HUD Fair Market Rent · FY 2026 · effective Oct 1, 2025 to Sep 30, 2026
Fair Market Rent in Choctaw County, Alabama (FY 2026)
HUD's FY 2026 Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom in Choctaw County is $778 a month. That's the number the housing authority starts from when it sets Section 8 payment standards here.
2 bedroom FMR
$778
FY 2026, utilities included
Payment standard range
$700 to $856
90% to 110% of FMR
Income to afford 2BR
$31,120
per year, at 30% of income
Rank in Alabama
47th of 67
by 2BR FMR
HUD has already published FY 2027. On October 1, 2026 the two-bedroom rate in Choctaw moves to $921. That's up 18%. The full FY 2027 table is in the history section below.
HUD's number is one input. What does a two-bedroom in Choctaw actually rent for?
Search any address in Choctaw 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 | $578 | $520 to $636 | $23,120 | $11.12/hr | 0.0% |
| 1 bedroom | $616 | $554 to $678 | $24,640 | $11.85/hr | +2.7% |
| 2 bedroom | $778 | $700 to $856 | $31,120 | $14.96/hr | +0.8% |
| 3 bedroom | $1,024 | $922 to $1,126 | $40,960 | $19.69/hr | +1.7% |
| 4 bedroom | $1,179 | $1,061 to $1,297 | $47,160 | $22.67/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 | $1,356 | $1,220 to $1,492 |
| 6 bedroom Estimate | $1,533 | $1,380 to $1,686 |
| 7 bedroom Estimate | $1,710 | $1,539 to $1,881 |
| 8 bedroom Estimate | $1,886 | $1,697 to $2,075 |
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 Choctaw, that runs from $578 for a studio up to $1,179 for four bedrooms, all five rates in the table above.
Because Choctaw 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, Butler included.
Among Alabama's 67 counties, Choctaw ranks 47th for two-bedroom FMR. That's about 11% below the state median of $879 and about 24% below the national median county at $1,018. About 12,669 people live here, 59th 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 36921 (Toxey) and $1,170 in 36912 (Lisman), with the 10 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 Choctaw somewhere between $700 and $856. 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.
$778 a month is affordable, by HUD's 30% rule, on an income of roughly $31,120 a year. Put another way, $15 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% ($700) | HAP at 100% ($778) | HAP at 110% ($856) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $2,500 | $750 | $0 | $28 | $106 |
| $4,000 | $1,200 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
Rate history
The two-bedroom rate went up 1% from FY 2025 ($772) to FY 2026 ($778). Since FY 2020 it's up 26% in total, about 3.9% 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 | $466 | $469 | $618 | $770 | $844 | — |
| FY 2021 | $479 | $481 | $634 | $789 | $910 | +2.6% |
| FY 2022 | $530 | $536 | $705 | $871 | $1,182 | +11.2% |
| FY 2023 | $560 | $562 | $740 | $921 | $1,260 | +5.0% |
| FY 2024 | $642 | $666 | $857 | $1,102 | $1,454 | +15.8% |
| FY 2025 | $578 | $600 | $772 | $1,007 | $1,309 | -9.9% |
| FY 2026 | $578 | $616 | $778 | $1,024 | $1,179 | +0.8% |
| FY 2027 | $720 | $737 | $921 | $1,211 | $1,368 | +18.4% |
Nearby counties
Questions people ask
$778 a month for FY 2026, which runs October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026. The other rates are $578 for a studio, $616 for one bedroom, $1,024 for three and $1,179 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 Choctaw actually go for?
HUD's number is one input. Search any address in Choctaw for a rent estimate built from nearby comps. 3 free searches, no card.
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