HUD Fair Market Rent · FY 2027 · Effective Oct 1, 2026 to Sep 30, 2027
Fair Market Rent in Jefferson County, Alabama (FY 2027)
$1,375 a month. That's HUD's FY 2027 Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom in Jefferson County, and it's the baseline every voucher in Jefferson is measured against.
Two-bedroom FMR
$1,375
+8.6% from FY 2026
Payment standard
$1,238–$1,513
90% to 110% of the FMR, two-bedroom
Income to afford
$55,000
a year, with rent at 30% of income
Rank in Alabama
4th 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 | $1,177 | $1,059–$1,295 | $47,080 | $22.63/hr | +14.9% |
| 1 bedroom | $1,263 | $1,137–$1,389 | $50,520 | $24.29/hr | +9.4% |
| 2 bedroom | $1,375 | $1,238–$1,513 | $55,000 | $26.44/hr | +8.6% |
| 3 bedroom | $1,727 | $1,554–$1,900 | $69,080 | $33.21/hr | +9.1% |
| 4 bedroom | $1,941 | $1,747–$2,135 | $77,640 | $37.33/hr | +7.8% |
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 | $2,232 | $2,009–$2,455 |
| 6 bedroom Estimate | $2,523 | $2,271–$2,775 |
| 7 bedroom Estimate | $2,814 | $2,533–$3,095 |
| 8 bedroom Estimate | $3,106 | $2,795–$3,417 |
Source: HUD Office of Policy Development and Research, FY 2027 Fair Market Rents. Rents include utilities. huduser.gov
Market check
Two-bedrooms in Birmingham are asking $1,123. HUD says $1,375.
That's 18% below the county FMR. Median asking rent across 17 Birmingham ZIP codes with active 2BR listings. FMR includes utilities and asking rents usually don't, so the true gap is a little smaller.
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 Jefferson somewhere between $1,238 and $1,513. 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.
$1,375 a month is affordable, by HUD's 30% rule, on an income of roughly $55,000 a year. Put another way, $26 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%$1,238 | Voucher pays at 100%$1,375 | Voucher pays at 110%$1,513 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $2,500 | $750 | $488 | $625 | $763 |
| $4,000 | $1,200 | $38 | $175 | $313 |
Rate history
The two-bedroom rate went up 9% from FY 2026 ($1,266) to FY 2027 ($1,375). Since FY 2020 it's up 39% in total, about 4.9% 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 | $804 | $861 | $986 | $1,291 | $1,425 | — |
| FY 2021 | $817 | $871 | $1,002 | $1,303 | $1,409 | +1.6% |
| FY 2022 | $765 | $820 | $943 | $1,220 | $1,316 | -5.9% |
| FY 2023 | $866 | $942 | $1,075 | $1,376 | $1,494 | +14.0% |
| FY 2024 | $983 | $1,109 | $1,245 | $1,570 | $1,752 | +15.8% |
| FY 2025 | $998 | $1,144 | $1,267 | $1,583 | $1,791 | +1.8% |
| FY 2026 | $1,024 | $1,155 | $1,266 | $1,583 | $1,801 | -0.1% |
| FY 2027In effect | $1,177 | $1,263 | $1,375 | $1,727 | $1,941 | +8.6% |
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 Jefferson, that runs from $1,177 for a studio up to $1,941 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 Jefferson in with 4 other counties in the Birmingham-Hoover metro, Shelby County, St. Clair County, Blount County among them, and every one of them gets $1,375 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, Jefferson ranks 4th for two-bedroom FMR. That's about 41% above the state median of $975 and about 29% above the national median county at $1,063. About 667,755 people live here, 1st 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 35006 (Adger) and $2,060 in 35213 (Birmingham), with the 75 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 35005 | Adamsville | $1,320 | -4.0% |
| 35006 | Adger | $920 | -33.1% |
| 35015 | Alton | $1,375County rate | — |
| 35020 | Bessemer | $1,120 | -18.5% |
| 35021 | Bessemer | $1,370 | -0.4% |
| 35022 | Bessemer | $1,210 | -12.0% |
| 35023 | Bessemer | $1,420 | +3.3% |
| 35036 | Brookside | $1,250 | -9.1% |
| 35048 | Clay | $1,370 | -0.4% |
| 35060 | Docena | $1,230 | -10.5% |
| 35061 | Dolomite | $1,570 | +14.2% |
| 35064 | Fairfield | $1,320 | -4.0% |
| 35068 | Fultondale | $1,400 | +1.8% |
| 35071 | Gardendale | $1,460 | +6.2% |
| 35073 | Graysville | $1,210 | -12.0% |
| 35091 | Kimberly | $1,100 | -20.0% |
| 35094 | Leeds | $1,210 | -12.0% |
| 35111 | Mc Calla | $1,300 | -5.5% |
| 35116 | Morris | $1,090 | -20.7% |
| 35117 | Mount Olive | $1,350 | -1.8% |
| 35118 | Mulga | $1,210 | -12.0% |
| 35119 | New Castle | $1,370 | -0.4% |
| 35123 | Palmerdale | $1,375County rate | — |
| 35126 | Pinson | $1,550 | +12.7% |
| 35127 | Pleasant Grove | $1,600 | +16.4% |
| 35139 | Sayre | $1,375County rate | — |
| 35142 | Shannon | $1,375County rate | — |
| 35172 | Trafford | $970 | -29.5% |
| 35173 | Trussville | $1,480 | +7.6% |
| 35180 | Warrior | $1,040 | -24.4% |
| 35181 | Watson | $1,350 | -1.8% |
| 35201 | Birmingham | $1,370 | -0.4% |
| 35202 | Birmingham | $1,370 | -0.4% |
| 35203 | Birmingham | $1,250 | -9.1% |
| 35204 | Birmingham | $920 | -33.1% |
| 35205 | Birmingham | $1,460 | +6.2% |
| 35206 | Birmingham | $1,190 | -13.5% |
| 35207 | Birmingham | $1,020 | -25.8% |
| 35208 | Birmingham | $1,170 | -14.9% |
| 35209 | Birmingham | $1,690 | +22.9% |
Counties sharing the Birmingham-Hoover metro rate
HUD sets one rate for the whole metro, so every county here carries the same $1,375 two-bedroom figure as Jefferson.
Nearby counties
Two-bedroom FMR, with how each compares to Jefferson.
Shelby County
22 mi · 230,211 people
$1,375
same rate
Walker County
30 mi · 64,841 people
$949
-31%
Blount County
32 mi · 59,518 people
$1,375
same rate
St. Clair County
32 mi · 94,166 people
$1,375
same rate
Bibb County
37 mi · 22,130 people
$1,375
same rate
Talladega County
40 mi · 81,021 people
$977
-29%
Cullman County
42 mi · 90,566 people
$1,034
-25%
Tuscaloosa County
44 mi · 237,552 people
$1,165
-15%
Questions people ask
$1,375 a month for FY 2027, which runs October 1, 2026 through September 30, 2027. The other rates are $1,177 for a studio, $1,263 for one bedroom, $1,727 for three and $1,941 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 Jefferson actually go for?
HUD's number is one input. Search any address in Jefferson for a rent estimate built from nearby comps. Free to start, no card.
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