HUD Fair Market Rent · FY 2026 · effective Oct 1, 2025 to Sep 30, 2026
Fair Market Rent in Clarke County, Alabama (FY 2026)
$791 a month. That's HUD's FY 2026 Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom in Clarke County, and it's the baseline every voucher in Clarke is measured against.
2 bedroom FMR
$791
FY 2026, utilities included
Payment standard range
$712 to $870
90% to 110% of FMR
Income to afford 2BR
$31,640
per year, at 30% of income
Rank in Alabama
45th of 67
by 2BR FMR
HUD has already published FY 2027. On October 1, 2026 the two-bedroom rate in Clarke moves to $921. That's up 16%. The full FY 2027 table is in the history section below.
HUD's number is one input. What does a two-bedroom in Clarke actually rent for?
Search any address in Clarke 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 | $588 | $529 to $647 | $23,520 | $11.31/hr | +1.7% |
| 1 bedroom | $603 | $543 to $663 | $24,120 | $11.60/hr | +0.5% |
| 2 bedroom | $791 | $712 to $870 | $31,640 | $15.21/hr | +2.5% |
| 3 bedroom | $1,034 | $931 to $1,137 | $41,360 | $19.88/hr | -4.3% |
| 4 bedroom | $1,261 | $1,135 to $1,387 | $50,440 | $24.25/hr | -3.7% |
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 | $1,450 | $1,305 to $1,595 |
| 6 bedroom Estimate | $1,639 | $1,475 to $1,803 |
| 7 bedroom Estimate | $1,828 | $1,645 to $2,011 |
| 8 bedroom Estimate | $2,018 | $1,816 to $2,220 |
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 Clarke, that runs from $588 for a studio up to $1,261 for four bedrooms, all five rates in the table above.
Because Clarke 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, Dickinson included.
Among Alabama's 67 counties, Clarke ranks 45th for two-bedroom FMR. That's about 10% below the state median of $879 and about 22% below the national median county at $1,018. About 23,058 people live here, 43rd 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 36524 (Coffeeville) and $850 in 36784 (Thomasville), with the 9 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 Clarke somewhere between $712 and $870. 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.
$791 a month is affordable, by HUD's 30% rule, on an income of roughly $31,640 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% ($712) | HAP at 100% ($791) | HAP at 110% ($870) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $2,500 | $750 | $0 | $41 | $120 |
| $4,000 | $1,200 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
Rate history
The two-bedroom rate went up 2% from FY 2025 ($772) to FY 2026 ($791). Since FY 2020 it's up 29% in total, about 4.4% 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 | $507 | $612 | $883 | $980 | — |
| FY 2021 | $479 | $493 | $634 | $907 | $930 | +3.6% |
| FY 2022 | $530 | $550 | $705 | $1,001 | $1,207 | +11.2% |
| FY 2023 | $560 | $573 | $740 | $1,052 | $1,260 | +5.0% |
| FY 2024 | $642 | $666 | $857 | $1,200 | $1,454 | +15.8% |
| FY 2025 | $578 | $600 | $772 | $1,080 | $1,309 | -9.9% |
| FY 2026 | $588 | $603 | $791 | $1,034 | $1,261 | +2.5% |
| FY 2027 | $699 | $704 | $921 | $1,204 | $1,476 | +16.4% |
Nearby counties
Questions people ask
$791 a month for FY 2026, which runs October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026. The other rates are $588 for a studio, $603 for one bedroom, $1,034 for three and $1,261 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 Clarke actually go for?
HUD's number is one input. Search any address in Clarke for a rent estimate built from nearby comps. 3 free searches, no card.
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