HUD Fair Market Rent · FY 2026 · effective Oct 1, 2025 to Sep 30, 2026
Fair Market Rent in Lee County, Alabama (FY 2026)
A two-bedroom in Lee County carries a FY 2026 Fair Market Rent of $1,181 a month, effective October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026. Everything Section 8 pays in Lee keys off that figure.
2 bedroom FMR
$1,181
FY 2026, utilities included
Payment standard range
$1,063 to $1,299
90% to 110% of FMR
Income to afford 2BR
$47,240
per year, at 30% of income
Rank in Alabama
9th of 67
by 2BR FMR
HUD has already published FY 2027. On October 1, 2026 the two-bedroom rate in Lee moves to $1,277. That's up 8%. The full FY 2027 table is in the history section below.
HUD's number is one input. What does a two-bedroom in Lee actually rent for?
Search any address in Lee 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 | $847 | $762 to $932 | $33,880 | $16.29/hr | +0.4% |
| 1 bedroom | $1,077 | $969 to $1,185 | $43,080 | $20.71/hr | +6.7% |
| 2 bedroom | $1,181 | $1,063 to $1,299 | $47,240 | $22.71/hr | +1.1% |
| 3 bedroom | $1,494 | $1,345 to $1,643 | $59,760 | $28.73/hr | -2.2% |
| 4 bedroom | $1,699 | $1,529 to $1,869 | $67,960 | $32.67/hr | +4.1% |
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 | $1,954 | $1,759 to $2,149 |
| 6 bedroom Estimate | $2,209 | $1,988 to $2,430 |
| 7 bedroom Estimate | $2,464 | $2,218 to $2,710 |
| 8 bedroom Estimate | $2,718 | $2,446 to $2,990 |
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 Lee, that runs from $847 for a studio up to $1,699 for four bedrooms, all five rates in the table above.
Lee is its own HUD metro area (Auburn-Opelika, AL), so the rate here is set from rents inside the county rather than a wider region.
Among Alabama's 67 counties, Lee ranks 9th for two-bedroom FMR. That's about 34% above the state median of $879 and about 16% above the national median county at $1,018. About 175,126 people live here, 8th in the state.
Rates by ZIP code
Zoom in and the picture changes. HUD's Small Area FMRs put a two-bedroom at $1,060 in 36804 (Opelika) and $1,380 in 36830 (Auburn), with the 11 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 36801 | Opelika | $1,100 | -6.9% |
| 36802 | Opelika | $1,181County rate | — |
| 36803 | Opelika | $1,180 | -0.1% |
| 36804 | Opelika | $1,060 | -10.2% |
| 36830 | Auburn | $1,380 | +16.9% |
| 36831 | Auburn | $1,180 | -0.1% |
| 36832 | Auburn | $1,190 | +0.8% |
| 36849 | Auburn University | $1,270 | +7.5% |
| 36865 | Loachapoka | $1,190 | +0.8% |
| 36872 | Valley | $1,181County rate | — |
| 36874 | Salem | $1,170 | -0.9% |
| 36877 | Smiths Station | $1,260 | +6.7% |
| 36879 | Waverly | $1,060 | -10.2% |
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 Lee somewhere between $1,063 and $1,299. 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.
$1,181 a month is affordable, by HUD's 30% rule, on an income of roughly $47,240 a year. Put another way, $23 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% ($1,063) | HAP at 100% ($1,181) | HAP at 110% ($1,299) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $2,500 | $750 | $313 | $431 | $549 |
| $4,000 | $1,200 | $0 | $0 | $99 |
Rate history
The two-bedroom rate went up 1% from FY 2025 ($1,168) to FY 2026 ($1,181). Since FY 2020 it's up 46% in total, about 6.5% 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 | $564 | $623 | $811 | $1,066 | $1,242 | — |
| FY 2021 | $590 | $625 | $824 | $1,078 | $1,227 | +1.6% |
| FY 2022 | $672 | $706 | $924 | $1,222 | $1,383 | +12.1% |
| FY 2023 | $722 | $774 | $992 | $1,327 | $1,393 | +7.4% |
| FY 2024 | $801 | $901 | $1,099 | $1,487 | $1,617 | +10.8% |
| FY 2025 | $844 | $1,009 | $1,168 | $1,527 | $1,632 | +6.3% |
| FY 2026 | $847 | $1,077 | $1,181 | $1,494 | $1,699 | +1.1% |
| FY 2027 | $891 | $1,167 | $1,277 | $1,548 | $1,794 | +8.1% |
Nearby counties
Questions people ask
$1,181 a month for FY 2026, which runs October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026. The other rates are $847 for a studio, $1,077 for one bedroom, $1,494 for three and $1,699 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 Lee actually go for?
HUD's number is one input. Search any address in Lee for a rent estimate built from nearby comps. 3 free searches, no card.
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