HUD Fair Market Rent · FY 2026 · Effective Oct 1, 2025 to Sep 30, 2026
Fair Market Rent in Houston County, Alabama (FY 2026)
A two-bedroom in Houston County carries a FY 2026 Fair Market Rent of $950 a month, effective October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026. Everything Section 8 pays in Houston keys off that figure.
Two-bedroom FMR
$950
+6.0% from FY 2025
Payment standard
$855–$1,045
90% to 110% of the FMR, two-bedroom
Income to afford
$38,000
a year, with rent at 30% of income
Rank in Alabama
29th of 67
by two-bedroom FMR, highest first
HUD has already published FY 2027. On October 1, 2026 the two-bedroom rate in Houston moves to $966. That's up 2%. The full FY 2027 table is in the history section below.
FY 2026 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 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Studio | $757 | $681–$833 | $30,280 | $14.56/hr | +5.4% |
| 1 bedroom | $762 | $686–$838 | $30,480 | $14.65/hr | +5.5% |
| 2 bedroom | $950 | $855–$1,045 | $38,000 | $18.27/hr | +6.0% |
| 3 bedroom | $1,288 | $1,159–$1,417 | $51,520 | $24.77/hr | +5.3% |
| 4 bedroom | $1,428 | $1,285–$1,571 | $57,120 | $27.46/hr | +3.2% |
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 | $1,642 | $1,478–$1,806 |
| 6 bedroom Estimate | $1,856 | $1,670–$2,042 |
| 7 bedroom Estimate | $2,071 | $1,864–$2,278 |
| 8 bedroom Estimate | $2,285 | $2,057–$2,514 |
Source: HUD Office of Policy Development and Research, FY 2026 Fair Market Rents. Rents include utilities. huduser.gov
Market check
HUD's number is one input. What does a two-bedroom in Houston actually rent for?
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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 Houston somewhere between $855 and $1,045. 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.
$950 a month is affordable, by HUD's 30% rule, on an income of roughly $38,000 a year. Put another way, $18 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%$855 | Voucher pays at 100%$950 | Voucher pays at 110%$1,045 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $2,500 | $750 | $105 | $200 | $295 |
| $4,000 | $1,200 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
Rate history
The two-bedroom rate went up 6% from FY 2025 ($896) to FY 2026 ($950). Since FY 2020 it's up 43% in total, about 6.1% a year. The Alabama median moved up 3% over the same year.
| Fiscal year | Studio | 1 BR | 2 BR | 3 BR | 4 BR | 2BR change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY 2020 | $503 | $506 | $666 | $875 | $995 | — |
| FY 2021 | $543 | $547 | $706 | $923 | $1,057 | +6.0% |
| FY 2022 | $561 | $565 | $705 | $929 | $1,043 | -0.1% |
| FY 2023 | $619 | $622 | $761 | $1,015 | $1,156 | +7.9% |
| FY 2024 | $735 | $739 | $904 | $1,220 | $1,386 | +18.8% |
| FY 2025 | $718 | $722 | $896 | $1,223 | $1,384 | -0.9% |
| FY 2026In effect | $757 | $762 | $950 | $1,288 | $1,428 | +6.0% |
| FY 2027From Oct 1, 2026 | $763 | $768 | $966 | $1,291 | $1,415 | +1.7% |
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 2026 that's October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026. In Houston, that runs from $757 for a studio up to $1,428 for four bedrooms, all five rates in the table above.
This is a metro rate. The county doesn't get one of its own. HUD lumps Houston in with one other county in the Dothan metro, Geneva County among them, and every one of them gets $950 for a two-bedroom. Where you are inside the metro doesn't change the county number. It does change the ZIP number, covered below.
Among Alabama's 67 counties, Houston ranks 29th for two-bedroom FMR. That's about 8% above the state median of $879 and about 7% below the national median county at $1,018. About 107,040 people live here, 11th 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 36370 (Pansey) and $1,260 in 36305 (Dothan), with the 12 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.
Counties sharing the Dothan metro rate
HUD sets one rate for the whole metro, so every county here carries the same $950 two-bedroom figure as Houston.
Nearby counties
Two-bedroom FMR, with how each compares to Houston.
Henry County
19 mi · 17,282 people
$878
-8%
Dale County
24 mi · 49,455 people
$776
-18%
Geneva County
30 mi · 26,647 people
$950
same rate
Coffee County
42 mi · 53,559 people
$933
-2%
Barbour County
44 mi · 24,877 people
$776
-18%
Pike County
56 mi · 32,997 people
$912
-4%
Covington County
69 mi · 37,542 people
$776
-18%
Crenshaw County
69 mi · 13,205 people
$776
-18%
Questions people ask
$950 a month for FY 2026, which runs October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026. The other rates are $757 for a studio, $762 for one bedroom, $1,288 for three and $1,428 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 Houston actually go for?
HUD's number is one input. Search any address in Houston for a rent estimate built from nearby comps. 3 free searches, no card.
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