HUD Fair Market Rent · FY 2026 · effective Oct 1, 2025 to Sep 30, 2026
Fair Market Rent in DeKalb County, Alabama (FY 2026)
$776 a month. That's HUD's FY 2026 Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom in DeKalb County, and it's the baseline every voucher in DeKalb is measured against.
2 bedroom FMR
$776
FY 2026, utilities included
Payment standard range
$698 to $854
90% to 110% of FMR
Income to afford 2BR
$31,040
per year, at 30% of income
Rank in Alabama
57th of 67
by 2BR FMR
HUD has already published FY 2027. On October 1, 2026 the two-bedroom rate in DeKalb moves to $921. That's up 19%. The full FY 2027 table is in the history section below.
HUD's number is one input. What does a two-bedroom in DeKalb actually rent for?
Search any address in DeKalb 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 | $576 | $518 to $634 | $23,040 | $11.08/hr | -0.3% |
| 1 bedroom | $591 | $532 to $650 | $23,640 | $11.37/hr | +0.7% |
| 2 bedroom | $776 | $698 to $854 | $31,040 | $14.92/hr | +0.5% |
| 3 bedroom | $992 | $893 to $1,091 | $39,680 | $19.08/hr | -5.0% |
| 4 bedroom | $1,302 | $1,172 to $1,432 | $52,080 | $25.04/hr | +1.7% |
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 | $1,497 | $1,347 to $1,647 |
| 6 bedroom Estimate | $1,693 | $1,524 to $1,862 |
| 7 bedroom Estimate | $1,888 | $1,699 to $2,077 |
| 8 bedroom Estimate | $2,083 | $1,875 to $2,291 |
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 DeKalb, that runs from $576 for a studio up to $1,302 for four bedrooms, all five rates in the table above.
Because DeKalb 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, Fort Payne included.
Among Alabama's 67 counties, DeKalb ranks 57th for two-bedroom FMR. That's about 12% below the state median of $879 and about 24% below the national median county at $1,018. About 71,680 people live here, 20th 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 35968 (Fort Payne) and $1,140 in 35981 (Ider), with the 14 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 35961 | Collinsville | $850 | +9.5% |
| 35962 | Crossville | $850 | +9.5% |
| 35963 | Dawson | $810 | +4.4% |
| 35967 | Fort Payne | $800 | +3.1% |
| 35968 | Fort Payne | $780 | +0.5% |
| 35971 | Fyffe | $800 | +3.1% |
| 35974 | Geraldine | $780 | +0.5% |
| 35975 | Groveoak | $790 | +1.8% |
| 35978 | Henagar | $990 | +27.6% |
| 35981 | Ider | $1,140 | +46.9% |
| 35984 | Mentone | $870 | +12.1% |
| 35986 | Rainsville | $780 | +0.5% |
| 35988 | Sylvania | $780 | +0.5% |
| 35989 | Valley Head | $780 | +0.5% |
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 DeKalb somewhere between $698 and $854. 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.
$776 a month is affordable, by HUD's 30% rule, on an income of roughly $31,040 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% ($698) | HAP at 100% ($776) | HAP at 110% ($854) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $2,500 | $750 | $0 | $26 | $104 |
| $4,000 | $1,200 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
Rate history
The two-bedroom rate went up 1% from FY 2025 ($772) to FY 2026 ($776). Since FY 2020 it's up 27% in total, about 4.0% 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 | $818 | $884 | — |
| FY 2021 | $418 | $492 | $634 | $852 | $936 | +3.6% |
| FY 2022 | $468 | $555 | $705 | $953 | $1,054 | +11.2% |
| FY 2023 | $560 | $579 | $740 | $1,015 | $1,153 | +5.0% |
| FY 2024 | $642 | $652 | $857 | $1,159 | $1,391 | +15.8% |
| FY 2025 | $578 | $587 | $772 | $1,044 | $1,280 | -9.9% |
| FY 2026 | $576 | $591 | $776 | $992 | $1,302 | +0.5% |
| FY 2027 | $699 | $704 | $921 | $1,154 | $1,539 | +18.7% |
Nearby counties
Questions people ask
$776 a month for FY 2026, which runs October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026. The other rates are $576 for a studio, $591 for one bedroom, $992 for three and $1,302 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 DeKalb actually go for?
HUD's number is one input. Search any address in DeKalb for a rent estimate built from nearby comps. 3 free searches, no card.
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