HUD Fair Market Rent · FY 2026 · effective Oct 1, 2025 to Sep 30, 2026
Fair Market Rent in Howard County, Arkansas (FY 2026)
HUD's FY 2026 Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom in Howard County is $883 a month. That's the number the housing authority starts from when it sets Section 8 payment standards here.
2 bedroom FMR
$883
FY 2026, utilities included
Payment standard range
$795 to $971
90% to 110% of FMR
Income to afford 2BR
$35,320
per year, at 30% of income
Rank in Arkansas
35th of 75
by 2BR FMR
HUD has already published FY 2027. On October 1, 2026 the two-bedroom rate in Howard moves to $909. That's up 3%. The full FY 2027 table is in the history section below.
HUD's number is one input. What does a two-bedroom in Howard actually rent for?
Search any address in Howard 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 | $632 | $569 to $695 | $25,280 | $12.15/hr | -0.3% |
| 1 bedroom | $673 | $606 to $740 | $26,920 | $12.94/hr | +1.5% |
| 2 bedroom | $883 | $795 to $971 | $35,320 | $16.98/hr | +1.5% |
| 3 bedroom | $1,059 | $953 to $1,165 | $42,360 | $20.37/hr | +1.0% |
| 4 bedroom | $1,272 | $1,145 to $1,399 | $50,880 | $24.46/hr | +5.6% |
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 | $1,463 | $1,317 to $1,609 |
| 6 bedroom Estimate | $1,654 | $1,489 to $1,819 |
| 7 bedroom Estimate | $1,844 | $1,660 to $2,028 |
| 8 bedroom Estimate | $2,035 | $1,832 to $2,239 |
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 Howard, that runs from $632 for a studio up to $1,272 for four bedrooms, all five rates in the table above.
Because Howard 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, Dierks included.
Among Arkansas's 75 counties, Howard ranks 35th for two-bedroom FMR. That's within a couple percent of the state median of $880 and about 13% below the national median county at $1,018. About 12,779 people live here, 54th 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 71833 (Dierks) and $990 in 71851 (Mineral Springs), with the 5 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 Howard somewhere between $795 and $971. 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.
$883 a month is affordable, by HUD's 30% rule, on an income of roughly $35,320 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% ($795) | HAP at 100% ($883) | HAP at 110% ($971) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $2,500 | $750 | $45 | $133 | $221 |
| $4,000 | $1,200 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
Rate history
The two-bedroom rate went up 1% from FY 2025 ($870) to FY 2026 ($883). Since FY 2020 it's up 40% in total, about 5.8% 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 | $464 | $500 | $630 | $802 | $908 | — |
| FY 2021 | $474 | $549 | $654 | $850 | $966 | +3.8% |
| FY 2022 | $456 | $536 | $649 | $816 | $880 | -0.8% |
| FY 2023 | $489 | $563 | $720 | $882 | $967 | +10.9% |
| FY 2024 | $610 | $626 | $823 | $995 | $1,127 | +14.3% |
| FY 2025 | $634 | $663 | $870 | $1,048 | $1,204 | +5.7% |
| FY 2026 | $632 | $673 | $883 | $1,059 | $1,272 | +1.5% |
| FY 2027 | $646 | $695 | $909 | $1,084 | $1,195 | +2.9% |
Nearby counties
Questions people ask
$883 a month for FY 2026, which runs October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026. The other rates are $632 for a studio, $673 for one bedroom, $1,059 for three and $1,272 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 Howard actually go for?
HUD's number is one input. Search any address in Howard for a rent estimate built from nearby comps. 3 free searches, no card.
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