HUD Fair Market Rent · FY 2026 · Effective Oct 1, 2025 to Sep 30, 2026
Fair Market Rent in Russell County, Alabama (FY 2026)
HUD's FY 2026 Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom in Russell County is $1,088 a month. That's the number the housing authority starts from when it sets Section 8 payment standards here.
Two-bedroom FMR
$1,088
-1.8% from FY 2025
Payment standard
$979–$1,197
90% to 110% of the FMR, two-bedroom
Income to afford
$43,520
a year, with rent at 30% of income
Rank in Alabama
13th of 67
by two-bedroom FMR, highest first
HUD has already published FY 2027. On October 1, 2026 the two-bedroom rate in Russell moves to $1,212. That's up 11%. The full FY 2027 table is in the history section below.
FY 2026 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 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Studio | $895 | $806–$985 | $35,800 | $17.21/hr | +1.4% |
| 1 bedroom | $939 | $845–$1,033 | $37,560 | $18.06/hr | +0.2% |
| 2 bedroom | $1,088 | $979–$1,197 | $43,520 | $20.92/hr | -1.8% |
| 3 bedroom | $1,445 | $1,301–$1,590 | $57,800 | $27.79/hr | -1.2% |
| 4 bedroom | $1,703 | $1,533–$1,873 | $68,120 | $32.75/hr | -4.4% |
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 | $1,958 | $1,762–$2,154 |
| 6 bedroom Estimate | $2,214 | $1,993–$2,435 |
| 7 bedroom Estimate | $2,469 | $2,222–$2,716 |
| 8 bedroom Estimate | $2,725 | $2,453–$2,998 |
Source: HUD Office of Policy Development and Research, FY 2026 Fair Market Rents. Rents include utilities. huduser.gov
Market check
HUD's number is one input. What does a two-bedroom in Russell 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 Russell somewhere between $979 and $1,197. 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.
$1,088 a month is affordable, by HUD's 30% rule, on an income of roughly $43,520 a year. Put another way, $21 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%$979 | Voucher pays at 100%$1,088 | Voucher pays at 110%$1,197 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $2,500 | $750 | $229 | $338 | $447 |
| $4,000 | $1,200 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
Rate history
The two-bedroom rate went down 2% from FY 2025 ($1,108) to FY 2026 ($1,088). Since FY 2020 it's up 38% in total, about 5.5% a year. The Alabama median moved up 3% over the same year.
| Fiscal year | Studio | 1 BR | 2 BR | 3 BR | 4 BR | 2BR change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY 2020 | $594 | $670 | $790 | $1,062 | $1,387 | — |
| FY 2021 | $644 | $717 | $832 | $1,118 | $1,441 | +5.3% |
| FY 2022 | $654 | $724 | $827 | $1,122 | $1,415 | -0.6% |
| FY 2023 | $759 | $819 | $945 | $1,276 | $1,610 | +14.3% |
| FY 2024 | $828 | $881 | $1,031 | $1,372 | $1,743 | +9.1% |
| FY 2025 | $883 | $937 | $1,108 | $1,463 | $1,781 | +7.5% |
| FY 2026In effect | $895 | $939 | $1,088 | $1,445 | $1,703 | -1.8% |
| FY 2027From Oct 1, 2026 | $1,026 | $1,053 | $1,212 | $1,611 | $1,876 | +11.4% |
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 2026 that's October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026. In Russell, that runs from $895 for a studio up to $1,703 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 Russell in with 4 other counties in the Columbus metro, Muscogee County, Harris County, Chattahoochee County among them, and every one of them gets $1,088 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, Russell ranks 13th for two-bedroom FMR. That's about 24% above the state median of $879 and about 7% above the national median county at $1,018. About 58,849 people live here, 23rd in the state.
Rates by ZIP code
Zoom in and the picture changes. HUD's Small Area FMRs put a two-bedroom at $1,000 in 36851 (Cottonton) and $1,260 in 36856 (Fort Mitchell), with the 10 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 36851 | Cottonton | $1,000 | -8.1% |
| 36856 | Fort Mitchell | $1,260 | +15.8% |
| 36858 | Hatchechubbee | $1,000 | -8.1% |
| 36859 | Holy Trinity | $1,088County rate | — |
| 36860 | Hurtsboro | $1,000 | -8.1% |
| 36867 | Phenix City | $1,060 | -2.6% |
| 36868 | Phenix City | $1,000 | -8.1% |
| 36869 | Phenix City | $1,000 | -8.1% |
| 36870 | Phenix City | $1,150 | +5.7% |
| 36871 | Pittsview | $1,000 | -8.1% |
| 36875 | Seale | $1,000 | -8.1% |
Counties sharing the Columbus metro rate
HUD sets one rate for the whole metro, so every county here carries the same $1,088 two-bedroom figure as Russell.
Nearby counties
Two-bedroom FMR, with how each compares to Russell.
Lee County
25 mi · 175,126 people
$1,181
+9%
Barbour County
37 mi · 24,877 people
$776
-29%
Bullock County
37 mi · 10,328 people
$776
-29%
Macon County
38 mi · 19,198 people
$995
-9%
Chambers County
40 mi · 34,612 people
$1,002
-8%
Tallapoosa County
56 mi · 41,251 people
$857
-21%
Henry County
60 mi · 17,282 people
$878
-19%
Pike County
61 mi · 32,997 people
$912
-16%
Questions people ask
$1,088 a month for FY 2026, which runs October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026. The other rates are $895 for a studio, $939 for one bedroom, $1,445 for three and $1,703 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 Russell actually go for?
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