HUD Fair Market Rent · FY 2026 · effective Oct 1, 2025 to Sep 30, 2026
Fair Market Rent in Lawrence County, Alabama (FY 2026)
$961 a month. That's HUD's FY 2026 Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom in Lawrence County, and it's the baseline every voucher in Lawrence is measured against.
2 bedroom FMR
$961
FY 2026, utilities included
Payment standard range
$865 to $1,057
90% to 110% of FMR
Income to afford 2BR
$38,440
per year, at 30% of income
Rank in Alabama
26th of 67
by 2BR FMR
HUD has already published FY 2027. On October 1, 2026 the two-bedroom rate in Lawrence moves to $1,023. That's up 6%. The full FY 2027 table is in the history section below.
HUD's number is one input. What does a two-bedroom in Lawrence actually rent for?
Search any address in Lawrence 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 | $755 | $680 to $831 | $30,200 | $14.52/hr | +4.0% |
| 1 bedroom | $776 | $698 to $854 | $31,040 | $14.92/hr | +2.6% |
| 2 bedroom | $961 | $865 to $1,057 | $38,440 | $18.48/hr | +4.1% |
| 3 bedroom | $1,262 | $1,136 to $1,388 | $50,480 | $24.27/hr | +4.0% |
| 4 bedroom | $1,550 | $1,395 to $1,705 | $62,000 | $29.81/hr | +6.5% |
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 | $1,783 | $1,605 to $1,961 |
| 6 bedroom Estimate | $2,015 | $1,814 to $2,217 |
| 7 bedroom Estimate | $2,248 | $2,023 to $2,473 |
| 8 bedroom Estimate | $2,480 | $2,232 to $2,728 |
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 Lawrence, that runs from $755 for a studio up to $1,550 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 Lawrence in with one other county in the Decatur metro, Morgan County among them, and every one of them gets $961 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, Lawrence ranks 26th for two-bedroom FMR. That's about 9% above the state median of $879 and about 6% below the national median county at $1,018. About 33,116 people live here, 35th in the state.
Counties sharing the Decatur metro rate
Rates by ZIP code
Zoom in and the picture changes. HUD's Small Area FMRs put a two-bedroom at $840 in 35618 (Courtland) and $880 in 35643 (Hillsboro), with the 5 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.
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 Lawrence somewhere between $865 and $1,057. 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.
$961 a month is affordable, by HUD's 30% rule, on an income of roughly $38,440 a year. Put another way, $18 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% ($865) | HAP at 100% ($961) | HAP at 110% ($1,057) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $2,500 | $750 | $115 | $211 | $307 |
| $4,000 | $1,200 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
Rate history
The two-bedroom rate went up 4% from FY 2025 ($923) to FY 2026 ($961). Since FY 2020 it's up 40% in total, about 5.8% 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 | $480 | $546 | $687 | $889 | $950 | — |
| FY 2021 | $509 | $574 | $708 | $925 | $960 | +3.1% |
| FY 2022 | $554 | $592 | $720 | $946 | $1,009 | +1.7% |
| FY 2023 | $623 | $651 | $795 | $1,038 | $1,151 | +10.4% |
| FY 2024 | $740 | $763 | $924 | $1,202 | $1,352 | +16.2% |
| FY 2025 | $726 | $756 | $923 | $1,214 | $1,456 | -0.1% |
| FY 2026 | $755 | $776 | $961 | $1,262 | $1,550 | +4.1% |
| FY 2027 | $830 | $835 | $1,023 | $1,315 | $1,686 | +6.5% |
Nearby counties
Colbert County
$1,00023 mi · pop 57,270
Morgan County
$96124 mi · pop 123,102
Limestone County
$1,31026 mi · pop 104,199
Lauderdale County
$1,00027 mi · pop 94,329
Winston County
$77632 mi · pop 23,655
Franklin County
$77633 mi · pop 32,011
Cullman County
$87942 mi · pop 88,284
Madison County
$1,31043 mi · pop 389,781
Questions people ask
$961 a month for FY 2026, which runs October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026. The other rates are $755 for a studio, $776 for one bedroom, $1,262 for three and $1,550 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 Lawrence actually go for?
HUD's number is one input. Search any address in Lawrence for a rent estimate built from nearby comps. 3 free searches, no card.
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