HUD Fair Market Rent · FY 2026 · effective Oct 1, 2025 to Sep 30, 2026
Fair Market Rent in Pope County, Arkansas (FY 2026)
HUD's FY 2026 Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom in Pope County is $938 a month. That's the number the housing authority starts from when it sets Section 8 payment standards here.
2 bedroom FMR
$938
FY 2026, utilities included
Payment standard range
$844 to $1,032
90% to 110% of FMR
Income to afford 2BR
$37,520
per year, at 30% of income
Rank in Arkansas
18th of 75
by 2BR FMR
HUD has already published FY 2027. On October 1, 2026 the two-bedroom rate in Pope moves to $948. That's up 1%. The full FY 2027 table is in the history section below.
HUD's number is one input. What does a two-bedroom in Pope actually rent for?
Search any address in Pope 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 | $647 | $582 to $712 | $25,880 | $12.44/hr | +4.5% |
| 1 bedroom | $715 | $644 to $787 | $28,600 | $13.75/hr | +3.9% |
| 2 bedroom | $938 | $844 to $1,032 | $37,520 | $18.04/hr | +3.9% |
| 3 bedroom | $1,254 | $1,129 to $1,379 | $50,160 | $24.12/hr | +0.7% |
| 4 bedroom | $1,258 | $1,132 to $1,384 | $50,320 | $24.19/hr | +0.6% |
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 | $1,447 | $1,302 to $1,592 |
| 6 bedroom Estimate | $1,635 | $1,472 to $1,799 |
| 7 bedroom Estimate | $1,824 | $1,642 to $2,006 |
| 8 bedroom Estimate | $2,013 | $1,812 to $2,214 |
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 Pope, that runs from $647 for a studio up to $1,258 for four bedrooms, all five rates in the table above.
Because Pope 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, Russellville included.
Among Arkansas's 75 counties, Pope ranks 18th for two-bedroom FMR. That's about 7% above the state median of $880 and about 8% below the national median county at $1,018. About 63,475 people live here, 12th in the state.
Rates by ZIP code
Zoom in and the picture changes. HUD's Small Area FMRs put a two-bedroom at $890 in 72856 (Pelsor) and $1,000 in 72802 (Russellville), with the 11 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 Pope somewhere between $844 and $1,032. 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.
$938 a month is affordable, by HUD's 30% rule, on an income of roughly $37,520 a year. Put another way, $18 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% ($844) | HAP at 100% ($938) | HAP at 110% ($1,032) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $2,500 | $750 | $94 | $188 | $282 |
| $4,000 | $1,200 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
Rate history
The two-bedroom rate went up 4% from FY 2025 ($903) to FY 2026 ($938). Since FY 2020 it's up 43% in total, about 6.1% 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 | $480 | $498 | $656 | $946 | $973 | — |
| FY 2021 | $487 | $519 | $684 | $969 | $1,024 | +4.3% |
| FY 2022 | $458 | $539 | $690 | $975 | $1,020 | +0.9% |
| FY 2023 | $560 | $596 | $748 | $1,054 | $1,092 | +8.4% |
| FY 2024 | $581 | $663 | $857 | $1,208 | $1,225 | +14.6% |
| FY 2025 | $619 | $688 | $903 | $1,245 | $1,250 | +5.4% |
| FY 2026 | $647 | $715 | $938 | $1,254 | $1,258 | +3.9% |
| FY 2027 | $674 | $725 | $948 | $1,278 | $1,283 | +1.1% |
Nearby counties
Questions people ask
$938 a month for FY 2026, which runs October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026. The other rates are $647 for a studio, $715 for one bedroom, $1,254 for three and $1,258 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 Pope actually go for?
HUD's number is one input. Search any address in Pope for a rent estimate built from nearby comps. 3 free searches, no card.
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