HUD Fair Market Rent · FY 2026 · effective Oct 1, 2025 to Sep 30, 2026
Fair Market Rent in Butler County, Alabama (FY 2026)
$837 a month. That's HUD's FY 2026 Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom in Butler County, and it's the baseline every voucher in Butler is measured against.
2 bedroom FMR
$837
FY 2026, utilities included
Payment standard range
$753 to $921
90% to 110% of FMR
Income to afford 2BR
$33,480
per year, at 30% of income
Rank in Alabama
40th of 67
by 2BR FMR
HUD has already published FY 2027. On October 1, 2026 the two-bedroom rate in Butler moves to $959. That's up 15%. The full FY 2027 table is in the history section below.
HUD's number is one input. What does a two-bedroom in Butler actually rent for?
Search any address in Butler 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 | $622 | $560 to $684 | $24,880 | $11.96/hr | +3.7% |
| 1 bedroom | $638 | $574 to $702 | $25,520 | $12.27/hr | -6.7% |
| 2 bedroom | $837 | $753 to $921 | $33,480 | $16.10/hr | +3.5% |
| 3 bedroom | $1,004 | $904 to $1,104 | $40,160 | $19.31/hr | +3.0% |
| 4 bedroom | $1,139 | $1,025 to $1,253 | $45,560 | $21.90/hr | +4.6% |
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 | $1,310 | $1,179 to $1,441 |
| 6 bedroom Estimate | $1,481 | $1,333 to $1,629 |
| 7 bedroom Estimate | $1,652 | $1,487 to $1,817 |
| 8 bedroom Estimate | $1,822 | $1,640 to $2,004 |
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 Butler, that runs from $622 for a studio up to $1,139 for four bedrooms, all five rates in the table above.
Because Butler sits outside any HUD metro area, its rate is a county-wide figure built from local rents. One number covers every address in the county, Chapman included.
Among Alabama's 67 counties, Butler ranks 40th for two-bedroom FMR. That's about 5% below the state median of $879 and about 18% below the national median county at $1,018. About 18,981 people live here, 49th in the state.
Rates by ZIP code
Zoom in and the picture changes. HUD's Small Area FMRs put a two-bedroom at $780 in 36033 (Georgiana) and $850 in 36030 (Forest Home), with the 4 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.
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 Butler somewhere between $753 and $921. 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.
$837 a month is affordable, by HUD's 30% rule, on an income of roughly $33,480 a year. Put another way, $16 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% ($753) | HAP at 100% ($837) | HAP at 110% ($921) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $2,500 | $750 | $3 | $87 | $171 |
| $4,000 | $1,200 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
Rate history
The two-bedroom rate went up 3% from FY 2025 ($809) to FY 2026 ($837). Since FY 2020 it's up 37% in total, about 5.4% 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 | $474 | $521 | $612 | $782 | $993 | — |
| FY 2021 | $479 | $556 | $634 | $789 | $930 | +3.6% |
| FY 2022 | $530 | $619 | $705 | $871 | $1,043 | +11.2% |
| FY 2023 | $576 | $664 | $761 | $926 | $1,022 | +7.9% |
| FY 2024 | $665 | $760 | $888 | $1,074 | $1,186 | +16.7% |
| FY 2025 | $600 | $684 | $809 | $975 | $1,089 | -8.9% |
| FY 2026 | $622 | $638 | $837 | $1,004 | $1,139 | +3.5% |
| FY 2027 | $728 | $733 | $959 | $1,143 | $1,369 | +14.6% |
Nearby counties
Questions people ask
$837 a month for FY 2026, which runs October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026. The other rates are $622 for a studio, $638 for one bedroom, $1,004 for three and $1,139 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 Butler actually go for?
HUD's number is one input. Search any address in Butler for a rent estimate built from nearby comps. 3 free searches, no card.
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