's Small Area FMRs put a two-bedroom at $1,120 in 36507 (Bay Minette) and $1,580 in 36527 (Spanish Fort), with the 26 ZIP codes in between. Housing authorities in HUD-designated metros use those ZIP rates instead of the county rate. Everywhere else the ZIP numbers show where rents actually sit, and the county rate stays the official standard.
| ZIP | City | 2BR rate | vs county |
|---|---|---|---|
| 36507 | Bay Minette | $1,120 | -16.7% |
| 36511 | Bon Secour | $1,260 | -6.3% |
| 36526 | Daphne | $1,520 | +13.0% |
| 36527 | Spanish Fort | $1,580 | +17.5% |
| 36530 | Elberta | $1,130 | -16.0% |
| 36532 | Fairhope | $1,570 | +16.7% |
| 36533 | Fairhope | $1,350 | +0.4% |
| 36535 | Foley | $1,200 | -10.8% |
| 36536 | Foley | $1,350 | +0.4% |
| 36542 | Gulf Shores | $1,410 | +4.8% |
| 36547 | Gulf Shores | $1,450 | +7.8% |
| 36549 | Lillian | $1,330 | -1.1% |
| 36550 | Little River | $1,120 | -16.7% |
| 36551 | Loxley | $1,290 | -4.1% |
| 36555 | Magnolia Springs | $1,200 | -10.8% |
| 36559 | Montrose | $1,550 | +15.2% |
| 36561 | Orange Beach | $1,470 | +9.3% |
| 36562 | Perdido | $1,120 | -16.7% |
| 36564 | Point Clear | $1,350 | +0.4% |
| 36567 | Robertsdale | $1,170 | -13.0% |
| 36574 | Seminole | $1,230 | -8.6% |
| 36576 | Silverhill | $1,160 | -13.8% |
| 36577 | Spanish Fort | $1,350 | +0.4% |
| 36578 | Stapleton | $1,160 | -13.8% |
| 36579 | Stockton | $1,120 | -16.7% |
| 36580 | Summerdale | $1,120 | -16.7% |
What a voucher pays here
The voucher doesn't pay the FMR itself. It pays the payment standard. Housing authorities set it anywhere from 90% to 110% of FMR, which puts a two-bedroom standard in Baldwin somewhere between $1,211 and $1,480. The tenant pays roughly 30% of their income, the voucher covers the rest up to the standard, and the PHA won't approve a rent above what comparable unassisted units get.
$1,345 a month is affordable, by HUD's 30% rule, on an income of roughly $53,800 a year. Put another way, $26 an hour full time.
Worked example for a two-bedroom, assuming the rent equals the payment standard. Tenant pays 30% of monthly income, HUD's housing assistance payment covers the rest.
| Monthly household income | Tenant pays (30%) | HAP at 90% ($1,211) | HAP at 100% ($1,345) | HAP at 110% ($1,480) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $2,500 | $750 | $461 | $595 | $730 |
| $4,000 | $1,200 | $11 | $145 | $280 |
Rate history
The two-bedroom rate went up 8% from FY 2025 ($1,244) to FY 2026 ($1,345). Since FY 2020 it's up 47% in total, about 6.6% a year. The Alabama median moved up 3% over the same year.
| Year | Studio | 1 BR | 2 BR | 3 BR | 4 BR | 2BR change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY 2020 | $744 | $749 | $916 | $1,251 | $1,566 | — |
| FY 2021 | $718 | $723 | $922 | $1,249 | $1,584 | +0.7% |
| FY 2022 | $772 | $777 | $1,017 | $1,348 | $1,715 | +10.3% |
| FY 2023 | $924 | $928 | $1,206 | $1,534 | $1,971 | +18.6% |
| FY 2024 | $1,051 | $1,056 | $1,362 | $1,670 | $2,114 | +12.9% |
| FY 2025 | $972 | $1,043 | $1,244 | $1,550 | $1,975 | -8.7% |
| FY 2026 | $1,094 | $1,200 | $1,345 | $1,692 | $2,171 | +8.1% |
| FY 2027 | $1,180 | $1,317 | $1,434 | $1,855 | $2,347 | +6.6% |
Nearby counties
Questions people ask
$1,345 a month for FY 2026, which runs October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026. The other rates are $1,094 for a studio, $1,200 for one bedroom, $1,692 for three and $2,171 for four.
Tools for this county
Fair Market Rent lookup
Look up any ZIP code's Small Area FMR by bedroom count.
Section 8 rent calculator
Work out the payment standard and tenant share for a specific rent.
What is Fair Market Rent?
How HUD calculates FMR and what it means for landlords.
Rent affordability calculator
See what income a household needs for a given rent.
What does a rental in Baldwin actually go for?
HUD's number is one input. Search any address in Baldwin for a rent estimate built from nearby comps. 3 free searches, no card.
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