HUD Fair Market Rent · FY 2026 · effective Oct 1, 2025 to Sep 30, 2026
Fair Market Rent in Cherokee County, Alabama (FY 2026)
$844 a month. That's HUD's FY 2026 Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom in Cherokee County, and it's the baseline every voucher in Cherokee is measured against.
2 bedroom FMR
$844
FY 2026, utilities included
Payment standard range
$760 to $928
90% to 110% of FMR
Income to afford 2BR
$33,760
per year, at 30% of income
Rank in Alabama
38th of 67
by 2BR FMR
HUD has already published FY 2027. On October 1, 2026 the two-bedroom rate in Cherokee moves to $986. That's up 17%. The full FY 2027 table is in the history section below.
HUD's number is one input. What does a two-bedroom in Cherokee actually rent for?
Search any address in Cherokee 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 | $627 | $564 to $690 | $25,080 | $12.06/hr | +4.8% |
| 1 bedroom | $682 | $614 to $750 | $27,280 | $13.12/hr | +2.9% |
| 2 bedroom | $844 | $760 to $928 | $33,760 | $16.23/hr | +4.8% |
| 3 bedroom | $1,012 | $911 to $1,113 | $40,480 | $19.46/hr | +4.3% |
| 4 bedroom | $1,259 | $1,133 to $1,385 | $50,360 | $24.21/hr | +4.0% |
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 | $1,448 | $1,303 to $1,593 |
| 6 bedroom Estimate | $1,637 | $1,473 to $1,801 |
| 7 bedroom Estimate | $1,826 | $1,643 to $2,009 |
| 8 bedroom Estimate | $2,014 | $1,813 to $2,215 |
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 Cherokee, that runs from $627 for a studio up to $1,259 for four bedrooms, all five rates in the table above.
Because Cherokee 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, Cedar Bluff included.
Among Alabama's 67 counties, Cherokee ranks 38th for two-bedroom FMR. That's about 4% below the state median of $879 and about 17% below the national median county at $1,018. About 25,069 people live here, 40th in the state.
Rates by ZIP code
Zoom in and the picture changes. HUD's Small Area FMRs put a two-bedroom at $810 in 35959 (Cedar Bluff) and $880 in 35973 (Gaylesville), 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 Cherokee somewhere between $760 and $928. 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.
$844 a month is affordable, by HUD's 30% rule, on an income of roughly $33,760 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% ($760) | HAP at 100% ($844) | HAP at 110% ($928) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $2,500 | $750 | $10 | $94 | $178 |
| $4,000 | $1,200 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
Rate history
The two-bedroom rate went up 5% from FY 2025 ($805) to FY 2026 ($844). Since FY 2020 it's up 38% in total, about 5.5% 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 | $462 | $465 | $612 | $826 | $829 | — |
| FY 2021 | $479 | $481 | $634 | $877 | $880 | +3.6% |
| FY 2022 | $530 | $536 | $705 | $982 | $1,006 | +11.2% |
| FY 2023 | $574 | $584 | $759 | $959 | $1,097 | +7.7% |
| FY 2024 | $664 | $726 | $887 | $1,072 | $1,327 | +16.9% |
| FY 2025 | $598 | $663 | $805 | $970 | $1,211 | -9.2% |
| FY 2026 | $627 | $682 | $844 | $1,012 | $1,259 | +4.8% |
| FY 2027 | $749 | $754 | $986 | $1,175 | $1,464 | +16.8% |
Nearby counties
Questions people ask
$844 a month for FY 2026, which runs October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026. The other rates are $627 for a studio, $682 for one bedroom, $1,012 for three and $1,259 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 Cherokee actually go for?
HUD's number is one input. Search any address in Cherokee for a rent estimate built from nearby comps. 3 free searches, no card.
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