HUD Fair Market Rent · FY 2027 · Effective Oct 1, 2026 to Sep 30, 2027
Fair Market Rent in Lee County, Alabama (FY 2027)
A two-bedroom in Lee County carries a FY 2027 Fair Market Rent of $1,277 a month, effective October 1, 2026 through September 30, 2027. Everything Section 8 pays in Lee keys off that figure.
Two-bedroom FMR
$1,277
+8.1% from FY 2026
Payment standard
$1,149–$1,405
90% to 110% of the FMR, two-bedroom
Income to afford
$51,080
a year, with rent at 30% of income
Rank in Alabama
9th 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 | $891 | $802–$980 | $35,640 | $17.13/hr | +5.2% |
| 1 bedroom | $1,167 | $1,050–$1,284 | $46,680 | $22.44/hr | +8.4% |
| 2 bedroom | $1,277 | $1,149–$1,405 | $51,080 | $24.56/hr | +8.1% |
| 3 bedroom | $1,548 | $1,393–$1,703 | $61,920 | $29.77/hr | +3.6% |
| 4 bedroom | $1,794 | $1,615–$1,973 | $71,760 | $34.50/hr | +5.6% |
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 | $2,063 | $1,857–$2,269 |
| 6 bedroom Estimate | $2,332 | $2,099–$2,565 |
| 7 bedroom Estimate | $2,601 | $2,341–$2,861 |
| 8 bedroom Estimate | $2,870 | $2,583–$3,157 |
Source: HUD Office of Policy Development and Research, FY 2027 Fair Market Rents. Rents include utilities. huduser.gov
Market check
HUD's number is one input. What does a two-bedroom in Lee 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 Lee somewhere between $1,149 and $1,405. 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.
$1,277 a month is affordable, by HUD's 30% rule, on an income of roughly $51,080 a year. Put another way, $25 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%$1,149 | Voucher pays at 100%$1,277 | Voucher pays at 110%$1,405 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $2,500 | $750 | $399 | $527 | $655 |
| $4,000 | $1,200 | $0 | $77 | $205 |
Rate history
The two-bedroom rate went up 8% from FY 2026 ($1,181) to FY 2027 ($1,277). Since FY 2020 it's up 57% in total, about 6.7% 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 | $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 2027In effect | $891 | $1,167 | $1,277 | $1,548 | $1,794 | +8.1% |
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 Lee, that runs from $891 for a studio up to $1,794 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 31% above the state median of $975 and about 20% above the national median county at $1,063. About 181,134 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 $1,070 in 36804 (Opelika) and $1,450 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 | $1,190 | -6.8% |
| 36802 | Opelika | $1,277County rate | — |
| 36803 | Opelika | $1,280 | +0.2% |
| 36804 | Opelika | $1,070 | -16.2% |
| 36830 | Auburn | $1,450 | +13.5% |
| 36831 | Auburn | $1,280 | +0.2% |
| 36832 | Auburn | $1,290 | +1.0% |
| 36849 | Auburn University | $1,360 | +6.5% |
| 36865 | Loachapoka | $1,290 | +1.0% |
| 36872 | Valley | $1,277County rate | — |
| 36874 | Salem | $1,270 | -0.5% |
| 36877 | Smiths Station | $1,400 | +9.6% |
| 36879 | Waverly | $1,070 | -16.2% |
Nearby counties
Two-bedroom FMR, with how each compares to Lee.
Chambers County
20 mi · 34,192 people
$1,091
-15%
Russell County
25 mi · 58,811 people
$1,212
-5%
Macon County
27 mi · 18,691 people
$981
-23%
Tallapoosa County
31 mi · 40,938 people
$994
-22%
Bullock County
37 mi · 10,058 people
$921
-28%
Elmore County
46 mi · 89,526 people
$1,150
-10%
Randolph County
47 mi · 22,510 people
$923
-28%
Coosa County
50 mi · 10,300 people
$921
-28%
Questions people ask
$1,277 a month for FY 2027, which runs October 1, 2026 through September 30, 2027. The other rates are $891 for a studio, $1,167 for one bedroom, $1,548 for three and $1,794 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 Lee actually go for?
HUD's number is one input. Search any address in Lee for a rent estimate built from nearby comps. Free to start, no card.
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