HUD Fair Market Rent · FY 2026 · effective Oct 1, 2025 to Sep 30, 2026
Fair Market Rent in Marengo County, Alabama (FY 2026)
$783 a month. That's HUD's FY 2026 Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom in Marengo County, and it's the baseline every voucher in Marengo is measured against.
2 bedroom FMR
$783
FY 2026, utilities included
Payment standard range
$705 to $861
90% to 110% of FMR
Income to afford 2BR
$31,320
per year, at 30% of income
Rank in Alabama
46th of 67
by 2BR FMR
HUD has already published FY 2027. On October 1, 2026 the two-bedroom rate in Marengo moves to $921. That's up 18%. The full FY 2027 table is in the history section below.
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.
FY 2026 Fair Market Rents
| Bedrooms | FMR | Payment standard | Income needed | Hourly wage | vs FY 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Studio | $582 | $524 to $640 | $23,280 | $11.19/hr | +0.7% |
| 1 bedroom | $693 | $624 to $762 | $27,720 | $13.33/hr | +0.7% |
| 2 bedroom | $783 | $705 to $861 | $31,320 | $15.06/hr | +1.4% |
| 3 bedroom | $1,018 | $916 to $1,120 | $40,720 | $19.58/hr | +2.8% |
| 4 bedroom | $1,187 | $1,068 to $1,306 | $47,480 | $22.83/hr | +0.2% |
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 | $1,365 | $1,229 to $1,502 |
| 6 bedroom Estimate | $1,543 | $1,389 to $1,697 |
| 7 bedroom Estimate | $1,721 | $1,549 to $1,893 |
| 8 bedroom Estimate | $1,899 | $1,709 to $2,089 |
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 Marengo, that runs from $582 for a studio up to $1,187 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 46th for two-bedroom FMR. That's about 11% below the state median of $879 and about 23% below the national median county at $1,018. About 19,180 people live here, 48th in the state.
Rates by ZIP code
Zoom in and the picture changes. HUD's Small Area FMRs put a two-bedroom at $780 in 36732 (Demopolis) and $1,140 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.
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 $705 and $861. 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.
$783 a month is affordable, by HUD's 30% rule, on an income of roughly $31,320 a year. Put another way, $15 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% ($705) | HAP at 100% ($783) | HAP at 110% ($861) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $2,500 | $750 | $0 | $33 | $111 |
| $4,000 | $1,200 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
Rate history
The two-bedroom rate went up 1% from FY 2025 ($772) to FY 2026 ($783). Since FY 2020 it's up 28% in total, about 4.2% 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 | $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 2027 | $812 | $819 | $921 | $1,219 | $1,280 | +17.6% |
Nearby counties
Questions people ask
$783 a month for FY 2026, which runs October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026. The other rates are $582 for a studio, $693 for one bedroom, $1,018 for three and $1,187 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 Marengo actually go for?
HUD's number is one input. Search any address in Marengo for a rent estimate built from nearby comps. 3 free searches, no card.
Free tier. No credit card.