HUD Fair Market Rent · FY 2026 · effective Oct 1, 2025 to Sep 30, 2026
Fair Market Rent in Limestone County, Alabama (FY 2026)
HUD's FY 2026 Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom in Limestone County is $1,310 a month. That's the number the housing authority starts from when it sets Section 8 payment standards here.
2 bedroom FMR
$1,310
FY 2026, utilities included
Payment standard range
$1,179 to $1,441
90% to 110% of FMR
Income to afford 2BR
$52,400
per year, at 30% of income
Rank in Alabama
2nd of 67
by 2BR FMR
HUD has already published FY 2027. On October 1, 2026 the two-bedroom rate in Limestone moves to $1,341. That's up 2%. The full FY 2027 table is in the history section below.
HUD's number is one input. What does a two-bedroom in Limestone actually rent for?
Search any address in Limestone 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 | $1,030 | $927 to $1,133 | $41,200 | $19.81/hr | +11.0% |
| 1 bedroom | $1,136 | $1,022 to $1,250 | $45,440 | $21.85/hr | +6.1% |
| 2 bedroom | $1,310 | $1,179 to $1,441 | $52,400 | $25.19/hr | +5.0% |
| 3 bedroom | $1,690 | $1,521 to $1,859 | $67,600 | $32.50/hr | +5.0% |
| 4 bedroom | $2,109 | $1,898 to $2,320 | $84,360 | $40.56/hr | +7.4% |
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 | $2,425 | $2,183 to $2,668 |
| 6 bedroom Estimate | $2,742 | $2,468 to $3,016 |
| 7 bedroom Estimate | $3,058 | $2,752 to $3,364 |
| 8 bedroom Estimate | $3,374 | $3,037 to $3,711 |
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 Limestone, that runs from $1,030 for a studio up to $2,109 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 Limestone in with one other county in the Huntsville metro, Madison County among them, and every one of them gets $1,310 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, Limestone ranks 2nd for two-bedroom FMR. That's about 49% above the state median of $879 and about 29% above the national median county at $1,018. About 104,199 people live here, 12th in the state.
Counties sharing the Huntsville metro rate
Rates by ZIP code
Zoom in and the picture changes. HUD's Small Area FMRs put a two-bedroom at $1,130 in 35611 (Athens) and $1,950 in 35615 (Belle Mina), 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.
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 Limestone somewhere between $1,179 and $1,441. 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.
$1,310 a month is affordable, by HUD's 30% rule, on an income of roughly $52,400 a year. Put another way, $25 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% ($1,179) | HAP at 100% ($1,310) | HAP at 110% ($1,441) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $2,500 | $750 | $429 | $560 | $691 |
| $4,000 | $1,200 | $0 | $110 | $241 |
Rate history
The two-bedroom rate went up 5% from FY 2025 ($1,248) to FY 2026 ($1,310). Since FY 2020 it's up 68% in total, about 9.0% 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 | $567 | $660 | $782 | $1,040 | $1,373 | — |
| FY 2021 | $589 | $690 | $821 | $1,089 | $1,387 | +5.0% |
| FY 2022 | $647 | $757 | $897 | $1,189 | $1,428 | +9.3% |
| FY 2023 | $737 | $872 | $1,029 | $1,354 | $1,612 | +14.7% |
| FY 2024 | $900 | $1,067 | $1,248 | $1,619 | $1,937 | +21.3% |
| FY 2025 | $928 | $1,071 | $1,248 | $1,609 | $1,964 | 0.0% |
| FY 2026 | $1,030 | $1,136 | $1,310 | $1,690 | $2,109 | +5.0% |
| FY 2027 | $1,119 | $1,177 | $1,341 | $1,735 | $2,241 | +2.4% |
Nearby counties
Madison County
$1,31021 mi · pop 389,781
Morgan County
$96121 mi · pop 123,102
Lawrence County
$96126 mi · pop 33,116
Lauderdale County
$1,00038 mi · pop 94,329
Colbert County
$1,00043 mi · pop 57,270
Cullman County
$87946 mi · pop 88,284
Marshall County
$77652 mi · pop 97,923
Jackson County
$77653 mi · pop 52,618
Questions people ask
$1,310 a month for FY 2026, which runs October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026. The other rates are $1,030 for a studio, $1,136 for one bedroom, $1,690 for three and $2,109 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 Limestone actually go for?
HUD's number is one input. Search any address in Limestone for a rent estimate built from nearby comps. 3 free searches, no card.
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