HUD Fair Market Rent · FY 2026 · Effective Oct 1, 2025 to Sep 30, 2026
Fair Market Rent in Jefferson County, Alabama (FY 2026)
$1,266 a month. That's HUD's FY 2026 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
$1,266
-0.1% from FY 2025
Payment standard
$1,139–$1,393
90% to 110% of the FMR, two-bedroom
Income to afford
$50,640
a year, with rent at 30% of income
Rank in Alabama
6th of 67
by two-bedroom FMR, highest first
HUD has already published FY 2027. On October 1, 2026 the two-bedroom rate in Jefferson moves to $1,375. That's up 9%. 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 | $1,024 | $922–$1,126 | $40,960 | $19.69/hr | +2.6% |
| 1 bedroom | $1,155 | $1,040–$1,271 | $46,200 | $22.21/hr | +1.0% |
| 2 bedroom | $1,266 | $1,139–$1,393 | $50,640 | $24.35/hr | -0.1% |
| 3 bedroom | $1,583 | $1,425–$1,741 | $63,320 | $30.44/hr | 0.0% |
| 4 bedroom | $1,801 | $1,621–$1,981 | $72,040 | $34.63/hr | +0.6% |
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 | $2,071 | $1,864–$2,278 |
| 6 bedroom Estimate | $2,341 | $2,107–$2,575 |
| 7 bedroom Estimate | $2,611 | $2,350–$2,872 |
| 8 bedroom Estimate | $2,882 | $2,594–$3,170 |
Source: HUD Office of Policy Development and Research, FY 2026 Fair Market Rents. Rents include utilities. huduser.gov
Market check
Two-bedrooms in Birmingham are asking $1,120. HUD says $1,266.
That's 12% 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.
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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 Jefferson somewhere between $1,139 and $1,393. 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.
$1,266 a month is affordable, by HUD's 30% rule, on an income of roughly $50,640 a year. Put another way, $24 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%$1,139 | Voucher pays at 100%$1,266 | Voucher pays at 110%$1,393 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $2,500 | $750 | $389 | $516 | $643 |
| $4,000 | $1,200 | $0 | $66 | $193 |
Rate history
The two-bedroom rate went down 0% from FY 2025 ($1,267) to FY 2026 ($1,266). Since FY 2020 it's up 28% in total, about 4.3% 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 | $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 2026In effect | $1,024 | $1,155 | $1,266 | $1,583 | $1,801 | -0.1% |
| FY 2027From Oct 1, 2026 | $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 2026 that's October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026. In Jefferson, that runs from $1,024 for a studio up to $1,801 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 $1,266 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 6th for two-bedroom FMR. That's about 44% above the state median of $879 and about 24% above the national median county at $1,018. About 672,265 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 $1,020 in 35006 (Adger) and $1,900 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 | $1,160 | -8.4% |
| 35006 | Adger | $1,020 | -19.4% |
| 35015 | Alton | $1,266County rate | — |
| 35020 | Bessemer | $1,040 | -17.9% |
| 35021 | Bessemer | $1,260 | -0.5% |
| 35022 | Bessemer | $1,090 | -13.9% |
| 35023 | Bessemer | $1,310 | +3.5% |
| 35036 | Brookside | $1,120 | -11.5% |
| 35048 | Clay | $1,260 | -0.5% |
| 35060 | Docena | $1,110 | -12.3% |
| 35061 | Dolomite | $1,370 | +8.2% |
| 35064 | Fairfield | $1,200 | -5.2% |
| 35068 | Fultondale | $1,280 | +1.1% |
| 35071 | Gardendale | $1,290 | +1.9% |
| 35073 | Graysville | $1,100 | -13.1% |
| 35091 | Kimberly | $1,050 | -17.1% |
| 35094 | Leeds | $1,090 | -13.9% |
| 35111 | Mc Calla | $1,200 | -5.2% |
| 35116 | Morris | $1,100 | -13.1% |
| 35117 | Mount Olive | $1,160 | -8.4% |
| 35118 | Mulga | $1,070 | -15.5% |
| 35119 | New Castle | $1,260 | -0.5% |
| 35123 | Palmerdale | $1,266County rate | — |
| 35126 | Pinson | $1,320 | +4.3% |
| 35127 | Pleasant Grove | $1,400 | +10.6% |
| 35139 | Sayre | $1,266County rate | — |
| 35142 | Shannon | $1,266County rate | — |
| 35172 | Trafford | $1,020 | -19.4% |
| 35173 | Trussville | $1,490 | +17.7% |
| 35180 | Warrior | $1,020 | -19.4% |
| 35181 | Watson | $1,160 | -8.4% |
| 35201 | Birmingham | $1,260 | -0.5% |
| 35202 | Birmingham | $1,260 | -0.5% |
| 35203 | Birmingham | $1,020 | -19.4% |
| 35204 | Birmingham | $1,020 | -19.4% |
| 35205 | Birmingham | $1,400 | +10.6% |
| 35206 | Birmingham | $1,150 | -9.2% |
| 35207 | Birmingham | $1,020 | -19.4% |
| 35208 | Birmingham | $1,070 | -15.5% |
| 35209 | Birmingham | $1,580 | +24.8% |
Counties sharing the Birmingham-Hoover metro rate
HUD sets one rate for the whole metro, so every county here carries the same $1,266 two-bedroom figure as Jefferson.
Nearby counties
Two-bedroom FMR, with how each compares to Jefferson.
Shelby County
22 mi · 223,916 people
$1,266
same rate
Walker County
30 mi · 64,978 people
$886
-30%
Blount County
32 mi · 59,077 people
$1,266
same rate
St. Clair County
32 mi · 91,719 people
$1,266
same rate
Bibb County
37 mi · 22,251 people
$1,266
same rate
Talladega County
40 mi · 81,105 people
$814
-36%
Cullman County
42 mi · 88,284 people
$879
-31%
Tuscaloosa County
44 mi · 231,558 people
$1,169
-8%
Questions people ask
$1,266 a month for FY 2026, which runs October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026. The other rates are $1,024 for a studio, $1,155 for one bedroom, $1,583 for three and $1,801 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. 3 free searches, no card.
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