HUD Fair Market Rent · FY 2027 · Effective Oct 1, 2026 to Sep 30, 2027
Fair Market Rent in Tuscaloosa County, Alabama (FY 2027)
HUD's FY 2027 Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom in Tuscaloosa County is $1,165 a month. That's the number the housing authority starts from when it sets Section 8 payment standards here.
Two-bedroom FMR
$1,165
-0.3% from FY 2026
Payment standard
$1,049–$1,282
90% to 110% of the FMR, two-bedroom
Income to afford
$46,600
a year, with rent at 30% of income
Rank in Alabama
12th 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 | $970 | $873–$1,067 | $38,800 | $18.65/hr | +0.4% |
| 1 bedroom | $975 | $878–$1,073 | $39,000 | $18.75/hr | +0.3% |
| 2 bedroom | $1,165 | $1,049–$1,282 | $46,600 | $22.40/hr | -0.3% |
| 3 bedroom | $1,470 | $1,323–$1,617 | $58,800 | $28.27/hr | -1.3% |
| 4 bedroom | $1,531 | $1,378–$1,684 | $61,240 | $29.44/hr | -1.1% |
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 | $1,761 | $1,585–$1,937 |
| 6 bedroom Estimate | $1,990 | $1,791–$2,189 |
| 7 bedroom Estimate | $2,220 | $1,998–$2,442 |
| 8 bedroom Estimate | $2,450 | $2,205–$2,695 |
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 Tuscaloosa actually rent for?
Search any address in Tuscaloosa 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 Tuscaloosa somewhere between $1,049 and $1,282. 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.
$1,165 a month is affordable, by HUD's 30% rule, on an income of roughly $46,600 a year. Put another way, $22 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%$1,049 | Voucher pays at 100%$1,165 | Voucher pays at 110%$1,282 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $2,500 | $750 | $299 | $415 | $532 |
| $4,000 | $1,200 | $0 | $0 | $82 |
Rate history
The two-bedroom rate went down 0% from FY 2026 ($1,169) to FY 2027 ($1,165). Since FY 2020 it's up 32% in total, about 4.0% 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 | $719 | $737 | $885 | $1,131 | $1,199 | — |
| FY 2021 | $691 | $695 | $839 | $1,061 | $1,138 | -5.2% |
| FY 2022 | $758 | $762 | $927 | $1,162 | $1,257 | +10.5% |
| FY 2023 | $816 | $822 | $1,018 | $1,277 | $1,368 | +9.8% |
| FY 2024 | $903 | $909 | $1,125 | $1,415 | $1,498 | +10.5% |
| FY 2025 | $916 | $922 | $1,138 | $1,450 | $1,509 | +1.2% |
| FY 2026 | $966 | $972 | $1,169 | $1,490 | $1,548 | +2.7% |
| FY 2027In effect | $970 | $975 | $1,165 | $1,470 | $1,531 | -0.3% |
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 Tuscaloosa, that runs from $970 for a studio up to $1,531 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 Tuscaloosa in with one other county in the Tuscaloosa metro, Hale County among them, and every one of them gets $1,165 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, Tuscaloosa ranks 12th for two-bedroom FMR. That's about 19% above the state median of $975 and about 10% above the national median county at $1,063. About 237,552 people live here, 5th in the state.
Rates by ZIP code
Zoom in and the picture changes. HUD's Small Area FMRs put a two-bedroom at $1,060 in 35446 (Buhl) and $1,560 in 35406 (Tuscaloosa), with the 23 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 35401 | Tuscaloosa | $1,120 | -3.9% |
| 35402 | Tuscaloosa | $1,180 | +1.3% |
| 35403 | Tuscaloosa | $1,180 | +1.3% |
| 35404 | Tuscaloosa | $1,180 | +1.3% |
| 35405 | Tuscaloosa | $1,280 | +9.9% |
| 35406 | Tuscaloosa | $1,560 | +33.9% |
| 35407 | Tuscaloosa | $1,180 | +1.3% |
| 35440 | Abernant | $1,165County rate | — |
| 35444 | Brookwood | $1,270 | +9.0% |
| 35446 | Buhl | $1,060 | -9.0% |
| 35449 | Coaling | $1,180 | +1.3% |
| 35452 | Coker | $1,450 | +24.5% |
| 35453 | Cottondale | $1,100 | -5.6% |
| 35456 | Duncanville | $1,230 | +5.6% |
| 35457 | Echola | $1,060 | -9.0% |
| 35458 | Elrod | $1,060 | -9.0% |
| 35463 | Fosters | $1,190 | +2.1% |
| 35468 | Kellerman | $1,165County rate | — |
| 35473 | Northport | $1,110 | -4.7% |
| 35475 | Northport | $1,110 | -4.7% |
| 35476 | Northport | $1,130 | -3.0% |
| 35478 | Peterson | $1,165County rate | — |
| 35480 | Ralph | $1,060 | -9.0% |
| 35482 | Samantha | $1,165County rate | — |
| 35486 | Tuscaloosa | $1,180 | +1.3% |
| 35487 | Tuscaloosa | $1,120 | -3.9% |
| 35490 | Vance | $1,090 | -6.4% |
Counties sharing the Tuscaloosa metro rate
HUD sets one rate for the whole metro, so every county here carries the same $1,165 two-bedroom figure as Tuscaloosa.
Nearby counties
Two-bedroom FMR, with how each compares to Tuscaloosa.
Bibb County
30 mi · 22,130 people
$1,375
+18%
Pickens County
33 mi · 18,721 people
$921
-21%
Greene County
36 mi · 7,424 people
$1,163
same rate
Fayette County
37 mi · 16,053 people
$921
-21%
Hale County
37 mi · 14,829 people
$1,165
same rate
Walker County
42 mi · 64,841 people
$949
-19%
Jefferson County
44 mi · 667,755 people
$1,375
+18%
Perry County
48 mi · 8,031 people
$921
-21%
Questions people ask
$1,165 a month for FY 2027, which runs October 1, 2026 through September 30, 2027. The other rates are $970 for a studio, $975 for one bedroom, $1,470 for three and $1,531 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 Tuscaloosa actually go for?
HUD's number is one input. Search any address in Tuscaloosa for a rent estimate built from nearby comps. Free to start, no card.
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