HUD Fair Market Rent · FY 2027 · Effective Oct 1, 2026 to Sep 30, 2027
Fair Market Rent in Marengo County, Alabama (FY 2027)
$921 a month. That's HUD's FY 2027 Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom in Marengo County, and it's the baseline every voucher in Marengo is measured against.
Two-bedroom FMR
$921
+17.6% from FY 2026
Payment standard
$829–$1,013
90% to 110% of the FMR, two-bedroom
Income to afford
$36,840
a year, with rent at 30% of income
Rank in Alabama
59th 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 | $812 | $731–$893 | $32,480 | $15.62/hr | +39.5% |
| 1 bedroom | $819 | $737–$901 | $32,760 | $15.75/hr | +18.2% |
| 2 bedroom | $921 | $829–$1,013 | $36,840 | $17.71/hr | +17.6% |
| 3 bedroom | $1,219 | $1,097–$1,341 | $48,760 | $23.44/hr | +19.7% |
| 4 bedroom | $1,280 | $1,152–$1,408 | $51,200 | $24.62/hr | +7.8% |
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 | $1,472 | $1,325–$1,619 |
| 6 bedroom Estimate | $1,664 | $1,498–$1,830 |
| 7 bedroom Estimate | $1,856 | $1,670–$2,042 |
| 8 bedroom Estimate | $2,048 | $1,843–$2,253 |
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 Marengo actually rent for?
Search any address in Marengo for a rent estimate built from nearby comps, with the HUD figure right next to it.
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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 Marengo somewhere between $829 and $1,013. 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.
$921 a month is affordable, by HUD's 30% rule, on an income of roughly $36,840 a year. Put another way, $18 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%$829 | Voucher pays at 100%$921 | Voucher pays at 110%$1,013 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $2,500 | $750 | $79 | $171 | $263 |
| $4,000 | $1,200 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
Rate history
The two-bedroom rate went up 18% from FY 2026 ($783) to FY 2027 ($921). Since FY 2020 it's up 50% in total, about 6.0% 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 | $474 | $538 | $612 | $883 | $1,075 | — |
| FY 2021 | $479 | $556 | $634 | $876 | $1,098 | +3.6% |
| FY 2022 | $530 | $619 | $705 | $906 | $1,043 | +11.2% |
| FY 2023 | $560 | $655 | $740 | $929 | $1,109 | +5.0% |
| FY 2024 | $642 | $763 | $857 | $1,086 | $1,316 | +15.8% |
| FY 2025 | $578 | $688 | $772 | $990 | $1,185 | -9.9% |
| FY 2026 | $582 | $693 | $783 | $1,018 | $1,187 | +1.4% |
| FY 2027In effect | $812 | $819 | $921 | $1,219 | $1,280 | +17.6% |
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 2027 that's October 1, 2026 through September 30, 2027. In Marengo, that runs from $812 for a studio up to $1,280 for four bedrooms, all five rates in the table above.
Because Marengo sits outside any HUD metro area, its rate is a county-wide figure built from local rents. One number covers every address in the county, Demopolis included.
Among Alabama's 67 counties, Marengo ranks 59th for two-bedroom FMR. That's about 6% below the state median of $975 and about 13% below the national median county at $1,063. About 18,851 people live here, 47th in the state.
Rates by ZIP code
Zoom in and the picture changes. HUD's Small Area FMRs put a two-bedroom at $920 in 36732 (Demopolis) and $1,220 in 36736 (Dixons Mills), with the 9 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.
Nearby counties
Two-bedroom FMR, with how each compares to Marengo.
Choctaw County
29 mi · 12,380 people
$921
same rate
Perry County
31 mi · 8,031 people
$921
same rate
Hale County
33 mi · 14,829 people
$1,165
+26%
Wilcox County
33 mi · 10,172 people
$921
same rate
Sumter County
36 mi · 11,878 people
$921
same rate
Clarke County
37 mi · 22,543 people
$921
same rate
Greene County
42 mi · 7,424 people
$1,163
+26%
Dallas County
43 mi · 36,858 people
$945
+3%
Questions people ask
$921 a month for FY 2027, which runs October 1, 2026 through September 30, 2027. The other rates are $812 for a studio, $819 for one bedroom, $1,219 for three and $1,280 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 Marengo actually go for?
HUD's number is one input. Search any address in Marengo for a rent estimate built from nearby comps. Free to start, no card.
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