HUD Fair Market Rent · FY 2027 · Effective Oct 1, 2026 to Sep 30, 2027
Fair Market Rent in Independence County, Arkansas (FY 2027)
$934 a month. That's HUD's FY 2027 Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom in Independence County, and it's the baseline every voucher in Independence is measured against.
Two-bedroom FMR
$934
+4.8% from FY 2026
Payment standard
$841–$1,027
90% to 110% of the FMR, two-bedroom
Income to afford
$37,360
a year, with rent at 30% of income
Rank in Arkansas
28th of 75
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 | $664 | $598–$730 | $26,560 | $12.77/hr | -2.9% |
| 1 bedroom | $740 | $666–$814 | $29,600 | $14.23/hr | +7.6% |
| 2 bedroom | $934 | $841–$1,027 | $37,360 | $17.96/hr | +4.8% |
| 3 bedroom | $1,221 | $1,099–$1,343 | $48,840 | $23.48/hr | +3.9% |
| 4 bedroom | $1,228 | $1,105–$1,351 | $49,120 | $23.62/hr | +4.1% |
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 | $1,412 | $1,271–$1,553 |
| 6 bedroom Estimate | $1,596 | $1,436–$1,756 |
| 7 bedroom Estimate | $1,781 | $1,603–$1,959 |
| 8 bedroom Estimate | $1,965 | $1,769–$2,162 |
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 Independence actually rent for?
Search any address in Independence 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 Independence somewhere between $841 and $1,027. 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.
$934 a month is affordable, by HUD's 30% rule, on an income of roughly $37,360 a year. Put another way, $18 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%$841 | Voucher pays at 100%$934 | Voucher pays at 110%$1,027 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $2,500 | $750 | $91 | $184 | $277 |
| $4,000 | $1,200 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
Rate history
The two-bedroom rate went up 5% from FY 2026 ($891) to FY 2027 ($934). Since FY 2020 it's up 42% in total, about 5.1% a year. The Arkansas median moved up 3% over the same year.
| Fiscal year | Studio | 1 BR | 2 BR | 3 BR | 4 BR | 2BR change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY 2020 | $485 | $501 | $660 | $822 | $894 | — |
| FY 2021 | $486 | $504 | $664 | $826 | $900 | +0.6% |
| FY 2022 | $481 | $493 | $649 | $823 | $880 | -2.3% |
| FY 2023 | $544 | $552 | $726 | $950 | $975 | +11.9% |
| FY 2024 | $618 | $623 | $818 | $1,087 | $1,089 | +12.7% |
| FY 2025 | $653 | $657 | $862 | $1,139 | $1,143 | +5.4% |
| FY 2026 | $684 | $688 | $891 | $1,175 | $1,180 | +3.4% |
| FY 2027In effect | $664 | $740 | $934 | $1,221 | $1,228 | +4.8% |
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 Independence, that runs from $664 for a studio up to $1,228 for four bedrooms, all five rates in the table above.
Because Independence 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, Batesville included.
Among Arkansas's 75 counties, Independence ranks 28th for two-bedroom FMR. That's about 3% above the state median of $909 and about 12% below the national median county at $1,063. About 38,175 people live here, 19th in the state.
Rates by ZIP code
Zoom in and the picture changes. HUD's Small Area FMRs put a two-bedroom at $910 in 72165 (Thida) and $1,020 in 72568 (Pleasant Plains), with the 16 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 72165 | Thida | $910 | -2.6% |
| 72501 | Batesville | $940 | +0.6% |
| 72503 | Batesville | $930 | -0.4% |
| 72522 | Charlotte | $920 | -1.5% |
| 72524 | Cord | $910 | -2.6% |
| 72526 | Cushman | $940 | +0.6% |
| 72527 | Desha | $940 | +0.6% |
| 72534 | Floral | $970 | +3.9% |
| 72550 | Locust Grove | $950 | +1.7% |
| 72553 | Magness | $940 | +0.6% |
| 72562 | Newark | $910 | -2.6% |
| 72564 | Oil Trough | $930 | -0.4% |
| 72568 | Pleasant Plains | $1,020 | +9.2% |
| 72571 | Rosie | $960 | +2.8% |
| 72575 | Salado | $930 | -0.4% |
| 72579 | Sulphur Rock | $910 | -2.6% |
Nearby counties
Two-bedroom FMR, with how each compares to Independence.
Jackson County
22 mi · 16,712 people
$909
-3%
Cleburne County
27 mi · 25,226 people
$997
+7%
Sharp County
32 mi · 17,773 people
$909
-3%
Lawrence County
33 mi · 16,238 people
$909
-3%
Stone County
34 mi · 12,568 people
$916
-2%
White County
34 mi · 77,838 people
$948
+1%
Izard County
35 mi · 14,009 people
$909
-3%
Woodruff County
41 mi · 6,026 people
$909
-3%
Questions people ask
$934 a month for FY 2027, which runs October 1, 2026 through September 30, 2027. The other rates are $664 for a studio, $740 for one bedroom, $1,221 for three and $1,228 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 Independence actually go for?
HUD's number is one input. Search any address in Independence for a rent estimate built from nearby comps. Free to start, no card.
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