HUD Fair Market Rent · FY 2026 · effective Oct 1, 2025 to Sep 30, 2026
Fair Market Rent in Sumter County, Alabama (FY 2026)
HUD's FY 2026 Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom in Sumter County is $827 a month. That's the number the housing authority starts from when it sets Section 8 payment standards here.
2 bedroom FMR
$827
FY 2026, utilities included
Payment standard range
$744 to $910
90% to 110% of FMR
Income to afford 2BR
$33,080
per year, at 30% of income
Rank in Alabama
42nd of 67
by 2BR FMR
HUD has already published FY 2027. On October 1, 2026 the two-bedroom rate in Sumter moves to $921. That's up 11%. The full FY 2027 table is in the history section below.
HUD's number is one input. What does a two-bedroom in Sumter actually rent for?
Search any address in Sumter 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 | $619 | $557 to $681 | $24,760 | $11.90/hr | -9.9% |
| 1 bedroom | $642 | $578 to $706 | $25,680 | $12.35/hr | -10.0% |
| 2 bedroom | $827 | $744 to $910 | $33,080 | $15.90/hr | -9.9% |
| 3 bedroom | $1,107 | $996 to $1,218 | $44,280 | $21.29/hr | -0.2% |
| 4 bedroom | $1,193 | $1,074 to $1,312 | $47,720 | $22.94/hr | -10.0% |
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 | $1,372 | $1,235 to $1,509 |
| 6 bedroom Estimate | $1,551 | $1,396 to $1,706 |
| 7 bedroom Estimate | $1,730 | $1,557 to $1,903 |
| 8 bedroom Estimate | $1,909 | $1,718 to $2,100 |
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 Sumter, that runs from $619 for a studio up to $1,193 for four bedrooms, all five rates in the table above.
Because Sumter 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, Emelle included.
Among Alabama's 67 counties, Sumter ranks 42nd for two-bedroom FMR. That's about 6% below the state median of $879 and about 19% below the national median county at $1,018. About 12,196 people live here, 60th in the state.
Rates by ZIP code
Zoom in and the picture changes. HUD's Small Area FMRs put a two-bedroom at $830 in 35459 (Emelle) and $1,210 in 36907 (Cuba), with the 8 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 Sumter somewhere between $744 and $910. 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.
$827 a month is affordable, by HUD's 30% rule, on an income of roughly $33,080 a year. Put another way, $16 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% ($744) | HAP at 100% ($827) | HAP at 110% ($910) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $2,500 | $750 | $0 | $77 | $160 |
| $4,000 | $1,200 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
Rate history
The two-bedroom rate went down 10% from FY 2025 ($918) to FY 2026 ($827). Since FY 2020 it's up 12% in total, about 1.9% 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 | $557 | $561 | $739 | $921 | $1,001 | — |
| FY 2021 | $585 | $603 | $775 | $964 | $1,051 | +4.9% |
| FY 2022 | $637 | $652 | $848 | $1,048 | $1,150 | +9.4% |
| FY 2023 | $679 | $690 | $897 | $1,092 | $1,211 | +5.8% |
| FY 2024 | $763 | $792 | $1,019 | $1,232 | $1,459 | +13.6% |
| FY 2025 | $687 | $713 | $918 | $1,109 | $1,325 | -9.9% |
| FY 2026 | $619 | $642 | $827 | $1,107 | $1,193 | -9.9% |
| FY 2027 | $720 | $788 | $921 | $1,275 | $1,368 | +11.4% |
Nearby counties
Questions people ask
$827 a month for FY 2026, which runs October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026. The other rates are $619 for a studio, $642 for one bedroom, $1,107 for three and $1,193 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 Sumter actually go for?
HUD's number is one input. Search any address in Sumter for a rent estimate built from nearby comps. 3 free searches, no card.
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