HUD Fair Market Rent · FY 2027 · Effective Oct 1, 2026 to Sep 30, 2027
Fair Market Rent in Cullman County, Alabama (FY 2027)
$1,034 a month. That's HUD's FY 2027 Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom in Cullman County, and it's the baseline every voucher in Cullman is measured against.
Two-bedroom FMR
$1,034
+17.6% from FY 2026
Payment standard
$931–$1,137
90% to 110% of the FMR, two-bedroom
Income to afford
$41,360
a year, with rent at 30% of income
Rank in Alabama
25th of 67
by two-bedroom FMR, highest first
FY 2027 Fair Market Rents
Payment standard is the 90% to 110% band a housing authority can set. Income needed puts rent at 30% of gross income, and the hourly wage assumes a 40-hour week.
| Bedrooms | FMR | Payment standard | Income needed | Hourly wage | vs FY 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Studio | $785 | $707–$864 | $31,400 | $15.10/hr | +17.9% |
| 1 bedroom | $790 | $711–$869 | $31,600 | $15.19/hr | +17.9% |
| 2 bedroom | $1,034 | $931–$1,137 | $41,360 | $19.88/hr | +17.6% |
| 3 bedroom | $1,356 | $1,220–$1,492 | $54,240 | $26.08/hr | +19.3% |
| 4 bedroom | $1,581 | $1,423–$1,739 | $63,240 | $30.40/hr | +14.5% |
Five to eight 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 | $1,818 | $1,636–$2,000 |
| 6 bedroom Estimate | $2,055 | $1,850–$2,261 |
| 7 bedroom Estimate | $2,292 | $2,063–$2,521 |
| 8 bedroom Estimate | $2,530 | $2,277–$2,783 |
Source: HUD Office of Policy Development and Research, FY 2027 Fair Market Rents. Rents include utilities. huduser.gov
Market check
HUD's number is one input. What does a two-bedroom in Cullman actually rent for?
Search any address in Cullman for a rent estimate built from nearby comps, with the HUD figure right next to it.
No card needed
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 Cullman somewhere between $931 and $1,137. 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.
$1,034 a month is affordable, by HUD's 30% rule, on an income of roughly $41,360 a year. Put another way, $20 an hour full time.
Worked example for a two-bedroom renting at the payment standard. The tenant pays 30% of monthly income and the voucher covers the rest.
| Monthly household income | Tenant pays (30%) | Voucher pays at 90%$931 | Voucher pays at 100%$1,034 | Voucher pays at 110%$1,137 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $2,500 | $750 | $181 | $284 | $387 |
| $4,000 | $1,200 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
Rate history
The two-bedroom rate went up 18% from FY 2026 ($879) to FY 2027 ($1,034). Since FY 2020 it's up 60% in total, about 7.0% a year. The Alabama median moved up 11% over the same year.
| Fiscal year | Studio | 1 BR | 2 BR | 3 BR | 4 BR | 2BR change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY 2020 | $469 | $525 | $645 | $871 | $874 | — |
| FY 2021 | $494 | $541 | $665 | $898 | $902 | +3.1% |
| FY 2022 | $559 | $607 | $747 | $1,009 | $1,013 | +12.3% |
| FY 2023 | $627 | $655 | $815 | $1,097 | $1,125 | +9.1% |
| FY 2024 | $767 | $772 | $1,002 | $1,306 | $1,462 | +22.9% |
| FY 2025 | $691 | $695 | $902 | $1,176 | $1,340 | -10.0% |
| FY 2026 | $666 | $670 | $879 | $1,137 | $1,381 | -2.5% |
| FY 2027In effect | $785 | $790 | $1,034 | $1,356 | $1,581 | +17.6% |
About this rate
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 2027 that's October 1, 2026 through September 30, 2027. In Cullman, that runs from $785 for a studio up to $1,581 for four bedrooms, all five rates in the table above.
Because Cullman 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, Cullman included.
Among Alabama's 67 counties, Cullman ranks 25th for two-bedroom FMR. That's about 6% above the state median of $975 and about 3% below the national median county at $1,063. About 90,566 people live here, 17th in the state.
Rates by ZIP code
Zoom in and the picture changes. HUD's Small Area FMRs put a two-bedroom at $920 in 35179 (Vinemont) and $1,230 in 35033 (Bremen), with the 13 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 35019 | Baileyton | $960 | -7.2% |
| 35033 | Bremen | $1,230 | +19.0% |
| 35053 | Crane Hill | $1,030 | -0.4% |
| 35055 | Cullman | $1,070 | +3.5% |
| 35056 | Cullman | $1,030 | -0.4% |
| 35057 | Cullman | $1,010 | -2.3% |
| 35058 | Cullman | $1,030 | -0.4% |
| 35070 | Garden City | $960 | -7.2% |
| 35077 | Hanceville | $960 | -7.2% |
| 35083 | Holly Pond | $1,070 | +3.5% |
| 35087 | Joppa | $1,060 | +2.5% |
| 35098 | Logan | $1,000 | -3.3% |
| 35179 | Vinemont | $920 | -11.0% |
Nearby counties
Two-bedroom FMR, with how each compares to Cullman.
Blount County
20 mi · 59,518 people
$1,375
+33%
Morgan County
25 mi · 124,471 people
$1,023
-1%
Marshall County
32 mi · 99,748 people
$925
-11%
Walker County
34 mi · 64,841 people
$949
-8%
Winston County
34 mi · 23,682 people
$921
-11%
Jefferson County
42 mi · 667,755 people
$1,375
+33%
Lawrence County
42 mi · 33,276 people
$1,023
-1%
Madison County
43 mi · 405,718 people
$1,341
+30%
Questions people ask
$1,034 a month for FY 2027, which runs October 1, 2026 through September 30, 2027. The other rates are $785 for a studio, $790 for one bedroom, $1,356 for three and $1,581 for four.
Tools for this county
Fair Market Rent lookup
Any ZIP code's Small Area FMR by bedroom count
Section 8 rent calculator
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
The income a household needs for a given rent
What does a rental in Cullman actually go for?
HUD's number is one input. Search any address in Cullman for a rent estimate built from nearby comps. Free to start, no card.
Free tier. No credit card.