HUD Fair Market Rent · FY 2026 · effective Oct 1, 2025 to Sep 30, 2026
Fair Market Rent in Hempstead County, Arkansas (FY 2026)
$908 a month. That's HUD's FY 2026 Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom in Hempstead County, and it's the baseline every voucher in Hempstead is measured against.
2 bedroom FMR
$908
FY 2026, utilities included
Payment standard range
$817 to $999
90% to 110% of FMR
Income to afford 2BR
$36,320
per year, at 30% of income
Rank in Arkansas
28th of 75
by 2BR FMR
HUD has already published FY 2027. On October 1, 2026 the two-bedroom rate in Hempstead moves to $909. That's unchanged. The full FY 2027 table is in the history section below.
HUD's number is one input. What does a two-bedroom in Hempstead actually rent for?
Search any address in Hempstead 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 | $650 | $585 to $715 | $26,000 | $12.50/hr | 0.0% |
| 1 bedroom | $692 | $623 to $761 | $27,680 | $13.31/hr | +1.8% |
| 2 bedroom | $908 | $817 to $999 | $36,320 | $17.46/hr | +1.8% |
| 3 bedroom | $1,188 | $1,069 to $1,307 | $47,520 | $22.85/hr | +1.0% |
| 4 bedroom | $1,404 | $1,264 to $1,544 | $56,160 | $27.00/hr | -3.6% |
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 | $1,615 | $1,454 to $1,777 |
| 6 bedroom Estimate | $1,825 | $1,643 to $2,008 |
| 7 bedroom Estimate | $2,036 | $1,832 to $2,240 |
| 8 bedroom Estimate | $2,246 | $2,021 to $2,471 |
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 Hempstead, that runs from $650 for a studio up to $1,404 for four bedrooms, all five rates in the table above.
Because Hempstead 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, Hope included.
Among Arkansas's 75 counties, Hempstead ranks 28th for two-bedroom FMR. That's about 3% above the state median of $880 and about 11% below the national median county at $1,018. About 20,037 people live here, 34th in the state.
Rates by ZIP code
Zoom in and the picture changes. HUD's Small Area FMRs put a two-bedroom at $880 in 71825 (Blevins) and $970 in 71838 (Fulton), with the 7 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 Hempstead somewhere between $817 and $999. 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.
$908 a month is affordable, by HUD's 30% rule, on an income of roughly $36,320 a year. Put another way, $17 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% ($817) | HAP at 100% ($908) | HAP at 110% ($999) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $2,500 | $750 | $67 | $158 | $249 |
| $4,000 | $1,200 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
Rate history
The two-bedroom rate went up 2% from FY 2025 ($892) to FY 2026 ($908). Since FY 2020 it's up 41% in total, about 5.9% a year. The Arkansas median moved up 4% over the same year.
| Year | Studio | 1 BR | 2 BR | 3 BR | 4 BR | 2BR change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY 2020 | $468 | $488 | $643 | $801 | $902 | — |
| FY 2021 | $499 | $517 | $682 | $848 | $1,045 | +6.1% |
| FY 2022 | $516 | $530 | $697 | $867 | $1,131 | +2.2% |
| FY 2023 | $575 | $583 | $768 | $998 | $1,238 | +10.2% |
| FY 2024 | $643 | $660 | $867 | $1,149 | $1,406 | +12.9% |
| FY 2025 | $650 | $680 | $892 | $1,176 | $1,457 | +2.9% |
| FY 2026 | $650 | $692 | $908 | $1,188 | $1,404 | +1.8% |
| FY 2027 | $679 | $835 | $909 | $1,224 | $1,313 | +0.1% |
Nearby counties
Questions people ask
$908 a month for FY 2026, which runs October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026. The other rates are $650 for a studio, $692 for one bedroom, $1,188 for three and $1,404 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 Hempstead actually go for?
HUD's number is one input. Search any address in Hempstead for a rent estimate built from nearby comps. 3 free searches, no card.
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